FEATURE: Pounds of Love: A Perfect Way to End 2023…? Kate Bush’s Album Reissues and a Christmas with Certain Strings

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Pounds of Love: A Perfect Way to End 2023…?

PHOTO CREDIT: Fish People/Kate Bush 

Kate Bush’s Album Reissues and a Christmas Present with Certain Strings

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HAVING launched…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Fish People/Kate Bush

a new website design/layout that looks amazing and is ‘presented’ by Fish People (Bush’s label), there has been this overhaul that has now put front and centre reissued albums that are going to exclusively appear in independent record stores. Kate Bush News reported on the fact that her 1985 masterpiece Hounds of Love is being reissued - and different editions are coming out. I am going to come to the studio albums in a minute, in addition to writing why these releases are perfect Christmas presents – and releases coming after December will be pre-ordered as late Christmas presents:

“As was promised earlier this year when Kate moved her distribution to The State51 Conspiracy, special presentations of Hounds of Love have just been announced on Kate’s newly re-launched official Fish People site. And they are quite extraordinary. They include an “illustrated vinyl” 12″ edition (known as the Baskerville Edition) as well as the album being presented on two boxes (called The Boxes of Lost at Sea). Additionally, the coloured vinyl we reported on last month is available to pre-order. Elsewhere, the new site features new notes and specially chosen footage by Kate on all of her albums as she reissues her full album catalogue.

Hounds of Love – The Baskerville Edition 12″ vinyl

The 12″ vinyl Baskerville edition (available from December 1st, pre-order here) features new illustrations by Timorous Beasties on the front (shown above – two hounds!), centre gatefold (Kate, being hoisted by sea creatures, in her life jacket with blinking red LED light!) and back (including a solar panel to charge the light battery in daylight!). The Baskerville Edition of Hounds of Love is intended to be the first in a series of illustrated editions of Kate’s albums. The Dreaming will be the second in the series of illustrated editions, also illustrated by Timorous Beasties. This will be released in time for Valentine’s Day, 2024. More details will be available nearer the time.

The site says that “the best way to charge this solar panel is in bright sunlight (but not with the vinyl LP, it might warp!) In that situation it will charge really quickly, within ten minutes. Smoked glass doesn’t work well at all and neither does a very cloudy day. LED indoor lightning won’t work at all, but halogen lightning should be good. Do not put the solar panel closer then 10 cm from an artificial light source as this could cause heat damage to the solar panel. We hope you will experiment and please be patient if it’s a little temperamental. This is an innovative idea and designed to be environmentally friendly.” 

The Baskerville Edition is accompanied by a beautiful new Cloudbusting-themed video which depicts a young Peter Reich receiving the record and telling his story. Extremely touching! See it below.

PHOTO CREDIT: Fish People/Kate Bush

On the official press release for the reissues Kate says:

It’s been great fun putting together these new versions, including coloured vinyls for independent record stores. They’ve been designed as a ‘set’. It’s very exciting to see the resurgence of appreciation for the physical presence of albums released on vinyl. It’s how it’s always been for me, especially when I was a teenager. The whole buzz of the record store was part of the experience. Buying an album was an event. There’s a special emotional connection that happens between the possessor of an album, the music and the artwork, when it exists in the real world. It’s something we can treasure in a unique way.

KATE BUSH, NOVEMBER 2023

The Boxes of Lost at Sea

If that wasn’t enough Kate has created two pieces of wall art, The Boxes of Lost at Sea (available from December 1st, pre-order here), each consisting of two boxes, each containing one side of the Hounds of Love album. In a second accompanying video, Kate explains via on-screen text, that she was inspired to expand upon a piece of work she first created for a special War Child charity auction in 1994 (see our news item here on the original artworks). Kate was thrilled to find the ITV clip of her idol, David Bowie, admiring her original artworks.

The boxes, which can each be wall mounted, also feature flashing LED lights powered by two AAA batteries. A donation will be made to War Child with each box that’s bought.

Kate says: “The idea was to create a hybrid of an album and a piece of artwork you could hang on the wall. They’re based on something I designed for an auction for the charity War Child”

Inside The Boxes of Lost at Sea are two vinyl records, described as “UV print on a side without grooves, on white vinyl.”

Like the 1994 original piece, each has an inscribed plaque, with versions available for pre-order in a braille version also:

Fish People are also reissuing the regular vinyl and CD versions of Hounds of Love and believe it or not (Stranger Things fans, ahoy!) a newly reissued cassette version – all three out on November 20th as previously reported. Elsewhere on the site, you can pre-order something for “those cloudbusting kind of days…” ……a rather fetching umbrella!”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Fish People/Kate Bush

I guess the new editions are a little on the expensive side. As Kate Bush has spent time and effort making sure these are all individual and look amazing, it will worth adding to your collection. Aerial looks pretty interesting! I might well get that, as I do not have the original on vinyl. Hounds of Love will be especially popular, as it is also coming out on cassette. With albums on the website, you also get videos relevant. Lionheart is a good example. It is a new way for fans old and new to connect with the album. I think one of the exciting things is that there is this access for young fans. Even though the albums were reissued and remastered a five years back – hard to believe before 2018 they were difficult to get on vinyl! -, I think this presentation and release looks better! The vinyl are more interesting. You get cool obi strips, plus the photos and information you get with each album will be amazing! Despite the fact that they are priced highly at the moment, that will fall in time. It is a perfect time new fans to bond with these albums. Bush has always said how she wants people to experience her albums on physical formats. The C.D.s are available too, though there is that major demand for vinyl. I might well add a couple to my collection, as these reissues and designs mark the end of an active and exciting time for Kate Bush. One of the downsides, I guess, is this debate around the reissue and a lack of new material. It is a lot of money for fans to pay for albums that do not contain new demos, outtakes, B-sides or anything we have not heard before. That is fair enough!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Fish People/Kate Bush

There has been this retrospection, transfer of her albums to The state51 Conspiracy, and activity regarding her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. It would be nice to think that, as 2023 is coming to an end, there is something new next year. Bush cares deeply about her fans, however there is that palpable and understandable call for new music. As they literally invest so much when it comes to her existing music, there is a massive appetite for something fresh from the genius. She has given us this Christmas present. No doubt she will put a message on her official website next month thanking her fans, plus reflecting on the world and offering her love and support. Next year should be an opportunity when everything has been cleared and sorted so that Bush can follow 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. She does not need to say whether anything will come at some point. She will know what a wave of expectation there is out there. We are grateful for the studio albums coming back out with new designs. It has seen Kate Bush take a real interest in the process and completion. There will be eyes her way with records the next step. Even if it is audio from songs that have not seen the light of day, or demos that are new to fans – another round of repackaging and retrospection might be a bit too much. Whether that big question around new material is answered in 2024 remains to be seen. If it is, then you can guarantee that is something that all fans will…

HAPPILY invest in!

FEATURE: Kate Bush’s 50 Words for Snow at Twelve: An Alternative Christmas: Inside the Magical Misty

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Kate Bush’s 50 Words for Snow at Twelve

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional photo for 50 Words for Snow/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

An Alternative Christmas: Inside the Magical Misty

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ON 21st November…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Fish People/The state51 Conspiracy

it will be twelve years since Kate Bush released her current studio album, 50 Words for Snow. There is activity in Kate Bush’s world with the reissue of her studio albums. With vinyl designed by her, we are getting this new treat in the form of the albums all looking splendid and ready in time for Christmas! I have written about that separately. I recently wrote about her first Christmas song, December Will Be Magic Again, as that was released on 17th November, 1980. During that feature, I mused how it was a little disappointing why there was no music video made for that song. Bush did perform the track on T.V. a couple of times, yet there is no official video. I kind of think that is a missed opportunity. It would have been great seeing Kate Bush in a Christmas scene. December Will Be Magic Again is a beautiful track that would have benefited from a wintery video. Thinking about 50 Words for Snow. Even though it is not a Christmas album, the songs are linked by snow. I do actually think that the third song on the album, Misty, evokes Christmas. It is an epic song that I feel is one of Kate Bush’s very best. In terms of the themes, it does not mention Christmas. You can feel and sense elements of The Snowman. That Raymond Briggs’ classic is definitely an influence you can hear on the track. Before moving on, here are extracts from interviews where Bush talked about Misty and what it concerns:

“Well, I think in that particular song obviously there is a sexual encounter going on… (John Doran, 'A Demon In The Drift: Kate Bush Interviewed'. The Quietus, 2011)

It's a silly idea. But I hope that what has happened is that there's almost a sense of tenderness. I think it's quite a dark song. And so I hope that I've made it work. But in a lot of ways it shouldn't because... It's ridiculous, isn't it, the idea of the snowman visiting this woman and climbing into bed with her.

But I took him as a purely symbolic snowman, it was about...

No John, he's REAL (laughs). (BBC4 Radio, Front Row, 2011)”.

50 Words for Snow uses snow as a backdrop. It has a particular interest in fascinating creatures, something child-like and wonderful. Maybe because Bush’s son Bertie was still small, many of the songs are about magic and mystery. Wild Man is about a half-man create, a yeti, that is being hunted. Lake Tahoe is about a ghostly figure who supposedly lives in the lake. The title track features fifty words for snow. It is pretty funny and cute. I think that Misty is the standout in many ways. It is the longest track on the album at 13:32. I think that there is something Christmas-like at its heart. It does seem to conjure the spirit of The Snowman. It is the time of year when Christmas songs are being played. I am marking the approaching anniversary of 50 Words for Snow by highlighting an unofficial Christmas song. That said, it is not one that is instantly appropriate for children. Maybe a more erotic and adult version of a Christmas classic. I think it is the updated The Snowman, in the sense a woman brings this snowman to life but it melts in the night – though many have said it is this tryst that went wrong, a brief moment of passion. I will move on. Before I do, this article from 2012 shines a light on the long-lasting and amazing Misty:

“Perhaps not coincidentally, it’s also my favorite song on the album. In fact, it could be said that I am somewhat obsessed with “Misty” — not just the song itself, but all of the artistic qualities it represents. After the album came out, I excitedly told everyone about how it had a “13-minute song about falling in love with a snowman.” Because who makes a 13-minute song about falling in love with a snowman? Why would anyone do that? And how could it possibly be good?

Perhaps the only person in the world who could do it or would do it is Kate Bush, who in her 30+ year career has consistently pushed the boundaries of art and has an affinity for oddball subject matter. A very underrated trait among great artists, especially ones I admire, is the willingness to go through with ideas that seem insane on the surface. As someone who has a lot of half-finished posts sitting in my drafts folder on this blog, I feel a lot of respect towards Bush, who sat down at her piano and hammered this song out because she knew it would be good. I imagine her picking up the phone during the writing process and having to tell whoever called “I can’t speak right now. I’m working on my song about loving a snowman.” She probably put off other real-life responsibilities while writing her snowman song, confident that people would want to listen to it when it was finished. To me, that is pretty much the definition of an artist.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional photo for 50 Words for Snow/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Now, when you read that the song is about falling in love with a snowman, you probably figured “oh, it’s a metaphor for being with a cold, distant lover or something.” Nope. Another reason why this song is great is that Bush attacks the subject matter head-on instead of using bland, figurative language. Above a recurring piano figure, she recounts building the snowman, then how the snowman ends up in her bed.

Unfortunately, like all one-night affairs with snowmen, Bush’s tryst was doomed to end in heartbreak. “I can feel him melting in my hand,” she laments, knowing that you only have a limited amount of time to be with a snowman. At about the 8-minute mark, a guitar and some light strings join the piano as the song picks up in tempo. “I can’t find him… the sheets are soaking,” Bush sings, her voice full of very real yearning. The seriousness with which Bush sings the song is just another way that I think she’s in on the “joke” and is aware of the song’s dark comedy and absurdity.

But even though this song is absurd, it has a genuine emotional impact. Once you let the initial concept sink in (and since the song is so long, it will if you have the patience), it becomes a pretty stirring tale of two star-crossed lovers who obviously can never have a future. She was the good girl from the high-class family who wanted the best things in life. He was three balls of snow stacked on top of each other with a mouth full of dead leaves. You can see why it would never work out”.

Critics loved Misty. One of the highlights of 50 Words for Snow, this is what Pitchfork observed about a song so strange and unconventional that it could only have come from the splendid imagination of Kate Bush:

“But Bush continues to infuse her narratives with a beguiling complexity while retaining some old-school directness. Because while most of this album's songs can be easily summarized-- "Snowflake" chronicles the journey of a piece of snow falling to the ground; "Lake Tahoe" tells of a watery spirit searching for her dog; "Misty" is the one about the woman who sleeps with a lusty snowman (!)-- they contain wondrous multitudes thanks to the singer's still-expressive voice and knack for uncanny arrangements”.

Even if critics found the song unusual, they saluted its ambition and unconventional arc. A tale that, to me, seems steeped in Christmas and that time of year. Maybe an introversion of a classic tale. A woman who dreams of a night with a snowman. There are various different takes you could have. This is what The Guardian had to say about the glorious Misty:

“It devotes nearly 14 impossibly beautiful minutes to Misty, a song on which Bush imagines first building a snowman and then, well, humping him, with predictably unhappy consequences: "He is dissolving before me," she sings sadly, not the first lady in history to complain about an evening of passion coming to a premature conclusion. It features a title track that turns out to be more prosaically named than you might expect”.

I am going to wrap it up there. I did want to use the final 50 Words for Snow anniversary feature to celebrate and discuss Misty. A grand and incomparable song, I would urge people to listen to the whole album. It is twelve on 21st November. It is a glorious work from an artist who moved from shorter and more conventional songs to these longer and more expansive ones. It was a great shift that led to some of her best work. Let us all hope that there is…

MORE to come.

FEATURE: Don’t Speak Now (Taylor’s Aversion): Record Labels Limiting Artists Rerecording Their Albums, and Why It Is Important for the Artist to Have Control

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Don’t Speak Now (Taylor’s Aversion)

Record Labels Limiting Artists Rerecording Their Albums, and Why It Is Important for the Artist to Have Control

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THIS is a bit of a mish-mash feature…

based on a couple of features I saw. The thing that links them is artists taking control of their albums and legacy. The fact that there is a lot of nostalgia and ‘correcting’ from some major artists. Something Laura Snapes mentioned in her recent feature – which I shall come to soon. I think that record labels can be a mixed blessing. In terms of what an artist can say and release. How easy (or not) it is for them to rerecord an album if they are not happy with the originals – or there are songs and messages that need to be clarified and amended. In terms of the biggest example, we have Taylor Swift. In August 2019, Swift announced that she would be rerecording her first six studio albums so that she can control her legacy and past work. That is a big move and call to make though, as reviews for the albums she has reissues have shown, it was the right move:

“In 2019, the music label Big Machine Records, which Swift had been signed to from 2006 to 2018, was sold to music mogul/manager Scooter Braun – best known for discovering Justin Bieber.

Along with ownership of the company, Braun also gained rights to the master recordings of all the music Swift had created during her time with the label. This included her first six albums: Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014) and Reputation (2017).

This meant that anybody who wanted to licence any of Swift’s old songs for a movie or TV show would have to get Braun’s permission and pay him a fee.

“For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. Instead I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in. I walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, Scott Borchetta [CEO of Big Machine Records] would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future,” Swift wrote on her Tumblr account in June 2019.

“I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past. Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums.”

The “Cruel Summer” singer explained that she too had only learnt about Braun’s purchase of her masters when it was announced to the world. “All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years,” she said.

“Now Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy. Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it,” Swift said, calling it her “worst-case scenario”.

Her fourth recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version), was released at the end of last month. It was received with huge acclaim! The 2014 was her breakthrough and most popular album to that date, though Swift has added something to new to the original in terms of its impact and strength. I think all thew rerecorded versions so far have been a great move and added something to the originals. Set aside the fact Taylor Swift is a billionaire now; look at this from the perspective of an artist not cashing in. She is someone who is entitled to protect her legacy and control her recordings. In fact, regarding her wealth, she is extremely smart with it – and not someone who flaunts it at all. I do think that this is something women face more. Being misrepresented or messed around by labels. Not having the same freedom and commercial opportunities. There will no doubt be other artists like Swift who want to rerecord some of their albums for different reasons. Maybe it is the fact they are on new labels or they did not get a lot of say regarding what their album was about and how it was sold. Some might see older songs as a bit misrepresentative of who they are. As we heard at the end of last month, Taylor Swift might have opened doors. It does seem that labels, especially big labels, are trying to slam that  to ensure that artists do not rerecord their albums – and potentially cause some problems for labels:

“Record labels and recording companies have been working to prevent artists from re-recording their albums like Taylor Swift, according to reports.

The trend – while having been around for decades – has been brought to light recently by Taylor Swift, who has accumulated billions of streams and broke Spotify records with the updated ‘Taylor’s Version’ re-recordings of her albums.

The new projects, which have seen her re-record albums such as ‘Red’, ‘Speak Now’, ‘Fearless’ and most recently ‘1989’, came after Scooter Braun bought Big Machine Records (who owned the masters to Swift’s first six albums) back in 2019 for $300million (£247.2m).

When news broke of Braun gaining the rights to Swift’s masters, Swift wrote in a Tumblr post that this was “the worst-case scenario” for her, calling him out for his “incessant, manipulative bullying”, and proceeded to regain control of her master recordings by re-releasing the albums.

Now, major labels such as Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group are looking to put a stop to artists following in Swift’s footsteps, and have reportedly overhauled contracts for new signees.

Previously, artists were expected to wait two periods before they could re-release music – for instance, around five years after the original release date, or two years after the contract ended. However, according to a report by Billboard, top music attorneys are saying that they have been seeing contracts that expand that timeframe up to 30 years.

“The first time I saw it, I tried to get rid of it entirely,” Josh Karp, an attorney who saw the new restrictions in UMG contracts told the outlet. “I was just like, ‘What is this? This is strange. Why would we agree to further restrictions than we’ve agreed to in the past with the same label?’”

Gandhar Savur, attorney for Cigarettes After Sex and Jeff Rosenstock, agreed adding: “I recently did a deal with a very big indie that had a 30-year re-record restriction in it. Which obviously is much longer than I’m used to seeing.”

As the outlet explains, the concept of re-recording albums in an artist’s discography is by no means a new development, with Frank Sinatra doing so in the ‘60s as well as artists including Def Leppard. It has only been after the immense commercial success of Swift, however, that record labels have gone to implement a change.

 Speaking with Billboard following the report, a spokesperson for UMG stated the label does not comment on legal agreements and highlighted an article from The Wall Street Journal which reported changes in contracts before Swift’s re-recordings.

Similarly, representatives for Warner and Sony did not respond to requests for comment.

Following Swift’s attempt to regain control of her master recordings, the singer-songwriter has inadvertently inspired others to do the same too, including 98 Degrees, who credited the singer with creating “an alliance between the artists and the fans now to support the re-recorded masters”.

Reports of record labels extending the period that artists have to wait before they can re-release their albums stem back to the end of 2021, when it was reported the Universal Music Group had set out new guidelines following Swift’s first run of re-releases.

This was first highlighted by The Wall Street Journal, which reported that the new agreements “effectively double the amount of time that the contracts restrict an artist from rerecording their work”.

In other Taylor Swift news, the singer was reported as becoming the most-streamed artist in a single day in Spotify history, and ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ was confirmed as Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far.

She was also reported as becoming a billionaire following her run of ‘Eras’ US shows and a new concert film”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna during her current Celebration Tour

I do hope that artists have more freedom and say in the future. Not only does it affect women, though they are subjected to more bullying and coercive and controlling behaviour. Perhaps seen more as commodities compared to their male peers. In any case, I want to link this to a feature from Laura Snapes in The Guardian. She mentioned three massive and legendary artists – Taylor Swift, Britney Spears and Madonna – who are on a nostalgia trip at the moment in terms of their tours, rerecording albums, and releasing a revealing and honest memoir. In some ways it is a chance to say that the past was not all great and things were bad in some ways. A change maybe to go back to a simpler time. Also, a way of celebrating big moments from the past and involving fans of all generations. As Snapes writes, there is some nostalgia and monetisation at play. When it comes to artists like Taylor Swift, Madonna and Britney Spears, it is about empowerment and taking control back. Reframing their narratives and legacies. Some songs that were problematic or a little cruel now being re-versioned. It is something that is vital for these amazing women. When it comes to rerecording albums and being able to put out the work they feel happiest with:

“Framing the big picture of their work also allows them to stress the context behind their music in an increasingly ahistorical, social media-led fan culture that reduces specific cultural flashpoints to vibes (or indeed eras, language Swift has knowingly repurposed). Though looking back plays into that too: the future has never seemed less certain, and so nostalgia offers a safe haven – even Spears’s harrowing account offers reassurance that, yes, the 2000s were an awful time to be a girl. But what does cultivating your legacy mean for your artistic future? The premium on youth and beauty already traps women in their pasts, as Madonna well knows, and makes it an uphill struggle to have your evolution accepted beyond a certain point. As triumphant as the Celebration tour is, it also represents Madonna accepting that she has crossed the Rubicon into the heritage industry, possibly even admitting defeat on her active artistic currency – her album sales have been on a precipitous decline since 2005’s Confessions on a Dancefloor and the tour setlist features only one song released since then, 2015’s Bitch I’m Madonna. Perhaps she’s accepting the limits of her physicality, too: “I must tell you, I don’t feel very well right now,” she told a crowd in Antwerp. “But I can’t complain because I’m alive.”

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A post shared by Madonna (@madonna)

Beyond the monetary spoils of reliving her past, hindsight has brought Swift moral vindication: the exploitative power dynamics of formative relationships now transparently evident; even clumsily trying to rectify her internalised teenage misogyny by defanging her slut-shaming rager Better Than Revenge, from the rerecording of her 2010 album Speak Now, with new, softer lyrics. But arguably, cycling back and forth between her adult and younger self has affected her current output: her last original album, 2022’s Midnights, was a nostalgic reflection on “13 sleepless nights” from throughout her life, coupled with an atmospheric, ruminative sound. Her previous albums all boldly staked out new ground – even 2020’s folksy Folklore and Evermore went somewhere new by going back to the land – but this felt like her first consolidation effort.

Alongside those muted lockdown albums, Midnights might have suggested Swift pulling back from pop’s pyrotechnic mountaintop for a more sustainable, experimental, adult kind of music career – were it not for her subsequent (literally) seismic current tour, one of the biggest pop spectacles ever mounted. But it, too, feels as though it is the end of an era in pop superstardom, one that Madonna set in motion 40 years ago: there has been a downturn in the minting of Swift’s successors, with no significant pop breakthroughs since Olivia Rodrigo in 2021. Swift is one of the last monocultural stars, and she operates as one, in conversation with only herself and her legions of fans. Last week, she successfully pushed a four-year-old song (and not a rerecording) to No 1 in the US. The (on-and-off) 19-month Eras tour concludes in November 2024. It’s a long time to perform supremacy via nostalgia.

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No one understands that tending your past means stealing from your future like Spears does. In the latter half of the conservatorship – which lasted one-third of her lifetime – she was contractually bound to endure her greatest successes in a five-year Las Vegas residency. Unable to escape, she started to give lacklustre performances on purpose “to punish the people who held me captive”, she writes. “Toning down my energy on stage was my version of a factory shutdown.” In March 2020, Spears posted a quote by the philosopher Mimi Zhu to Instagram that advocated for wealth redistribution and striking, prompting gags about Comrade Britney. It was no joke: Spears understood that she was the means of production. Her initial strike was far from successful: she said that she was confined to a punitive rehab facility for two months after protesting a complicated new dance move because she didn’t feel physically capable of it. But her freedom, post-conservatorship, means possibly shutting down the factory for good. “I don’t have to perform for anyone – on stage or off stage,” she writes.

Since the publication of The Woman in Me, Spears has made clear that she is done looking back. She lambasted the media for turning her story’s juiciest revelations into headlines. “Most of the book is from 20 years ago,” she posted on Instagram. “I have moved on and it’s a beautiful clean slate from here !!! I am here to establish it that way for the rest of my entire life !!! Either way that is the last of it and shit happens !!!” While she can’t cauterise the ongoing interest in her past – one that at its most productive might inspire legal changes to the conservatorship system – Spears has made clear that she is establishing a future on her terms, to which we may or may not be privy. She has done no book promotion; Instagram is the only place you can currently see her. There she maintains an unfiltered, instinctive, immediate presence, dancing and posting memes and thoughts at her whim. There is no more rehearsal, only now”.

Laura Snapes also mentions in her feature how Taylor Swift, Madonna and Britney Spears are white artists. Nostalgia and legacy-claiming. Compare that to Black contemporaries like Beyoncé and how her Renaissance Tour is about innovation and representing and reestablishing Black cultural legacies. In a social media where things have changed, legacy artists can now reach a new audience. They are being reframed at a time when there is more engagement and awareness. The media not controlling the narrative. Now, culture has shifted so that these new stories, tours and albums can represent the truth and be received as such. Taylor Swift especially is regaining control from forces that have distorted her legacy and music.  Incredible women taking a big step to ensure they are heard and are not misrepresented. It means that the news that labels are hesitant about artists rerecording albums is a bit of a step back. There are legacy artists and current acts who have suffered issues with their label and have not been able to put out the music they wanted. If they are condemned or blocked from doing so, I think that is going to cause a massive problem. Artists wanting to be independent or not having any label at all. Being able to ensure that, years from now, that artist is not misrepresented is vital. I don’t think artists having control and following in the footsteps of Taylor Swift is bad or would be compromising for labels. It is a complex situation. Maybe the right to rerecord albums or reframe the past is reserved to major artists. It would be great if there was more support to give artists say in how their music is sold and ensure that they can, if needed, revisit the past and set the record straight. Rather than letting them speak now, it seems labels may prefer that their artists…

DON’T speak at all.

FEATURE: Second Spin: Nelly Furtado - Folklore

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Second Spin

Nelly Furtado - Folklore

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FOLLOWING her spectacular…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Nelly Furtado in 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Hope Glassel for LADYGUNN

debut album, Whoa, Nelly! That arrived in 2000. On 5th November, 2003 – it has just celebrated its twentieth anniversary -, Nelly Furtado released Folklore. Perhaps people more commonly associate that title with Taylor Swift now. I remember getting Furtado’s debut album, so I was excited to see what its follow-up would offer. Not as acclaimed as her debut, Folklore does have some brilliant moments. It is not as played and explored as Whoa, Nelly! or 2006’s Loose. Furtado turns forty-five next month, so I wanted to use this feature as a double celebration. I might put together a career-spanning playlist closer to the date (2nd December). Now, I will bring in reviews that shine a light on the strength of Folklore. If some were mixed and felt that Folklore was not as strong as Whoa, Nelly!, I feel that they were missing a lot. An album that should be played more, you can buy it here. If that is a bit expensive, go and stream Folklore. Reaching the top forty in many nations, it is a shame that more did not provide an effusive and positive review! Twenty years later, I think that Folklore still sounds amazing. I am going to get to a couple of reviews for Nelly Furtado’s second studio album. First, Windy City Times spoke with Furtado about an amazing release:

“Folklore (DreamWorks), Nelly Furtado's eagerly anticipated second album, displays a wisdom that belies her youth, setting her apart from most of her contemporaries. Opening track, 'One-Trick Pony,' begins with a stunning string arrangement performed by the Kronos Quartet. Other guest performers, including Bela Fleck and Caetano Veloso, augment Furtado's exotic but welcoming tunes, allowing the young singer/songwriter to perpetuate her legend and develop her skills as a folklorist.

I recently spoke to Nelly while she was taking a break from filming a music video.

Gregg Shapiro: I want to begin by congratulating you on recently becoming a mother. Your daughter was born in September, and I was wondering if you think that motherhood has had or will have any effect on your songwriting?

Nelly Furtado: I think so. I think it gives me a different perspective on life, kind of shifts things around a little bit. You become a lot less selfish because you have to provide for somebody else, and you also take better care of yourself. In the future I think it's going to be there.

GS: The songs on Folklore were written in 2002—following the success of Whoa, Nelly and your tour. Like many songwriters do on their second albums, you have written songs in which you address your critics, the public, the media and other trappings of success. Do you feel as if you got that out of your system on songs such as 'One-Trick Pony' and 'Powerless (Say What You Will)'?

NF: Albums, for me, are like when an architect builds a house. You build a house and then move on to the next one. With writing, it's the same way. You just have to comment on your life and move on from your life and talk about other things.

GS: 'Powerless (Say What You Want)' sounds like it addresses the marketing techniques used to promote an image that someone else wanted for you. Did that motivate you to want to reclaim the heritage that those marketing your image were trying to conceal?

NF: It's not something that happened to me directly in the music business. The song is more about the sense of feeling of displacement or lack of connection that people get with images around us from looking at television and magazines and billboards. I think that's always been a motivating factor for me—to share my heritage and my identity.

GS: 'Fresh Off The Boat' combines a number of elements including dance, hip-hop and a Latin influence. What can you tell me about this track?

NF: That song is one of my favorites. It's a fun track. I've grown up watching my relatives live with one foot in Europe and one foot in Canada. They are different lifestyles, a different humility and modesty. But it's proud at the same time and it has a lot of integrity. I wanted it to be the basis for the song. Musically, it could be taken right out of an old church book from Portugal. I grew up listening to choir songs and stuff like that—they had a certain melodic strength. We also used this great bass player, Justin Meldal-Johnson, from the band I Am Robot, who used to play with Beck a lot, and built the track around that, too.

GS: I'm glad you mentioned Justin, because there is an amazing array of guest musicians on Folklore, including the Kronos Quartet ('One-Trick Pony'), Bela Fleck ('Forca'), Caetano Veloso (Island Of Wonder') and Jarvis Church ('Saturdays'). What was it like to work with these artists?

NF: Having a song with Caetano was amazing. He's one of my idols. I'm reading his book, Tropical Truth, right now. I think his music is kind of the best music out there in a lot of ways. I wanted to showcase some diversity on my album, maybe shed some light on artists that some of my fans may not have heard of. Working with Bela Fleck was really fun. He's a really nice. We like musicians who can take us to another level and make us feel a certain way. There are so many talented musicians out there.

GS: The use of the strings on 'One-Trick Pony' reminded me of another Canadian musician, Ashley MacIsaac.

NF: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

GS: I also read that you are an admirer of label-mate Rufus Wainwright. What do you think it is about Canada that produces such exceptional musicians?

NF: Rufus is in his own category. He's just incredible. I think that in Canada, we have perspective, because we're close to America, but we're far enough away to have our own spin on the world. We get influences from everywhere. We get the U.K. influence, the European influence, the French influence and a lot of Asian influence. We're not closed off from the rest of the world. We have our own identity. It's basically a bunch of cosmopolitan cities thrown about this vast country (laughs).

GS: Speaking of musicians from Canada, I detected a bit of Joni Mitchell in your phrasing on 'Childhood Dreams.' Would you consider her to be an influence on your work?

 NF: Yeah. I kind of rediscovered her last winter or last spring, just before going into the studio. I think she's amazing. The texture and the energy of her songwriting are great.

GS: As a resident of Toronto, have you ever had occasion to stroll down Church Street and stop into any of the clubs there and maybe pay a visit to some of your gay fans?

NF: Yeah, one of my best friends lives down there. There are lots of great theaters and dance studios down there. I always wanted to participate in Pride week. I've been there before, but I've never really been a part of the floats or anything. I've always thought that would be fun.

GS: Finally, as a folklorist, an observer of the world, what would you like to see happen in the world to make it a better place?

NF: Oh, wow! I always talk about diversity. I always feel like if everyone in the world knew a little bit more about another culture, another way of life, another lifestyle. In general, I think that ignorance is the evil of the world. If people just stick to what they know, it breeds fear. I feel like if everyone knew just a little more about other cultures and other ways of life we'd be able to live a little more harmoniously”.

SLANT provided their thoughts on Nelly Furtado’s Folklore. Her most recent album, 2017 The Ride, is exceptional. I hope we get another album from the remarkable Canadian-born artist. I have been a fan since her debut arrived, so any good news regarding new music would be amazing:

“On her sophomore effort, Folklore, Nelly Furtado’s self-described “ear candy” is less animated than the bubbly trip-pop of her debut, Whoa, Nelly!, an album that was so exuberant that—even if you cringed at the sound of Furtado’s nasal twang, which is best taken in small doses—you couldn’t help but appreciate its freshness in the midst of the teen-pop boom. There’s also little of the hip-hop influence that was hinted at in her post-Whoa, Nelly! work. She could have gone whole-hog and enlisted Timbaland and Missy or, hell, even Dr. Dre, for a predictably (but undoubtedly fascinating) urban-leaning release. Instead, Folklore is steeped in earthy, more organic textures, heightening the influence of Furtado’s multi-cultural background and taking the sound of her primary collaborators, production team Track & Field, into grittier, darker territories.

Once again, Furtado and her crew artfully mix the traditional with the modern, and there’s no better example of this than the magical “Island Of Wonder,” which features both vocals by living Afro-Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso and samples of his song “Tonada De Luna Llena.” Brazilian Martial Arts chants highlight the embattled teenage angst of “Explode,” a track that exposes the dark, yet all-too-common side of Furtado’s youth, while the bouncy “Fresh Off The Boat” and the celebratory “Forca,” which can be filed under “Future Football Anthems,” feature Portuguese-language hooks that are nothing less than infectious. Mellower than her debut, the album includes a number of restrained yet evocative pop ballads: the understated “Picture Perfect,” the lovely and hit-worthy “Try,” and the stunning “Childhood Dreams,” a lilting “super-ballad” about Furtado’s unborn child that was recorded inside a church—and it shows.

Too often, though, Furtado falls into the trap of so many other seemingly overnight pop successes by writing in a hermetically sealed, pop-stardom-induced vacuum. (“For you I will not dance/And for you I will not prance,” she sings on the otherwise magnificent opening track “One-Trick Pony.”) Write about what you know, for sure, but Furtado’s audience is unlikely to relate to the rigors of sudden fame or the personal anguish of having their ethnicity painted over in magazines. Still, Furtado’s insight remains beyond her years: “They took her passion and her gaze and made a poster…We take the culture and contort/Perhaps only to distort what we are hiding,” she proclaims on the album’s exhilarating breakbeats-meet-banjos lead single, “Powerless (Say What You Want).” If Whoa, Nelly! was the introduction of a promising new talent, Folklore is the transition that builds on that promise and brims with life, even if it does include a misstep or two”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Nelly Furtado in 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Hope Glassel for LADYGUNN

I am going to finish off with the review from BBC. If some were thinking Nelly Furtado would stick closely to her debut for 2003’s Folklore, there were those who saw the similarities but also appreciated the evolution and new musical elements. There is more mellowness to Folklore than there was to Whoa, Nelly! Pregnant during most of the second album’s recording, it is understandable it would have as different feel and dynamic to her 2000 debut:

“Folklore sees Nelly Furtado well and truly re-discovering her roots. There isn't a frothy pop song to be found on this album, which isn't to say there aren't any hooks. Here is something really rather special; Nelly exploring the capabilities of her voice and trying outa remarkablyeclectic range of styles.

Undeniably influenced by her Portugese roots and a range of folk and world music, the diversity of instruments and vocal styles on this album is breathtaking. Enlisting Brazillian legend Caetano Veloso on guest vocals and the mighty Kronos Quartet on strings has injected this album with an eclectic feel altogether different to her debut Whoa Nelly.

This mixture kept me riveted from start to finish. The single, "Powerless", is joyful and defiant; the upbeat, insistent African percussion and Bela Fleck's banjo produce a quite wonderful song.

"Forca" opens with an irresistable tabla and talking-drum riff and builds to a chorus which would be comfortably at home on an Orchestra Baobab album. Whereas "Saturdays", inspired by Nelly's experience of cleaning hotel rooms with her mother, is a simple but forceful acoustic guitar/vocal track which sounds as if it were recorded in her bathroom. Nelly gets the giggles half way through, which does nothing to dimiinish the power of her vocal delivery and only adds to the one-take feel of the song. I'm breathless with admiration!

"Picture perfect" is different again. A lazy, 6/8 rhythm and delicious bluesy electric guitar riffs build to a memorable, anthemic chorus which will have you holding your lighter in the air and swaying. 'I want to show you all I have to offer' she sings. She achieves her aim and then some!

It is Nelly's vocals which really show how much she has grown as an artist. The deeper, warmer soul feel of her voice on "Forca" and "Picture Perfect" is a welcome departure from that trademark, grassy, R'n'B sound.

No question, Nelly has taken things to another level. Whoa Nelly went platinum on the basis of some wonderfully catchy tunes and a fresh new sound. Folklore has twice the originality and has real staying power. 'Nobody can ignore me' sings Nelly. And I'm not arguing with her. Buy!”.

I wonder what the future holds for Nelly Furtado and her music. A recent Lady Gunn interview suggests that we may get something soon. Ahead of her forty-fifth birthday next month, I will check back in and write about the sensational Nelly Furtado. Folklore, her brilliant second album, recently turned twenty. It warrants more love and airplay. It is an album that is…

WELL worth checking out.

FEATURE: Everything Everything All at Once: Global Warming: The Balance Between Apocalyptic Albums’ Relevance, and the Need for Feelgood Escapism

FEATURE:

 

 

Everything Everything All at Once

PHOTO CREDIT: Timofey Urov/Pexels

Global Warming: The Balance Between Apocalyptic Albums’ Relevance, and the Need for Feelgood Escapism

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I think it is as important…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Tiff Ng/Pexels

for artists to reflect the realities of the world as much as it to project something impersonal and properly feelgood. I actually have recently written about the need for artists to tackle important and current issues like genocide and war happening in Palestine; the global crisis regarding climate change; the political ineptitude that is a permanent headache. Rather than this needing to be done in a very morbid and heavy way, artists can discuss topics that need to be confronted, though they can do this in a way that is more accessible and less suffocating than many have. You can be serious with the lyrics and keep the composition and mood of the song balanced. I bring this up, because one of my most-hated phrases in music is when artists talk about their new ‘apocalyptic album’. Maybe the media choose those words, yet artists putting out quite bleak and gloomy albums that talk about destruction, the end of the world, bad times, a lack of hope…I never see why they do this and what people get from it. I appreciate that it is relevant being candid and open about feelings and thoughts regarding the changing world and how bad things are right now. How many fans get excited when an artist discusses an upcoming album that is apocalyptic?! It seems to be the bus replacement service of the music world. Such an unappealing and depressing thing. Even so, if artists are all happy and do not discuss what is happening, then we risk being too escapist and not doing what artists should be doing: using their platform to raise awareness of major themes and problems that need to be discussed.

I bring this up, because a band I like, Everything Everything, are seemingly stepping into darker and more hopeless territory with their new album. Mountainhead arrives next year. They have never been particularly bright and overly-optimistic with their lyrics - through, with each album, there is something very uplifting to take away. To be fair, as the band’s lead Jonathan Higgs told NME, there is a concept that runs through the album. Some imagination and fantasy. The band also do address modern issues and ills that a lot of artists are not! It is a credit to them that they are using their music to create something substantial and vital:

“The record, set for release on March 1, 2024, takes place in a world where society has created a huge mountain by digging a pit at its foot, and aspires to climb to the mythical mirror at its peak. All the while trying to escape a gigantic golden snake called Creddahornis who lives at the bottom of the pit.

“A ‘Mountainhead’ is one who believes the mountain must grow no matter the cost, and no matter how terrible it is to dwell in the great pit,” Higgs explained. “The taller the mountain, the deeper the hole.”

Written and recorded quickly and produced in Stockport by the band’s guitarist Alex Robertshaw, the synthetic pop album was intended to have no plug-ins and effects in reaction to last year’s ‘Raw Data Feel’, for which the band used AI technology to generate lyrics, song titles and artwork.

“It wasn’t a big journey and struggle,” Higgs told NME of the new album. “We wanted to make it quickly to get back on track timing-wise because we’d been in a weird place in terms of the pandemic. We kept putting out albums at the wrong time and missing the festival season. We really needed to get back on schedule and we have these ideas we’d been working on during the touring of ‘Raw Data Feel’ so we just did what we do and put the record together quite quickly.”

The fundamental metaphor appears to be that of a capitalist society where the wealth disparity has reached an inhumane crisis point.

“It’s one of the many things. There’s a growing sense of questioning what it is that we’re trying to achieve. Sometimes it seems to fly in the face of common sense, particularly the idiocy of Liz Truss’s mantra. I was just watching it go by and thinking what actually is this culture? What is this society? What are we trying to do here? Just grow with seemingly no limit and no forethought, when everything around you seems to be going the opposite way, telling you the opposite thing.

“I read this book Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher which is a sort of diatribe about late-stage capitalism… I wanted something core and large for the centre of it because it controls all of our lives and we forget how we got here and why we’re even in the system. It has always been this and will always be. Increasingly as I get older I think about what life would be like without it. It’s not just capitalism, it’s more the endless attempt to expand that humans do. They have a tendency to spread out and consume everything and then move on.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Gullick

Are all the songs linked by the concept?

“Probably two-thirds of them are and there’s maybe a third that aren’t. We never go the whole hog with concept albums, I think it gets a bit tiresome. There’s things that will occur in our lives that don’t have anything to do with it. The whole thing about having a concept that spreads across multiple songs is that you vaguely fall within the shadow of that idea, and in this case, it’s life from within this world. None of it is baked beans reality.”

Are we all mountainheads now?

“Yeah, unfortunately, apart from people who try to get off the grid or try to destroy everything. Obviously a lot of it is great, of course it is. I’m glad I can go to hospital when I’ve got a lump in my head, but there’s a lot of bad stuff about it. Which is why it’s interesting to think about, it’s not very clear-cut at all. Also I enjoy playing a role within the record. You don’t really know if I’m in support of it or against it because I’m not really talking about it in emotional terms. I’m actually talking about it in factual terms. This is what’s happening. I’m not saying, ‘Look how bad this thing is’, which I found much more interesting to do.”

The final song, ‘The Witness’, seems to predict this system will end in apocalypse.

“We usually end up that way. Haha!”

Is that our inevitable course?

“Yes, but I couldn’t tell you and it wouldn’t happen all over the place. But I can’t see much good in the future right now. That song is really about seeing somebody go through a very intense psychological [event] and seeing it almost like a religious experience. So it’s got this flavour of holiness. That’s a song I haven’t done much analysing of because it makes me a bit emotional to listen back to it, just because of certain circumstances around the time we recorded it. I’ll answer that in a couple of years, probably”.

PHOTO CREDIT: TIMO/Pexels

Like Everything Everything, a lot of artists can’t see much good in the future. That is fair! At what seems like the scariest and most bleak we have been for decades, imagining a future when there is less economic strife, less war and there are some bright shoots coming through is pretty hard. I am in that position. Even so, the entire music landscape is not dominated by defeatism or a certain resignation. I recently wrote a feature arguing that artists need to discuss things that are happening in terms of conflict, discrimination and inequality. If we shy away, then that means that a lot of people’s voices and experiences are being ignored. Even so, it can be all too easy to be too influenced and infected by a malaise and darkness that then permeates the music. From a listener’s perspective, we do need to have some hope and brightness there to give balance and strength. I still hate ‘apocalyptic albums’. Music that is so heavy and bleak will never appeal to me! To be honest, you hear so many artists write apocalyptic albums that it gets very boring and frustrating. We all need our musicians to speak truth and power, yet we all need some comfort and assurance. Relatively speaking, things will get a lot better. I think that an anthemic song that has this huge spirit and energy can be as inspiring and important as a song that goes deeper and darker. It is not shying away from the harshness of the world by embracing music that is more concerned with positivity than pragmatism. We are going to see more and more artists put out albums that are apocalyptic and foreboding. So long as there are songs about big issues that needs to be discussed, rather than constant woe and negativity, then that is the main thing. As a reaction, there might also be some artists more used to less optimistic and joyous music changing their sound up.

It is striking that balance and ensuring that the landscape has shades of light and dark. It can be just as bad hearing too many empty and shallow albums that are all surface lightness and no depth as it is experiencing doom-laden albums that has no hope or any sort of light for the future. Ideally, we would have a lot of albums that do confront and explore the various issues and divisions around the world, where the artists talk more in terms of hope and resolution rather than the planet being f*cked – which seems to be an attitude many have. That sort of defeatism is not helpful and just adds to anxiety and depression! If the compositions and lyrics mix political seriousness and compassion but can also bring in something lighter and more melodic, tied to a composition that is rich and not crammed with icy synths, heavy drums and dirge-like guitar droning, then you can create a potent blend of the serious and sweet.

PHOTO CREDIT: Alexander Krivitskiy/Pexels

Togetherness at such a difficult time is essential. We also need music to mobilise and activate thought, protest, discussion, wider awareness and, yes, a degree of record-straightening and education. Views that are bigoted and toxic need to be addressed and called out. At a time when politicians are letting everyone down and showing their true colours, artists have an opportunity to create a very power and influential voice. Rather than artists choosing sides and potentially being divisive and using music to spread bad politics and ideologies, instead, they can bring us together and call for action and progress. I don’t think albums that see no hope are helping us. We need to have some fun and escapist music as much as possible. Putting this alongside albums and songs that react to the here and now – and the evils we are seeing on the news daily – is of the utmost importance. Even though things are very tough and seem lost at the moment, we all need to…

HOLD on to hope.

FEATURE: Prodigal Sons: The Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet at Fifty-Five

FEATURE:

 

 

Prodigal Sons

The Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet at Fifty-Five

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ON 6th December…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Rolling Stones in 1968/PHOTO CREDIT: David Bailey

it will be fifty-five years since The Rolling Stones released their masterful seventh (U.K.) studio album, Beggars Banquet. I have written about them recently, as they put out their excellent new album, Hackney Diamonds. If we discuss the peak of The Rolling Stones, many will put it between 1968 and 1972. They had this magnificent run of albums that began with Beggars Banquet. After 1967’s Their Satanic Majesties Request, a direct rip-off I think of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, luckily The Rolling Stones went in a different direction and were more individual for Beggars Banquet. Producing a hugely memorable album, I want to discuss it further as a big anniversary is approaching next month. A massive commercial success around the world, many would argue that Beggars Banquet is the best album from The Rolling Stones - maybe contentious but, when to you consider how focused and thrilling it is, it would be a fool who argues too long and hard! I will come to some features and dives into a sensational album that remains so fresh and influential to this day. Many associate the 1968 album with classics like Sympathy for the Devil though, in truth, all ten tracks are flawless. With no weak moment or dropped step, this is the band at maximum strength and ability! Such a tight album that has some of their best material on it, this was the start of a golden run. Udiscovermusic.com wrote about Beggars Banquet last year. They too noted how everything changed for The Rolling Stones with the release of their seventh studio album:

“The Rolling Stones remain rightly proud of their album Beggars Banquet, which marked a return to their more classic sound after the previous psychedelic experimentation of Their Satanic Majesties Request.

The band have said that Beggars Banquet “changed everything for The Rolling Stones,” describing it on their official website as the album that showed them reaching “their musical manhood.”

The album’s famous opening track, “Sympathy For The Devil,” was written at a time when Mick Jagger had been reading about the occult. He and Keith Richards – who jointly composed nine of the ten tracks on Beggars Banquet – initially gave the song the less shocking working title of “The Devil Is My Name.” In their powerful lyrics, the Stones imagine Satan’s appearances at crucial moments in history, and there are references to the crucifixion of Christ, the Russian Revolution, World War II, and JFK’s assassination. Musically, the song is also memorable for the piano work of master session man Nicky Hopkins.

There are also lots of brilliant guitar solos by Richards, who said that, at the time, his discovery of open five-string tuning for the recording sessions – which took place between March and July 1968, at Olympic Sound Studios, in London, and Sunset Sound, in Los Angeles – helped him improve the way he played. Richards recalled, “The tuning really reinvigorated me, it transformed my life. I had hit a kind of buffer. I just really thought I was not getting anywhere from straight concert tuning.” Richards would use the technique on later Stones hits such as “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Start Me Up.”

Interesting guest musicians are scattered throughout Beggars Banquet. Joining Stones regulars Jagger, Richards, Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums) and Brian Jones (guitars) were Dave Mason of Traffic, who played the Shehnai woodwind instrument on “Street Fighting Man.” The talented young guitarist Ry Cooder played mandolin on “Factory Girl,” though he was uncredited at the time.

A core bluesy feel runs through Beggars Banquet, from the Robert Johnson-inspired “No Expectations” to the murky two-minute gem “Parachute Woman,” which was recorded on a cassette player and double-tracked for effect, and which features some moody harmonica from Jagger. The seedy “Stray Cat Blues,” featuring Rocky Dijon on congas, has the hallmarks of the energetic production of former drummer Jimmy Miller.

The only song not written by Jagger and Richards was “Prodigal Son,” which had been composed by Mississippi bluesman Reverend Robert Wilkins back in 1929. Happily, Wilkins was 72 at the time the Stones paid their tribute and he enjoyed a boost from the royalties that helped fund his work as a religious minister.

Another notable aspect of the album was the portraits that the band commissioned from photographer Michael Joseph to go in the gatefold artwork. The photos, which evoke the work of Old Masters such as Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel, showed the group dressed in outlandish clothes that seemed to blend Swinging 60s London with Dickensian rascals. It is no surprise that Time magazine’s review of Beggars Banquet, which was released on Decca Records on December 6, 1968, described the Stones as “England’s most subversive roisterers since Fagin’s gang in Oliver Twist.”

There is, however, a poignancy to the album. Though it marked the start of a period of musical creativity and excellence for The Rolling Stones, Beggars Banquet also saw the last album appearance of founder and original leader Brian Jones, who drowned seven months after the album’s release, at the age of 27.

If it’s to be remembered as Jones’ final contribution, Beggars Banquet is also, in all aspects, an excellent album of bluesy rock at its potent best”.

On the album’s fiftieth anniversary – 6th December, 2018 -, SLATE argued how 1968’s most important wasn’t The Beatles’ eponymous album: it was The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet. It is understandable comparisons are made. Whilst I favour The Beatles as a piece of work, in terms of shifting narratives and defining groups, Beggars Banquet is a bolder and more important statement. An album that took The Rolling Stones to new heights:

“I give the Stones about two years,” a 20-year-old Mick Jagger remarked to an interviewer in June of 1964. Fifty-four years later, the quote has become one of the wrongest predictions in music history, as the Rolling Stones gear up to once again hit the road in 2019, adding to their legacy as rock ’n’ roll’s resident avatars of parodic longevity. In the summer of 1964, though, it would have been totally reasonable to wonder if the Stones even had two more years in them. Jagger and Keith Richards had only just recently begun writing original songs and hadn’t had an American hit yet. They were still a year away from “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” their first No. 1 in the U.S., which would kick off a run of eight Top 10 singles in less than two years. And they were four years away from Beggars Banquet, the album that would revitalize their careers and, to no small degree, alter the trajectory of a genre.

One could argue until the cows come home over what the greatest album of 1968 is: Lady Soul, Music From Big Pink, The White Album, Electric Ladyland, and Astral Weeks all deserve a place in the conversation, to name just a few. But Beggars Banquet, which turns 50 years old this week, might have been the most consequential. It was the first work to show that a rock act could reinvent itself in the face of irrelevance, the first great “comeback” album of the genre, and the earliest indication that rock ’n’ roll lives might be capable of something like second acts. At the end of a year that saw an explosion of double albums and single tracks that took up the better part of an LP side, all adorned with ever-newer forms of sonic gadgetry that promised musical corollaries to other consciousness-expanding materials of the day, it was a mostly acoustic album steeped in blues, folk, rockabilly, and other, more inscrutable influences that it felt like the band had conjured from some ragged musical beyond. It was mature, painstaking, and ferociously intelligent, all things the Stones had rarely been previously accused of being. It was, weirdly, from a band who’d spent their early years as the music’s foremost exemplars of incorrigible youth, a road map toward something like adulthood that didn’t involve quitting the road and gradually disintegrating, a route their more-famous countrymen had recently taken. The Rolling Stones are now in their sixth decade of touring behind the slogan of the “World’s Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band.” Beggars Banquet was the first work that rendered this claim credible.

The Rolling Stones of 1968 can’t really be understood without discussing the Rolling Stones of 1967. That year, the Beatles had released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Doors had all rocketed to stardom; and the enormously successful Monterey Pop Festival and the attendant “Summer of Love” offered the strongest evidence yet that a revolution was enfolding in youth culture.

For the Rolling Stones, however, 1967 had been a year of personal turmoil and professional humiliation. In February, Jagger and Richards were ensnared in a drug bust that kept them in the glare of the British tabloids for the better part of the year. Richards began an affair with Anita Pallenberg, the ex-girlfriend of bandmate Brian Jones. (Richards and Pallenberg would remain together for more than a decade.) The once-prolific band’s productivity slowed, and given the explosion of innovation happening around them, the Rolling Stones quickly began to seem on the sidelines of history. So they did what all FOMO-afflicted midtwentysomethings do: They tried too hard. A new album finally arrived in December 1967, Their Satanic Majesties Request, an ill-advised attempt at Pepper-style psychedelia that was derided by critics and sold fewer copies than any album they’d made to date. Many wondered aloud whether the Stones were done, and who could blame them? This Jim Morrison kid was better-looking than Jagger anyway.

Then, in May 1968, the Rolling Stones returned with a new single. Produced by an American expat, Jimmy Miller, whom the Stones had enlisted after firing longtime manager Andrew Loog Oldham, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” sounded like nothing the band had ever made before. It was lean and pummeling, a churning cauldron of distorted guitar, off-kilter chord changes, shakers on the bridge, and sneering, slurred vocals. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash/ It’s a gas, gas, gas” were the only words most people could decipher, and no one knew what they meant. No matter. It went to No. 1 in the U.K. and topped out at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, kept out of the top slot by tracks like Herb Alpert’s “This Guy’s in Love With You,” Cliff Nobles & Co.’s “The Horse,” and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap’s godawful “Lady Willpower,” a fact you should feel free to mention the next time someone waxes nostalgic about what great taste everyone had in the 1960s.

When Beggars Banquet arrived in December, it was easy to assume it would continue this move into dark aggression. The album’s lead single, “Street Fighting Man,” released in the States in August, had boasted a sleeve featuring a graphic image of police brutality that had caused it to be quickly removed from shelves, and the song was widely banned from radio play in the wake of the unrest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

But instead, Beggars Banquet arrived with the most diverse, searching, and deceptively ambitious collection of music the Stones had ever made. It found the group straying down the corridors of country and folk on tracks like “No Expectations,” “Dear Doctor,” and “Jigsaw Puzzle.” By 1968, Brian Jones was already withdrawing from the band, his alienation fueled by creative disillusionment and substance abuse. On Beggars Banquet, the last album the Stones released during his lifetime, Jones plays guitar on only four of the album’s 10 tracks.

The Rolling Stones are now in their sixth decade of touring behind the slogan of the “World’s Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band.” Beggars Banquet was the first work that rendered this claim credible.

Jones’ creeping divestment opened the door for Richards to more fully assume the role of the band’s creative conscience. Richards’ soul is all over Beggars: riff-obsessed, compulsively rhythmic, and exquisitely musical. The same guy who plays the heavens-rattling acoustic guitar that opens “Street Fighting Man” plays the Jamerson-ian bass line on “Sympathy for the Devil.” He plays the electric guitars that sound like actual cats on “Stray Cat Blues”—all of them—and even croaks the opening lines of “Salt of the Earth,” the album’s closer, which might be the most convincing attempt at “political” songwriting in the Stones’ catalog.

Richards’ guitar solo on “Sympathy” is one of the most celebrated in history, and for good reason. It’s perhaps the first truly inimitable instrumental moment on any Stones record, its funky, squawking audacity carrying traces of Hubert Sumlin and Scotty Moore but filtered through an utterly unique musical mind. It’s fitting that it arrives less than three minutes into the album’s first track, as Beggars Banquet was also the first Stones record that sounded like it couldn’t have been made by anyone else in the world—not the Delta and Chicago bluesmen that the Stones worshipped, not the R&B virtuosi of Stax and Muscle Shoals, and certainly not the Beatles, whose shadow had loomed over the group since 1963.

Jagger had always been a good lyricist, as earlier hits like “19th Nervous Breakdown,” “Get Off of My Cloud,” and “Satisfaction” demonstrated, but Beggars found him in new territory altogether. The refrains from tracks like “Sympathy” and “Street Fighting Man” are so engrained in the cultural consciousness that it’s almost impossible to imagine them as being new: “Pleased to meet you/ hope you guess my name,” “but what can a poor boy do/ ’cept to sing for a rock and roll band?” But the writing in the verses is where it’s really at: “I watched with glee while your kings and queens/ fought for 10 decades over the gods they made.” Or the Martha and the Vandellas shoutout in the second line of “Street Fighting Man,” “ ’cause summer’s here and the time is right for fighting in the street,” and the perversely reverent sneer on that one-word change”.

I will come to some reviews soon. As it turned fifty in 2018, there was a lot of interest. Although not quite as an important an anniversary, the fact Beggars Banquet is fifty-five soon is quite significant. Albumism were among those who provided their perspective on Beggars Banquet back in 2018:

“Beggars Banquet became the Stones’ attempt to reconnect with their roots. The vast majority of the album is decidedly blue collar, with the group repurposing blues riffs and styles and making them conform to the Stones’ style. However, the album features not only two of the Stones’ best and most beloved songs, but also two of the best and most beloved Rock songs in history.

Beggars Banquet’s release was delayed for six months due to the album’s cover art. The original artwork pictured the top half of a dilapidated toilet in a bathroom located in a Southern California Porsche dealership, the walls of the stall adorned with the scrawls of Jagger and Richards. Apparently, representatives from the Stones’ label found the sight of the toilet offensive and they refused to distribute the album with that version of the cover.

The fact that the cover was a source of such controversy now seems bizarre. It’s hard to believe that a photo of the top half of toilet would be considered grounds for shelving the album, considering what was going on in the world in 1968. Eventually, the band and the label settled on a new cover, resembling a wedding invitation. And regardless, the album’s two biggest hits were pretty controversial in their own right.

The album’s other towering anthem, “Street Fighting Man,” was also the source of controversy. Anyone who’s picked up a history book knows that 1968 was a tumultuous time for citizens of the world. The globe was gripped with civil unrest, with prominent leaders being assassinated, the streets filled with young people protesting unjust wars and civil injustices. With “Street Fighting Man,” Jagger takes the perspective of one of these young men, fed up with half measures, advocating for armed revolution against the corrupt government system. The powerful summer rock anthem was apparently inspired by the experiences of radical activist Tariq Ali at a London protest against the Vietnam War. In an interview with Jann Wenner for Rolling Stone in 1995, Jagger revealed that the song was also inspired by the massive May 1968 protests and riots in the Left Bank of Paris.

Beyond the two singles, the Stones spend much of Beggars Banquet honoring their Blues influences. “No Expectations” is one of their more quietly beautiful songs, a slow, acoustic, and at times subtle meditation on heartbreak. The song is anchored by Jones’ exquisite performance on acoustic slide guitar, one of Jones’ final contributions to the group. Beggars Banquet was the last full album he recorded with the Stones before his death; he appeared on a few songs on Let It Bleed, which was released after he drowned.

Other songs on Beggars Banquet are steeped in Blues traditions. “Prodigal Son” is a straightforward cover of a Reverend Robert Wilkens song, appropriately filled with Biblical imagery as Jagger deepens his vocal tone, accompanied by Richards on guitar and Jones on harmonica. “Parachute Woman” is a ribald Blues song, loaded with extremely unsubtle sexual innuendo. Dirty Blues songs are a staple in the genre, and with “Parachute Woman,” the Stones follow in the footsteps of Willie Dixon’s “Back Door Man” or Muddy Waters’ “Bus Driver.” In fact, Jagger’s requests for the titular woman to “land on me tonight” or “blow me out” are relatively tame in comparison.

The album comes to a close with “Salt of the Earth,” the Stones’ dedication to the working class. The song opens with a verse by Keith Richards, who had rarely sung lead vocals for the group at that point. The Rolling Stones are refreshingly honest in their reverence towards the “common foot soldier.” They’re genuine in their admiration for those “humble of birth,” but they also acknowledge that they, as rock idols, don’t share a lot in common with the “rag taggy people.” The group recognizes the sacrifices made by the “lowly of birth” without trivializing their pain, but attempting to draw a false parallel with their travails as musicians. The song ends with a rousing chorus by the Watts Street Gospel Choir and a piano solo by Hopkins. The use of a full-on gospel choir makes this song a prelude of sorts to “You Can’t Always Get Want You Want,” another of their most iconic songs.

The Stones followed up Beggars Banquet by closing out the ’60s and opening the ’70s on an extremely high note, following it up with Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, the live Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out, and Exile On Main Street, all included among the true jewels in their discography. And while each is a unique entity, during this period the Stones stuck with the ethos of using their blues rock roots as their foundation.

The Stones would go on to make other missteps throughout their career, but these later entries can be seen as the cost of doing business when a group starts getting long in the tooth. Time has made these lesser releases fall away in perspective, and albums like Beggars Banquet remain to define the group’s legacy”.

I am going to come to some straight reviews. The BBC wrote about Beggars Banquet in 2007. They noted how the 1968 album turned The Rolling Stones into the greatest Rock and Roll band in the world. Definitely a towering achievement that turned the band from legends into untouchable gods. You can hear so many albums since that directly nod to Beggars Banquet. Artists that owe a debt to The Rolling Stones’ masterpiece:

“The album that set the template for The Rolling Stones as we know them today, Beggars Banquet was an exercise in getting back to basics after the redundant excesses of their previous album, 1967's psychedelic Their Satanic Majesties Request.

Working for the first time with American producer Jimmy Miller, the Stones are here at their sharpest. Keith Richards reclaimed responsibility for the group after a troubled year, recording several basic tracks at home on cassette; hence the gloriously wonky backings on several cuts.

However, Beggars Banquet sometimes struggles to meet the standard set by Sympathy for the Devil, its opening track. From its shimmeringly effective piano, bass and conga introduction, its marriage of highly sensual music and provocative lyrics has to be one of the greatest in rock.

The lyrics still have the power to chill and many legends have arisen concerning its recording, such as pluralising the name Kennedy when news of Bobby Kennedy's death came through on 6th June during the sessions and the way the song's trademark "woo woos" came from nowhere, led by Anita Pallenberg from the control booth. With this track, the Stones' demonic reputation was sealed.

There is much to enjoy. Street Fighting Man conflated Jagger's imaginary hard-done-by blues man momentarily confused and out of step with the political climate of 1968. The self-referencing and mocking Jig-Saw Puzzle is a treat; Factory Girl is folky and pastoral; Salt of the Earth, made poignant by its performance in the Rock'n'Roll Circus film, closes the album.

Preceded by the single Jumping Jack Flash, Beggars Banquet established the Stones as 'The Greatest Rock'n'Roll Band in the World'”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Rolling Stones Through the Past, Darkly cover, 1968/PHOTO CREDIT: Ethan Russell

I will end with Rolling Stone assessing The Rolling Stones. Jon Landau provided an extensive look at Beggars Banquet. I have included a lot of it. Few reviews have gone as dee!. As it was written when the album came out, I guess there was this excitement and freshness hearing an album like Beggars Banquet – something you don’t feel as much in retrospective reviews:

“In many ways 1968 has turned into another one of those blues revival years. The Stones were into that when it was still verboten to show up at Newport with an electric guitar. It wasn’t until five years after they recorded “King Bee” that Slim Harpo finally made it into a white rock club. Happily, even back then, the Stones never got bogged down in the puritanism that mars so many of the English blues bands. They were from the beginning a rock and roll blues band. They may have mimicked Harpo note for note, Keith Richards may have played a straight Chuck Berry bag for three-quarters of their first album, but it always wound up sounding like rock and roll: loud, metallic, and trebly. The Stones were the first band to say, “Up against the wall, motherfucker,” and they said it with class.

Since that beginning the Stones have tried their hands at a lot of things: arrogance, satire, social commentary, “psychedelia,” lewdness, love songs, you name it. Each phase seemed to flow naturally from the one that preceded it and none of their phases ever really changed their identity as a band. In every album but one it seemed to me that they managed to feel the pulse of what was happening now and what was about to happen. For example, “Satisfaction,” that classic of the rock and roll age, both expressed the feelings of a moment and foreshadowed what was about to unfold: the elevation of rock and roll to the primary cultural means of communication among the young. There we were in the early summer of 1965 with folk music dead and nothing really exciting going on. And then there were the Stones sneering at the emptiness of what so many people saw all around them, not telling you to do anything about it, but letting you know that they feel it too. The music, with its incessant, repetitious, pounding guitar and drums, and that tension filled voice, was so permeated with violence that just listening to it was cathartic.

And the Stones live. If the violence of their music was cathartic, how to describe their concerts? I saw them several times during their early American tours, most memorably in Lynn, Massachussetts, in the spring of 1966. The Stones had their usual major dates lined up on their itinerary and the Lynn gig was not one of them. Lynn is a suburb of Boston and they must have decided to do a quickie number for less than their usual fee in order to fill in an open night. The concert was held in an open air football field that held 10,000 people. It rained that evening, a steady drizzle, and when they finally came on there was a lot of tension and movement.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

The art work in this album is quite nice. The center spread is a particularly appealing depiction of the Stones acting out the album’s title. However, it continues to grate on me that the cover of the album is not what the Stones intended, and that the Stones were forced to abandon the one they had originally intended to use by London Records. The idea that a record company executive should have the right to tell the Stones what is a suitable cover for their album is an outrage. It is typical of the Stones that they held out against the new cover for quite a while and then gave in. It just wasn’t worth the continued hassle. Nonetheless, giving in doesn’t solve the problem. As long as record companies are run by businessmen, artists will never achieve full control over how their art is presented to their public. There has been too much glib talk lately about the power of musicians. Unless musicians organize themselves more effectively, and unless journalists give them all the support they can, things like this will happen again and again. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech but it doesn’t forbid a record company from censoring the artists it controls via an exclusive recording contract.

The next time New York’s East Side revolutionary contingent wants to shake somebody up (besides Bill Graham), why don’t they head uptown to London Records? I’m sure the President of London Records could use the education”.

On 6th December, the phenomenal Beggars Banquet turns fifty-five. With The Rolling Stones perhaps nearing the end of their recording career – many feel Hackney Diamonds is their farewell -, they can look back at albums like Beggars Banquet with immense pride. Such a game-changing and wonderful album that was this revelation from a band who, in 1967, were consciously chasing The Beatles and doing pastiche replication of their iconic album covers and concepts. Stepping into different territory in 1968, The Rolling Stones almost fought against a misstep like Their Satanic Majesties Request. Dispending Psychedelia and what they considered to be popular and appropriate for 1967 (The Summer of Love), Beggars Banquet is a tough, pulsating and swaggering statement of intent from the Stones. Beggars Banquet is the type of album that thrills the…

BONES and soul.

FEATURE: No Plateau: Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York Performance at Thirty: The Pinnacle of the Legendary Series?

FEATURE:

 

 

No Plateau

Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York Performance at Thirty: The Pinnacle of the Legendary Series?

_________

A long-running…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Nirvana during the taping of MTV Unplugged at Sony Studios in New York City on 18th November, 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

and legendary T.V. series, MTV Unplugged has seen some historic performances through the decades. There are articles like this that and this here that rank the best sets/performances. Maybe it is going to have the same top-placed performance, so I wonder whether it is contentious at all to ask if Nirvana’s 1993 set was the finest of all?! Maybe not. It does seem to be the best for a number of reasons. Apart from the fact it was the final T.V. appearance featuring Kurt Cobain (he died by suicide in 1994), it was almost the final live appearance of Nirvana - as I believe they played live in 1994. You could tell this was the end of the road for a genius lead and peerless songwriter who was being crushed by fame and demons. Nirvana’s iconic set from New York surely holds the crown (even though others say that Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney, and Mariah Carey have turned in something even more special). It is a great series that sees many artists do something radically different to what we are used to! Take that down and stripping away the layers. Even though Nirvana did plug an acoustic guitar into an amp to get an electric sound, they were at their most restrained and un-electric. That said, the final number in the set, a cover of Lead Belly’s Where Did You Sleep Last Night Is wracked with pain and startling rawness.

On 18th November, 1993,  Nirvana taped a performance for MTV’s Unplugged series. The plan was to air it a month later. Kurt Cobain, dressed in a cardigan and appearance sheepish and a little humbled through the set, was joined by his bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, plus guitarist Pat Smear and cellist Lori Goldston at New York’s Sony Music Studios. Rather than a hits-filled set and obvious cuts, Nirvana chose some lesser-known material to record – this included covers of songs by Lead Belly, David Bowie, Meat Puppets, and The Vaselines. Their MTV Unplugged in New York album was released after Cobain’s suicide in 1994. Today, it ranks as one of the greatest live albums ever. Thanks to this website, you can see the cast and crew of that spellbinding set thirty years ago:

NIRVANA

Kurt Cobain (vocals, acoustic guitar)

Krist Novoselic (bass, accordian, acoustic guitar)

Dave Grohl (drums, backing vocals, acoustic bass, acoustic guitar)

Pat Smear (acoustic guitar)

Lori Goldston (cello)

Cris Kirkwood (acoustic bass, backing vocals)

Curt Kirkwood (acousticguitar)

crew

Alex Coletti (producer)

Scott Litt (sound engineer)

Beth McCarthy (director)

John Duncan (guitar technician)

Mike Dalke (drum technician)

Jim Vincent (guitar technician)

I want to come to some articles and reviews of that stunning and unforgettable day that Nirvana taped this unplugged performance - one that ranks alongside the greatest live sets of all time. I am going to bring in a review that mentions some background leading up to that 18th November, 1993 taping. MTV provided some backdrop and background twenty years after that performance, in 2013:

“On November 18, 1993, after months of negotiations and two days of rather tense rehearsals, Nirvana headed to Sony Studios in New York to record their episode of "MTV Unplugged."

At the time of the taping, the series had already played host to legends like Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John, and experienced unprecedented success with the release of Eric Clapton Unplugged, an album that sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and won six Grammys, including Record, Album and Song of the Year. "Unplugged" had also served as a showcase for the era's highest-profile acts -- R.E.M., Boyz II Men, Pearl Jam, etc. -- and proven to be a safe space for established artists like Mariah Carey and L.L. Cool J to shake things up.

In short, by 1993, "Unplugged's" legacy was already secure. But when Nirvana's episode aired that December, it was clear to everyone that the show's history needed to be re-written immediately. With their stripped down, steely set, staunch refusal to play hits like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and sonorous covers of songs most had never heard (quick show of hands: how many Vaselines fans we got out there?), Nirvana had turned what many considered to be the defining performance of the "Unplugged" era. And twenty years later, that assessment still holds.

Of course, in the months following that initial broadcast, the legend of "Nirvana: Unplugged" only continued to grow. Kurt Cobain took his life in April 1994, making the show one of Nirvana's final televised appearances, and his death fundamentally changed the way the performance was viewed. From the funereal floral arrangements (stargazer lilies) Cobain himself picked out to adorn the stage, to the staggering final stanza of Leadbelly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" -- where he yowls, gasps and all but gives up the ghost -- it was impossible to view the show as anything less than otherworldly; more than just a final performance, it seemed to be a final farewell.

Nearly seven months after Cobain's death, DGC would release Nirvana: MTV Unplugged in New York, an album that not only sold more than 6 million copies in the U.S. (making it the band's most successful posthumous effort) and won a Grammy, but was named one of "the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" by Rolling Stone and one of "The 50 Greatest Live Albums" by NME. It's legacy, much like the performance itself, is now set in stone”.

I am going to come to one review now. So many people have interpreted the MTV Unplugged in New York album as a suicide note. Feeling that Kurt Cobain knew that this would be one of the last times he was on a stage. Rather than it being a standalone performance from a band who would go on and record other albums and do lots of gigs, it was an unexpected finale in some ways. This is what AllMusic observed in their review:

“If In Utero is a suicide note, MTV Unplugged in New York is a message from beyond the grave, a summation of Kurt Cobain's talents and pain so fascinating, it's hard to listen to repeatedly. Is it the choice of material or the spare surroundings that make it so effective? Well, it's certainly a combination of both, how the version of the Vaselines' "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" or the three covers of Meat Puppets II songs mean as much as "All Apologies" or "Something in the Way." This, in many senses, isn't just an abnormal Nirvana record, capturing them in their sincerest desire to be R.E.M. circa Automatic for the People, it's the Nirvana record that nobody, especially Kurt, wanted revealed. It's a nakedly emotional record, unintentionally so, as the subtext means more than the main themes of how Nirvana wanted to prove its worth and diversity, showcasing the depth of their songwriting. As it turns out, it accomplishes its goals rather too well; this is a band, and songwriter, on the verge of discovering a new sound and style. Then, there's the subtexts, as Kurt's hurt and suicidal impulses bubble to the surface even as he's trying to suppress them. Few records are as unblinkingly bare and naked as this, especially albums recorded by their peers. No other band could have offered covers of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" and the folk standard "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" on the same record, turning in chilling performances of both -- performances that reveal as much as their original songs”.

Pitchfork also detail some of the facts and background of Nirvana’s triumphant and simply unforgettable MTV set in November 1993. The pressure and celebrity that followed the band that year. Having released their third and final studio album, In Utero, earlier in 1993, all eyes were on them. Few could have predicted they would not only perform unplugged for MTV; it was also a set of rare covers and surprising moments:

“By the time Nirvana recorded their performance for MTV Unplugged in November 1993, they were the biggest band in the world. Not that they looked like it. Dave Grohl in his turtleneck and ponytail, Krist Novoselic wrangling his giant, borrowed bass, Kurt Cobain struggling to act relaxed in a room filled with people who thought he was a prophet.

Of course, that was the point of Unplugged, and, in a way, of Nirvana: Even after Cobain got famous, he tried, often painfully, to seem normal. A month or so after Unplugged was taped, he bought a black Lexus, but was so mortified by it—and mocked so thoroughly by his friends—that he returned it within a day. “This is from our first record,” he mutters before “About a Girl.” “Most people don’t own it.” Never mind the five million people who had bought the one that came next.

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Cobain was reportedly miserable before the taping, worried the band didn’t have the grace to pull off something so subtle. “We’re just musically and rhythmically retarded,” he’d told Guitar World in the wake of 1991’s Nevermind. “We play so hard that we can’t tune our guitars fast enough.” As few as 24 hours before Unplugged, he was considering having Dave Grohl sit out because he thought Grohl’s drumming would overpower the rest of the band. For musicians whose sound was so essentially electric, the idea of playing acoustic—or, as it came to pass, in a subdued, semi-amplified state—wasn’t just like going on stage naked, but amputated. Afterward, Cobain reportedly complained to Unplugged programmer Amy Finnerty that the audience must not have liked it because they were so quiet. “Kurt,” she said, “they think you are Jesus Christ.”

MTV had started hosting “Unplugged” in 1989 as a way to package famous artists in comparatively approachable contexts. (The name alone—“Unplugged”—conjured an imagined utopia where music was nothing more than the spontaneous expression of people in a room.) You’d come in, strip down, show your fans the heart bleeding under the armor. Between 1991 and 1993, guests of the show included middlebrow alternative acts like Elvis Costello and R.E.M., legacy artists like Eric Clapton and Paul Simon, and contemporary pop stars like Mariah Carey. A few hair metal bands came through in an attempt to be taken seriously, as though the lust of teenage girls was not serious enough. The day before Nirvana filmed their set, the show’s guest was Duran Duran.

As with all creative endeavors, Cobain seemed eager to strip the charade of its artifice and do something he perceived to be real. At the very least, he hadn’t clawed his way out of Aberdeen, Washington to let Nirvana become Mr. Big. He’d ordered the stage to be decorated with black candles and stargazer lilies, a funereal scheme routinely invoked as a premonition of his suicide, when in actuality it had more to do with his penchant for twisting conventional beauty into something grotesque. A treatment for the “Rape Me” video documented in his diaries called for lilies and orchids—“ya know, vaginal flowers,” Cobain wrote—to be shown blooming and withering in time-lapse, as though incapable of retaining pageant posture for more than a few seconds. Cobain himself regularly appeared in torn dresses and smeared makeup, storming through performances with the fury of a shattered debutante, more Sunset Boulevard than Black Flag. And what were Nirvana’s best songs but demonstrations of how the most corrosive blasts of noise could turn into lullabies fit for a T-Mobile ad? If you buy flowers, you already know: nothing stinks quite like a big, sweet bouquet of lilies.

The setlist, submitted to MTV without concession or explanation, contained six covers and no hits other than “Come As You Are,” a point of contention so contentious that Cobain was still threatening to cancel the performance a day before it taped. (“He did it just to get us worked up,” Finnerty said. “He enjoyed that power.”) Three of the six covers were originally by then-tourmates the Meat Puppets, an Arizona band that, like Nirvana, ventured to create a world that collapsed the distance between brilliant and dumb, ordinary observation—“the sun is gone, but I have a light”—and cosmic insight. The performances are creaky, intimate, eerily temperate for a band known to explode. On first hearing their cover of Leadbelly’s “In the Pines” (here titled, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?”), Neil Young reportedly compared Cobain’s voice to a werewolf’s: neither dead nor undead, but beyond. I get it. Unplugged makes me feel like Nirvana could fill my body with arrows and I would still keep walking”.

I am going to round off soon. Maybe ask if there is any other performance from the MTV Unplugged series that could rival Nirvana’s for impact and legacy. Maybe not. That being said, there are a few that deserve their own standing ovation and acclaim. Mariah Carey springs to mind. So too does Björk. In 2017, GRAMMY provided ten deep facts and titbits about Nirvana’s staggering unplugged session in New York:

“More than two decades after its release, Nirvana's performance on MTV's "Unplugged" still stands as a convincing testimonial to Kurt Cobain's unmistakable musical genius and enigmatic charisma.

Recorded less than five months before his death at the age of 27, the telecast and subsequent album capture the Seattle trio at its creative and commercial peak. Cobain and bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic had already become internationally recognized as the godfathers of grunge, which was as much a marketing construct as it was a musical movement. But with their "Unplugged" performance, the band netted an even broader audience while performing in the more intimate Sony Studios in New York rather than the arenas they'd begun headlining.

Cobain would not live to see the 1994 release of the MTV Unplugged In New York album, which debuted at No. 1 and went on to win a GRAMMY for Best Alternative Music Performance. (Among the albums it bested was Grohl's Foo Fighters debut.) But his artistic spirit lives on in what many consider to be one of the greatest live albums ever.

Following are 10 lesser-known facts about the album and performance that marked the premature end of a promising career.

1. Six of MTV Unplugged In New York's 14 tracks are covers, and mostly obscure ones at that.

While David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World" was familiar to mainstream audiences, Nirvana also used the telecast to bring attention to esoteric personal favorites such as the Vaselines' "Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam" and Leadbelly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night." The group was also joined onstage by Chris and Curt Kirkwood for three songs by their band, the Meat Puppets.

2. According to producer Alex Coletti, MTV had been hoping for guest artist appearances from the likes of Eddie Vedder or Tori Amos.

In a 1995 Guitar World interview with GRAMMY.com contributor Alan di Perna, Coletti recalled how "everybody's eyes lit up" when he told the network that Nirvana would be bringing along some special guests. "But when I said 'the Meat Puppets,' it was kind of like, 'Oh, great. They're not doing any hits, and they're inviting guests who don't have any hits to come play. Perfect."

3. Other than "Come As You Are," the band refused to play their own hits.

MTV tried its best to convince Cobain and the band to incorporate "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and other well-known Nirvana material into the set, but to no avail. "We knew we didn't want to do an acoustic version of 'Teen Spirit,'" Grohl later said of the band's breakthrough single. "That would've been horrendously stupid." When prompted by an audience member request, Cobain asked, "How are we supposed to play 'In Bloom' acoustically?"

4. Cobain had an especially good reason for turning down one audience member's request.

"I don't think MTV will let us play that," he responded when someone called out for the song "Rape Me." The network had, in fact, previously banned Nirvana from playing the song during the band's performance at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

5. The black candles, white lilies, chandelier, and draperies were all Cobain's idea.

The darkly atmospheric stage set, as seen on the album cover, seemed to take on added significance when the network repeatedly rebroadcast the band's performance after Cobain's death on April 5, 1994. But even before the taping, some on the set found it ominous. When Coletti asked Cobain about the décor, the singer confirmed that he meant for it to look like a funeral. 

6. Rehearsals for the show went so poorly there was talk of Grohl not performing at all.

"[Rehearsals] didn't sound good," according to Grohl, who admitted he was struggling to attain a lighter touch on the drums. "Any time you have a band that's so electric and try to unplug them, there's always a lot of challenges, creatively," explained "Unplugged" director Beth McCarthy-Miller. Plus, she pointed out, "Dave [played] drums like Animal from 'The Muppet Show.'"

7. Nirvana's "Unplugged" performance was considerably more unplugged than most, but Cobain used some electric tools.

While Grohl toned down his drumming with brushes and percussion, Cobain strummed his '50s Martin acoustic guitar. However, Cobain insisted on running his guitar, featuring two electric pickups, through the "security blanket" of a Fender Twin Reverb amplifier, which yielded a distorted sound on "The Man Who Sold The World." Meanwhile, Novoselic contributed acoustic bass and accordion and touring guitarist Pat Smear and cellist Lori Goldston rounded out the lineup.

8. Cobain's iconic green cardigan worn during the "Unplugged" taping fetched more than $140,000.

The vintage Manhattan cardigan was sold via auction by Julien's Auctions in 2015. While its worth was estimated at $60,000, the five-button sweater — a blend of acrylic, mohair and Lycra — was snapped up for a final bid of $140,800.

9. Geffen Records initially planned to release Nirvana's "Unplugged" performance as part of a double album package called Verse Chorus Verse.

The idea was to combine the "Unplugged" performance with live material from throughout the band's career. But the project was quickly shelved once Grohl and Novoselic realized how emotionally overwhelming it would be to go through the tapes.

10. At his manager's suggestion, Cobain asked producers to include shots of him smiling.

Unfortunately, they could only find one, which can be seen at the end of "About A Girl," and which came through gritted teeth.

(Bill Forman is a writer and music editor for the Colorado Springs Independent and the former publications director for The Recording Academy”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Let’s finish off with this article, that explores the legacy of MTV Unplugged. This idea of a Grunge band doing something like MTV Unplugged in 1993 was quite brave and non-commercial. Maybe something that would have put some fans off. Perhaps there was this myopic belief that Grunge and Rock bands could not go acoustic or translate what they do by filtering and turning down the noise by adding something richer and more harmonic. Contemporaries of Nirvana followed and produced some real wonders:

“Alice in Chains’ 1996 Unplugged is another example of a show that turned out great despite low expectations. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell had food poisoning and singer Layne Staley was in poor health as a result of his heroin addiction, which lead the group to not being able to perform live together in over two years. So, the pressure was on. Yet, the result is a contender for their best release. The unplugged versions of ‘Down in a Hole’ and ‘Rooster’ didn’t differ much from the album versions, but gained more depth from the intimate live setting.

Also from 1996 is Oasis’ Unplugged, is significant due to the absence of Liam Gallagher performing on stage. Noel Gallagher explained at the beginning of the show that his brother had a sore throat however, according to an interview with Noel, Liam was actually ‘shit-faced’ when the band walked out, so Liam wasn’t able to join them. Noel had to manage without him, singing his own songs without his brother for the first time. This was possibly the first time Noel realized that he didn’t need Liam and that he could stand on his own, making this one of the most important performances in the band’s career. It’s worth mentioning that Liam Gallagher is responsible for the newest addition to the MTV Unplugged catalogue, which premiered in September.

For artists of a previous generation such as Eric Clapton, Unplugged was a way of breathing new life into their established career. In 1992 it seemed like Clapton had passed his zenith, but iconic songs like ‘Tears in Heaven’, and ‘Layla’ made his Unplugged the best-selling release of the series to date.

Pearl Jam will be releasing their 1992 session for the first time on vinyl for Record Store Day’s Black Friday on November 29th. It features seven songs, almost all from their debut album, including ‘Black’, ‘Alive’, ‘Even Flow’ and ‘Jeremy’.

All these years later, MTV Unplugged still holds a lot of weight in the music industry. It remains relevant and necessary in an industry, which is ever more dominated by technology. Unplugged allows artists to showcase their talent and to connect with audiences on a more personal level”.

Fans of other artists may argue their corner when it comes to that ‘definitive’ MTV Unplugged performance. As it is thirty years ago on 18th November that Nirvana’s set was recorded, I wanted to mark that occasion. I did not see it when it first aired. Maybe a few years ago was when I saw it in full for the first time. I can only imagine what it must have been like for those in that space watching this incredible band produce a live performance that will live in their minds for the rest of their lives! I can only get a sense of the sort of tingles and atmosphere that they would have felt! Many would agree it is the ultimate and untouchable best, yet others may share different views. I can see credit and merit to every one of those great Unplugged sets. It is a chance to see an artist maybe step outside of their comfort zone and bring something new from their songs. Whether you see Nirvana’s 1993 set as the very best or not, many will spotlight it in the coming days (as it is almost thirty). Every opinion is valid, though one cannot deny that the Seattle band’s hypnotising, cultural significant and, sadly, haunting set has gone…

DOWN in the history books.

FEATURE: Paul McCartney and Wings’ Band on the Run at Fifty: Ranking the Nine Tracks

FEATURE:

 

 

Paul McCartney and Wings’ Band on the Run at Fifty

Ranking the Nine Tracks

_________

THE third studio album…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Paul McCartney on 7th April, 1973, rehearsing with Wings before their British Tour/PHOTO CREDIT: Jack Kay/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

by Wings (or Paul McCartney and Wings), Band on the Run turns fifty on 5th December (in the U.S. 30th November in the U.K.). A classic album from a band that many had written off prior to the release of their third studio album, this classic was unleashed into the world on 30th November, 1973. An early Christmas treat for fans of Paul McCartney and Wings! Mostly recorded out of EMI's studio in Lagos, Nigeria, it is the band – forgive the pun here… – spreading their wings. Paul McCartney wanted to record somewhere a little more exotic than he was used to (I guess, at this point, the U.K.). The band suffered some upset and upheaval just before leaving for Lagos when drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough left. There was no time to do anything about the situation, so Wings became a trio of Paul and Linda McCartney plus Denny Laine. The studio conditions in Lagos were quite grim. The McCartneys had song lyrics and demos robbed from them. Maybe an international move they regretted, there was additional work at London’s AIR Studios.

In spite of all of that hardship and setbacks, Band on the Run is the ultimate Paul McCartney and Wings release. One of Paul McCartney’s best albums of the 1970s. An all-time classic that I have a lot of love for. I first heard it when I was a child. I knew The Beatles’ music, though this sounded different yet similar. Not used to Paul McCartney outside of the band, I was hooked on Band on the Run pretty quickly, mind. It is timeless and filled with variety and strong moments. To mark the upcoming fiftieth anniversary, I am going to rank the album’s nine tracks (I am using The Beatles Bible as reference when it comes to the songs and details etc.). There might be some obvious placings, though a few might not be! Prior to the big 5-0 of Band on the Run on 30th November (5th December in the U.S.), here is my ranking of…

ITS wonderful songs.

____________

NINE: No Words

“Written by: McCartney-Laine
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums
Linda McCartney: vocals, keyboards
Denny Laine: vocals, guitar
Ian Horne, Trevor Jones: backing vocals

Denny Laine’s first co-writing credit on a Wings release, ‘No Words’ was written before the release of Red Rose Speedway but wasn’t recorded until the Band On The Run sessions in the summer of 1973.

I’m kind of an odd-job man in this group. I look on Band On The Run as definitely their album. We’re not a group anymore. I’m one of the three or I’m an individual. If it was Wings, I’d feel more a part of it. But it’s not my songs and I’d like to feel more involved and contribute as much as they do. I did write one of the songs on the album and Paul helped me out with it. I’d like to do more like that.

Denny Laine

The basic track was recorded in Lagos, Nigeria, and was completed in September 1973 following Wings’ return to England. The orchestral arrangements were by Tony Visconti, and were recorded at George Martin’s AIR Studios in London.

In search of a new direction, and possibly to give an injection of something different, Paul and Linda, along with Denny Laine, had gone to Lagos in Nigeria to make their next album. In late September, shortly after they returned we got a phone call at our home from Macca. After he talked briefly to Mary she handed me the phone.

‘Hi Tony, I love the strings on T.Rex records, did you write them?’
‘Yes,’ I replied.
‘Can you really read and write music?’
‘Yes.’
‘Oh right, in that case will you write strings for the album I’ve just finished?’
‘YES!’

The next day, a Sunday afternoon, Mary, our ten-month-old son and I made the short trip over to the McCartneys’ home in St John’s Wood. Mary and Linda sat in the living room with the McCartney children making a fuss over our little Morgan. In the same room Paul sat at the piano with me sitting next to him and played me snippets of songs on a portable cassette player, while on a second one he recorded his comments and his piano doodlings for string ideas. Some ideas he wanted me to strictly adhere to and some were just sketches that I was asked to improve upon. For a song called ‘Drink To Me (The Picasso song)’ [sic] he said, ‘Just do your thing, but in the style of Motown strings.’

I was thrilled to be doing this for one of my idols but not so thrilled when he told me he needed all seven arrangements by Wednesday.

I hardly slept for two days. I also had to book and strategize the session, starting with the sixty musicians needed for the title track, ‘Band on the Run’, down to the string quartet for ‘No Words’. When I arrived at AIR Studios I’m sure I looked bedraggled, I definitely felt it. I was greeted by Paul, Linda and Denny along with their great engineer Geoff Emerick. The sixty musicians are already there and I braced myself to begin the tedious arm waving (my bad style of conducting) and note correcting. The very first thing we did was the interlude between the first and second parts of ‘Band On The Run’; it proved to be very difficult because the first section is in an entirely different tempo from the next. We just kept doing take after take until we got the transition to work smoothly. Only some of the sixty musicians were wearing headphones, so it was a genuine job of conducting to bring them in and to keep them together. The rest of the day went a lot smoother. For the most part Paul acted the jovial perfectionist, which made it all seem like fun.

Tony Visconti
Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy”.

EIGHT: Bluebird

“Written by: McCartney
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar
Linda McCartney: backing vocals
Denny Laine: backing vocals, guitar
Howie Casey: saxophone
Remi Kebaka: percussion

Written during a holiday in Jamaica, ‘Bluebird’ continued the themes of personal emancipation explored by Paul McCartney on his 1968 song ‘Blackbird’.

When you write something satisfying, it’s a feeling that makes you want to do it again. It’s an ‘at home’ songs, when I would have some free time, sitting around with a guitar. It’s a bird flying in, from the point of view of the bird. It’s actually the bird singing it, so it’s mystical, I suppose. It could work in a mystical Chinese movie like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragen; it’d fit in something like that.

Paul McCartney
Billboard, 17 March 2001

McCartney used the flight of a bluebird as a metaphor for the power of love to set a person free from mental and physical constraints. Whereas ‘Blackbird’ had been written about the civil rights struggle in the United States, ‘Bluebird’ was more personal, and reflected his contentment with Linda McCartney and the stability after the dissolution of The Beatles’ business partnership.

Recording for ‘Bluebird’ began in Lagos, Nigeria, and the song was completed at George Martin’s AIR Studios in London. Coincidentally, the percussionist on the song was a Nigerian working in the English capital.

The only other musician on the album, other than the orchestra, is, funnily enough, African! We were gonna use African musicians, but when we were told we were about to pinch the music we thought ‘Well, up you, we’ll do it ourselves then, so there’s no question about it.’ Then we were back in London working at AIR Studios and this old friend from the past named Remi Kabaka turns up. And he’s from Lagos! He played on one of the tracks, he plays a bit of percussion on ‘Bluebird’, so he’s the only one who ended up doing anything on the album.

Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney In His Own Words, Paul Gambaccini”.

SEVEN: Mamunia

“Written by: McCartney
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Linda McCartney: backing vocals, keyboards
Denny Laine: backing vocals, guitar

Meaning ‘safe haven’ in Arabic, Mamunia was the name of a house in Lagos, Nigeria, the city where much of Wings’ 1973 album Band On The Run was recorded.

According to issue 41 of Club Sandwich (1986), the fan club publication from McCartney’s MPL Communications, Paul and Linda McCartney once stayed at a hotel with a similar name, La Mamounia, in the Moroccan city of Marrakech. The spelling was slightly different, but the misconception that ‘Mamunia’ was named after the hotel was believed by many.

The lyrics are chiefly concerned with rain in Los Angeles, although the song was inspired by a 1973 visit Wings made to Tunisia. In the song, rain acts as a metaphor for rebirth and renewal. McCartney’s statement that the weather “ain’t bad, don’t complain” bears a similarity to John Lennon’s words on The Beatles’ 1966 b-side ‘Rain’.

Fittingly, the song was recorded in a heavy storm in Lagos, Nigeria, the first song to be taped during the Band On The Run sessions. One of McCartney’s road crew kept a rhythm on a bass drum on the recording, though was uncredited.

Paul McCartney’s fingerpicked acoustic guitar on ‘Mamunia’ recalls his work on the 1968 White Album sessions, notably his songs ‘Rocky Raccoon’ and ‘Mother Nature’s Son’.

‘Mamunia’ was the original b-side to the ‘Jet’ single, although early pressings were withdrawn in early 1974 and the song was replaced with ‘Let Me Roll It’. The change occurred as ‘Mamunia’ was being considered for a single release in its own right”.

SIX: Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)

“Written by: McCartney
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums
Linda McCartney: backing vocals
Denny Laine: vocals, guitar
Ginger Baker: percussion
Pierre Le Sève: spoken word

The longest song on Wings’ 1973 album Band On The Run, ‘Picasso’s Last Words (Drink To Me)’ was written during a dinner party Paul and Linda McCartney had in Montego Bay, Jamaica with the actor Dustin Hoffman.

On one of our Jamaican holidays we had heard that Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen were around, shooting the film Papillon. We were invited to visit the set and Dustin asked us back to his house for dinner. He was asking me how I write songs; I explained that I just make them up. He said, Can you make up a song about anything?’ I wasn’t sure, but he pulled out a copy of Time, pointed to an article and said, ‘Could you write a song about this? It was a quote from Picasso, from the last night of his life. Apparently, he had said to his friends, ‘Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can’t drink anymore,’ and then gone to bed and died in his sleep. So I picked up a guitar, started to strum and sing ‘Drink to me, drink to my health…’, and Dustin was shouting to his wife, ‘He’s doing it! He’s doing it! Come and listen!’ It’s something that comes naturally to me but he was blown away by it. And that song became ‘Picasso’s Last Words’.

Paul McCartney
Wingspan

The issue of Time magazine was dated 23 April 1973, and the article in question was titled ‘Pablo Picasso’s Last Days and Final Journey’. Hoffman later described watching McCartney compose the song as “right under childbirth in terms of great events of my life”.

FIVE: Jet

“Written by: McCartney
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums
Linda McCartney: backing vocals, keyboards
Denny Laine: backing vocals, guitar
Howie Casey: saxophone

The first single to be released from the Band On The Run album, ‘Jet’ was – like The Beatles’ ‘Martha My Dear’ – named after one of Paul McCartney’s pets.

We’ve got a Labrador puppy who is a runt, the runt of a litter. We bought her along a roadside in a little pet shop, out in the country one day. She was a bit of a wild dog, a wild girl who wouldn’t stay in. We have a big wall around our house in London, and she wouldn’t stay in, she always used to jump the wall. She’d go out on the town for the evening, like Lady And The Tramp. She must have met up with some big black Labrador or something. She came back one day pregnant. She proceeded to walk into the garage and have this litter… Seven little black puppies, perfect little black Labradors, and she’s not black, she’s tan. So we worked out it must have been a black Labrador. What we do is if either of the dogs we have has a litter, we try to keep them for the puppy stage, so we get the best bit of them, and then when they get a bit unmanageable we ask people if they want to have a puppy. So Jet was one of the puppies. We give them all names. We’ve had some great names, there was one puppy called Golden Molasses. I rather like that. Then there was one called Brown Megs, named after a Capitol executive. They’ve all gone now. The people change the names if they don’t like them.

Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney In His Own Words, Paul Gambaccini

Curiously, by the time of 2021’s The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present, McCartney was claiming that Jet was not a dog but a pony belonging to his daughter Mary.

‘Jet’ was actually the name of a pony, a little Shetland pony that we had for the kids on the farm. My daughter Mary was born in 1969, so in 1973, when the song was written, she was four. Stella would have been two, so they were little. But to know that Jet is a pony is about as important, or unimportant, as knowing that Martha in ‘Martha My Dear’ is a sheepdog.

I remember exactly how the song started. We were in Scotland. I had my guitar, surprise, surprise. There was a big hill which had the site of a fortress on top of it, an old Celtic fort. It’s now primarily an ordnance survey marker. It was an extraordinarily good vantage point. The kind of place where you could imagine the Vikings coming up the hill while we poured oil on them or, if that didn’t work, threw some spears at them. There were some lovely little spots on the hillside where we all liked to hang out.

I had told Linda I’d be gone for a while, and as I lay there on this beautiful summer’s day, I let my mind wander. Some of the imagery is drawn from the relationship between Linda and her father [Lee Eastman]. He was a cool guy – very accomplished – but he was a little bit too patriarchal for my liking. I got on well with him, but he was a bit strict. That’s partly where the ‘sergeant major’ comes from. He also comes partly from Gilbert and Sullivan and ‘the very model of a modern Major-General’. Partly, too, from Bootsie and Snudge, the UK television sitcom, which had a character called Sergeant-Major Claude Snudge…

Anyhow I made it all up, played it on the guitar, came back to the farmhouse and played it for Linda. I asked her what she thought. She liked it! And that was what came out of my afternoon up on the hill. This wasn’t Mount Sinai and I didn’t come back with the Tablets of the Law, but I did come back with ‘Jet’.

Paul McCartney
The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present”.

FOUR: Mrs. Vanderbilt

“Written by: McCartney
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums
Linda McCartney: backing vocals
Denny Laine: backing vocals, guitar
Howie Casey: saxophone

An album track from the 1973 Paul McCartney and Wings album Band On The Run, ‘Mrs Vandebilt’ later became a fixture of McCartney’s live shows.

The name was a misspelling of the Vanderbilt family, the US dynasty of Dutch descent whose patriarch, Cornelius Vanderbilt, made a fortune in the 19th century through rail and shipping empires.

The lyrics, however, contained little more than a passing mention to the family – notably in the lines “When your pile is on the wane/You don’t complain of robbery”, a reference to the family’s financial decline in the 20th century. Instead, McCartney used the name as a starting point for a scenario of his own invention.

‘Mrs Vandebilt’ was a good one. I didn’t know anything about her but I just knew she was like… a rich person.

Paul McCartney
Wingspan”.

THREE: Let Me Roll It

“Written by: McCartney
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums
Linda McCartney: backing vocals, keyboards
Denny Laine: backing vocals, guitar

The song which closed the first side of Wings’ 1973 album Band On The Run, ‘Let Me Roll It’ was interpreted by many as an echo of the stripped-down production of the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album and Lennon’s single ‘Cold Turkey’.

I still don’t think it sounds like him [John Lennon], but that’s your opinion. I can dig it if it sounds that way to you.

Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney In His Own Words, Paul Gambaccini

By 2021 McCartney was more willing to admit the similarities to his former bandmate.

Bog echo. We always called it bog echo because it’s like the echo in a toilet, known to us as a ‘bog’. We’d shout up to the control room, ‘Can we have the bog echo, please?’ And they would ask, ‘Do you want it at 7.5 inches per second or 15 inches per second?’ We would say, ‘We don’t know. Play them both.’ The echo was on tape in those days. Short bog echo, long bog echo. It was very Gene Vincent. Very Elvis.

John loved this tape echo and used it more than any of us, so it became a signature sound on his solo records. I’m acknowledging that by using it here. I remember first singing ‘Let Me Roll It’ and thinking, ‘Yeah, this is very like a John song.’ It’s in John’s area of vocalisation, needless to say, but the most Lennon-esque thing is the echo.

The single most significant element in this song is not the echo, though. It’s not the vocalisation. It’s not the lyrics. It’s the guitar roff. The word that comes to mind is ‘searing’. It’s a searing little thing. We can talk about lyrics till the cows come home, but a good riff is a rare beauty. This one is so dramatic that people in the audience gasp when they hear it. Because it stops so abruptly, it feels like everything freezes. Time freezes.

Paul McCartney
The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present”.

TWO: Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five

“Written by: McCartney
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar, piano, drums
Linda McCartney: backing vocals, keyboards
Denny Laine: vocals, guitar

The final song on Wings’ 1973 album Band On The Run, ‘Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five’ was based on an idea that Paul McCartney had for some months prior to its recording.

McCartney’s starting point was the opening line, although it took some time for the rest of the song to be written.

With a lot of songs I do, the first line is it. It’s all in the first line, and then you have to go on and write the second line. With ‘Eleanor Rigby’ I had ‘picks up the rice in the church where the wedding has been.’ that was the one big line that started me off on it. With this one it was ‘No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty-five.’ That’s all I had of that song for months. ‘No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty… six?’ It wouldn’t have worked!

Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney In His Own Words, Paul Gambaccini

As with ‘Picasso’s Last Words (Drink To Me)’ before it, the song refers to other moments on Band On The Run, giving the impression of a unified body of work. In this case, ‘Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five’ ends with a reprise of the album’s title track.

When I read George Orwell’s 1984 I was just a kid, and I thought it was so far into the future I mightn’t live to see it. Like the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey – impossibly distant. Now they’re well behind us.

The idea behind the song is that this is a relationship that was always meant to be. No one in the distant future is ever going to get my attention, because I’ve got you. But when this was written, 1985 was only twelve years away; it wasn’t the very distant future – only the future in this song. So, this is basically a love song about the future.

Paul McCartney
The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present”.

ONE: Band on the Run

Written by: McCartney
Recorded: August-November 1973
Producer: Paul McCartney

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums
Linda McCartney: backing vocals, keyboards
Denny Laine: backing vocals, guitar

The title track of Paul McCartney’s fifth post-Beatles album, ‘Band On The Run’ was a three-part song, inspired in part by a remark about the business meetings at Apple in 1969.

It’s just a good flow of words. I really don’t analyze stuff, and if I do I kind of remember what it meant about three months later, just lying in bed one night.

It started off with ‘If I ever get out of here.’ That came from a remark George made at one of the Apple meetings. He was saving that we were all prisoners in some way, some kind of remark like that. ‘If we ever get out of here,’ the prison bit, and I thought that would be a nice way to start an album. A million reasons, really. I can never lay them all down. It’s a million things, I don’t like to analyze them, all put together. Band on the run – escaping, freedom, criminals. You name it, it’s there.

Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney In His Own Words, Paul Gambaccini

The Beatles had often combined half-finished song fragments together, in works such as ‘A Day In The Life’, ‘She Said She Said’ and ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’, and the celebrated Abbey Road medley. John Lennon, in particular, often combined three unrelated ideas in one song, a technique used on ‘I Am The Walrus’, ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun’, ‘God’, and ‘(Just Like) Starting Over’.

On ‘Band On The Run’, McCartney used the same technique, although unlike Lennon, the different parts stood in marked contrast from one another. The song begins with the band’s incarceration, “stuck inside these four walls”, in a gently melodic passage which gives way to thoughts of escape”

FEATURE: Spotlight: Viji

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Viji

_________

I have quite a bit to cover…

when it comes to the sensational Viji. The London-based, Austrian-born artist is someone people need to know about. Real name Vanilla Jenner, Viji is primed for greatness. Her album, So Vanilla, has won a lot of applause. It came out on 27th October. I will work my way to that. I want to cover off some biography and interviews first. Previous E.P.s, Are You in My Head (2020) and Suck It (2021), were pandemic releases that were hard to tour and promote. Both tremendous, her debut studio album has been released at a time when she scan truly strike! Signed to Speedy Wunderground, she is in very good hands indeed. Here is some biography regarding a truly wonderful artist that is hugely original and exciting:

“As a teenager in Austria, rising alt-pop artist Viji – aka Vanilla Jenner – was always searching for something more. Fueled by an obsession with US TV shows and pop culture of the time, she dreamt of making an imprint on this world. As a budding musician, she longed for peers who took being in a band as seriously as she did. “There were musicians around but no one who wanted world domination,” she laughs. “Nobody was writing songs.”

Years later and now signed to Dirty Hit, the artist is building a world for herself that fulfils all her desires. Since releasing her debut single ‘Cherry’ in 2020, she has marked herself out as a creative new force in the alternative sphere – both through her hook-filled songs and the inventive visuals that accompany them – with a streak of determination driving her forward.

“Put my head down and work hard / Reach my hand out super far,” she sings on ‘Cali’, the balmy title track from her upcoming third EP and a love letter to one of her dream states. “I’ve forever and always had an obsession with California,” she explains, noting that in the future, she’d like it to be somewhere she calls home for at least some of the year. “I always say I’m gonna work hard, and then once I’m there – wherever there is – I’ll move to Cali.”

With the determination to write her own story, Viji left home at 15 to spend a year in Colorado. Following many summer breaks abroad in the states (including Hawaii), she made one more stop in the south of the continent, spending time with her Brazilian side of the family.

Just as America seems to have been a constant in the new talent’s life, so too has music. Her grandfather was a classical pianist, her cousin was in a band growing up, and her dad builds instruments for a living. Even her name comes from an album. “My dad does a lot of folk instruments and Renaissance instruments, and apart from old school rock’n’roll, he’s also into weird elvish folk,” she says. “There’s this band called Blowzabella and they brought out an album called ‘Vanilla’. He was like, ‘That’s a pretty name for my future daughter’.” When Viji was embarking on her own musical journey, friends suggested she use her first name as her stage name, but she refused: “I don’t personally relate to whatever vanilla stands for in this world.”

If vanilla is typically associated with something plain and unadventurous, then Viji is here to challenge that perception. Over the last 15 months, the London-based musician has built the foundations of her career on songs that breathe new life into ‘90s and ’00s-inspired guitar-driven sounds, upping her inventiveness with each release. It’s something that’s already won her praise from the likes of DIY, The Fader, The Line Of Best Fit, Nylon and more. Her debut EP, ‘Are You In My Head’, was more straightforward plaid-tinged grunge-pop, before 2021’s ‘Suck It’ EP invited fresh synth elements into the mix, adding more dimensions to her core sound”.

I am going to get to a slightly older interview before coming up to date. Fred Perry shot some questions the way of Viji. When they spoke with her, she hadn’t yet played shows as ‘Viji’. An artist still waiting to bring her alter ego to the stage. I hope that we get to see Viji touring quite widely in 2024. She will definitely do some London shows:

“Name, where are you from?

Vanilla Jenner, Austria (living in London).

Describe your style in three words?

Baggy Bratz fits.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

I saw Justice play at Red Rocks in CO. That was really special cause it’s this open-air natural amphitheatre and their set was just as it was getting dark. So you got Justice playing and the moon with Denver skyline in the back, really can’t beat that for a vibe.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?

Fugazi and Frank Ocean would be crazy. I don’t know how the energy would match but I’d like to think they dig each other’s music... and mine.

Which subcultures have influenced you?

Skate, emo and rave, currently a bit of otaku.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?

Would love to have Elon Musk and Grimes in a room to hear their take on the next ten years.

Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?

I haven’t played any shows as Viji (✖﹏✖). I’m dying to though! I miss live music. One of my London favs is Electric Ballroom.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?

Alex G, I think he’s amazing! I used to listen to his Album 'Rocket' every morning. It has so many different genres on it and he nails all of them.

The first track you played on repeat?

'Don’t Tell Me' by Avril Lavigne. I just listened to it again for the first time in forever. Still a banger!

A song that defines the teenage you?

'Adam’s Song' by Blink-182. I was a moody teenager and def thought I was doomed to die young. So 'Adam’s Song' seemed appropriately dramatic”.

I will come to an interview from DIY from October. They embraced her “narcotic, ‘90s influenced guitar world”. There is a lot of attention aimed the way of this extraordinary artist. Viji is a name that should be on everyone’s mind right now:

“Vanilla Jenner might have spent her early years in Austria - an epicentre of classical music - but from a young age the rules and rigidity of the genre were clearly destined to be an ill fit. “I was never that interested in the theory; that was never my thing. With guitar I was like, ‘Ah, let’s just play four chords in my room over and over and hum over it…’” she laughs, tooth gems glinting and bleach-blonde hair scruffed up in a clip. “I was very much approaching it as a songwriter instead of learning guitar as a crazy skill. I would be a lot better at instruments if I practised like they told me to practise at school…”

Instead of poring over textbooks, however, she began striking out independently, cultivating the identity that would go on to infuse the gauzy grunge of her musical project, Viji. Aged 15, she spent a term in Colorado where her listening habits were turned upside down. “My friends there introduced me to a lot of music I didn’t know. The Breeders; Bikini Kill; we listened to ‘Totally Crushed Out’ by that dog a lot - I got into all of it just through depressed friends who were like, ‘Listen to this!’” she laughs. “Elliott Smith is like, my everyday companion.” After school, she made the move to the UK, wanting to break away from Austria’s largely non-English-speaking music scene into a place with wider potential.

It’s a mix of intuition and ambition that’s been there from the start. “I did think at 12 or 13: I want to be a rock star. A pop star, rock star, just a star… I didn’t really think about doing anything else,” she notes. And, having released a debut trio of EPs via Dirty Hit (2020’s ‘Are You In My Head’, 2021’s ‘Suck It’ and the following year’s ‘Cali’), her new home of Speedy Wunderground is proving a fertile base for both.

PHOTO CREDIT: Emma Swann

Written and recorded collaboratively with the label’s Dan Carey, Viji’s incoming debut LP ‘So Vanilla’ is a record that’s wonderfully, woozily out of step with the current market of hyper-polished pop. From the tumbling melodies of opener ‘Anything’, through the tetchy prowl of ‘Karaoke’, to the bare bones acoustic melancholy of ‘Blanket’, the record weaves between energy levels but maintains a sense of both sonic and emotional grit throughout. “We were conscious of keeping it purposefully raw to preserve the energy of the live show; of not making it super polished or perfect because the music I listen to is not like that,” Viji explains. “I know it’s 2023 but it doesn’t all have to be super clean and sanitised…

“Lyrically it all blended [together with ideas of] memory, romantic boredom, tiredness… It’s quite a depressing record!” she continues. “All my favourite artists and movies, everything has dark twists, so everything I consume is on the darker side of entertainment.” Shimmeringly narcotic recent single ‘Down’, she explains, is literally about the fear of being too happy to be inspired. “If you live a happy life and you don’t really have anything to say, you’re gonna struggle to have that drive. If you’re just happy, why do anything?!”

Emerging after a steady gestation period with a record that makes a clear, cohesive statement about exactly what kind of artist she wants to be, Viji might be at risk of falling into her own happiness trap. But on ‘So Vanilla’, she’s proven herself anything but plain”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Emma Swann

There are a couple of other interviews worth mentioning before getting to details about So Vanilla. Under the Radar Mag spoke with Viji about her debut studio album and what it was like working with super-producer Dan Carey. You can feel the passion she has for her music. Someone who wants it to connect with fans around the world:

“I definitely have the travel bug; I can never seem to stay in one place,” confesses the Vienna-born, Brazilian-Austrian artist, Vanilla Jenner, known by her stage name Viji. Thankfully, Jenner has settled in the UK to focus on her musical career. “London is now my base,” Jenner reveals. “I was born and raised in Vienna but hold dual nationality because of my father’s Brazilian heritage. I have a lot of family still living in Rio and regularly visit. I did spend a period of time in America on a student exchange too, but I’ve been in London for a few years now.”

Music has coursed through Jenner’s veins since her youth. Her grandfather was a pianist, and her father, an instrument maker. “Yes, my dad actually crafts Renaissance instruments. When we were kids, on long family journeys, Dad would encourage my brother and me to sing old folk songs and intricate four-part harmonies. I had a cousin who played in a rock band, which was more of an influence on the musical journey I wanted to take as I grew up.”

And that journey eventually led Jenner to work with award-winning producer Dan Carey, resulting in her wonderful debut album, So Vanilla, which is out today. They met when a songwriting session was set up whilst Jenner was still signed to the Dirty Hit label under her Viji moniker, and the pair hit it off immediately.

“I think we began working together around the time of my third EP,” recalls Jenner. “I was signed to Dirty Hit, but that was only to release my EPs.” As they continued to write and create, it started to become apparent that Dan’s label, Speedy Wundergrund, would be the ideal outlet for Viji’s work. “It just made perfect sense,” explains Jenner. “There’s a tight-knit group around Speedy, a whole scene going on there, and with me embracing a different sonic approach, it seemed like a very good fit. It’s a very ‘Speedy’ type of record.”

Carey has produced albums by Wet Leg, Geese, black midi, Fontaines D.C., Squid, Foals, Bat For Lashes, and many others. Artists often say, after working with him, that he’s a producer who doesn’t impose his own signature style on a record but rather respects and helps finesse the artists vision and perhaps nudges them towards sounds and effects that might work for their record. “Totally,” enthuses Jenner. “It’s been a really fun process from writing to producing with Dan. His studio is like this sprawling magical mess,” she laughs. “There are cables everywhere, but everything there makes such a beautiful sound. It’s very much a case of you go in and Dan caters for your vision. I’d never been involved in writing sessions with anybody before, but Dan seems to get what musicians hope to achieve and picks up the mood of the artist. He’s so enthusiastic—and has a sense of excitement when he finds something new—he’ll say things like, ‘Look at this, I’ve just bought it—and it makes this sound!’ It never feels like work when you go into a session with Dan.”

Amongst other things, Carey is known for his unerring ability to capture the energy and excitement of an artist’s live performance in the studio. However, with Viji being Jenner’s solo project, that wasn’t always possible, as she explains. “It was mainly me and Dan in the studio, and I had Yuri [Shibuici] from Honeyglaze on drums. And I did get my live band in for bits. My bassist did some backing vocals and also contributed the infamous screaming bit on [previous single] ‘Karaoke.’ A typical day recording with Dan would involve starting with some guitar tracking, and we’d do my vocals in the afternoon, as that’s when I prefer to sing. It’s magical watching everything come together; it was beautiful having a cello on a few tracks. I usually make sure I’m stocked up with lots of snacks so I don’t get distracted by any food cravings! And when I’m doing vocals, I usually have whiskey and honey and ready salted crisps. I don’t know if it’s a myth, but I heard that the oils in the crisps can help with your voice,” she says, referring to what Americans call potato chips.

The results speak for themselves. So Vanilla is a beautifully judged, perfectly paced album that allows Jenner’s ear for melody and her astute poetic lyrics to shine. When I ask if there’s a theme, such as dissatisfaction with modern life, or if the mention of religion is part of a wider theme she laughs before explaining, “There was never a theme, really, I just wanted to get my best songs recorded. Somebody else asked if it was about ennui, with songs like ‘Sedative,’ ‘Ambien,’ and ‘Blanket,’ but it’s a coincidence. The same with any mention of religion. I was raised an atheist and I’m not a believer in institutionalized religion, although I respect people who do. I mean I’m not a brutalist atheist in that I can see the beauty in the likes of cathedrals, but any sort of organized religion isn’t for me. I’m more interested in myths and legends and folklore from different cultures, any religious theme was certainly unintentional”.

It does seem like recording So Vanilla was joyful and fulfilling. Viji has now put out this magnificent debut album that will take her music to new places. Clunk Mag spotlighted Viji recently. If you have not added her album to your collection, there is so much to recommend when it comes to So Vanilla:

“George: Can you tell us a bit about what your year’s looked like so far? It’s been a big one!

Viji: It’s been substantial. I finished the record! We recorded it in November last year but the mix/master we finished in January. It’s been a lot of working on the record, creating all the content, shooting all the videos and bringing all the visuals to fruition. We really started playing live in March, going on tour with our friends which was really fun.

George: How has it translated to a live setting? Has it been a challenge?

Viji: No, it’s been really fun actually! We’ve been playing mostly the new songs actually which is really exciting. I’ve switched my band around a bit and it’s really fun because they’re my friends. As a solo artist, it’s a struggle to translate it live with the right people. My friends have made it a lot more enjoyable.

George: We love the album, it’s brilliant. Can you tell us about it, is there a concept? What should people be expecting?

Viji: It’s really not a concept album. It’s more of a collection of songs I’ve written over the last two years. The lyricism is definitely on the darker side, not to say that the music is. It’s mostly a guitar record, there’s only a few synth songs.

George: It’s quite a varied record. How do you balance noisiness and catchiness?

Viji: (laughs) I don’t really think of it in such detail. It usually starts with guitars, either at home or in the studio in a writing session. It’s mostly because I sing very softly and the melodies I write are more pop melodies. It’s definitely not on purpose!

George: Can you tell us a bit about working with producer Dan Carey and how you got involved with Speedy Wunderground?

Viji: It’s amazing working with them, he’s such a nice person. We randomly got set up for a session two years ago. It was really funny because I didn’t really know who he was, he didn’t really know who I was, we just agreed to meet. For me, it was a few days after having a few other sessions with somebody else and I was very tired. So, I came to the studio and said ‘let’s just write a really chilled song!’.

The studio is really fun, there’s so many things to fuck about with. Even though I was so exhausted it was so fun because he just totally went with the vibe. We weren’t here to write a hit song. It’s the last song on the record now.

He’s always been so supportive of the music and the process and it’s such a natural transition working with Speedy Wunderground.

George: What makes their style of production and recording unique to other people you’ve worked with?

Viji: I feel like the music I listen to is from the 90s and 2000s, so working in a space where it’s not all digital always helps. Not that I could necessarily hear the difference, I’m not a crazy analogue-head. It translates into the production and the rawness. Everywhere you go to the studio in LA, the sound is so heavily overproduced with effects. Working with Dan is so refreshing”.

You might want to know more about So Vanilla before investing. It is one of this year’s best albums, but here is some information from Rough Trade about a wonderful work. I get something new from the album each time I pass through it. An album that I would say everyone can get something from:

“London-based Austrian-Brazilian artist Viji with her highly-anticipated debut album So Vanilla out on tastemaker label Speedy Wunderground. Referencing the easy, sleazy sounds of the 90s, Viji – real name Vanilla Jenner – has been cementing herself as one of the most exciting alternative artists to watch in the UK right now. So Vanilla was recorded predominantly in London, in partnership with four-time Mercury Prize nominated producer and Speedy Wunderground label head, Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C., Kae Tempest, Wet Leg).

Having finished So Vanilla in November 2022, Viji relays that every song had a different writing process – some saw her and Carey playing guitar chords together for hours, until the sounds fused into one, and others came from late night ramblings at home. Born and raised in Vienna, Austria until the age of 16, she travelled first to the US and then to Brazil to stay with family. After Brazil, she moved to the UK to study music production in Brighton. Although she had written her first songs aged nine, and had carried on writing through her teens, she had never recorded them, and understanding the technicality of production techniques allowed her to grow as a writer and performer. “If you can be self-sufficient you can get stuff done way quicker. If you can make your own music, your own demos, you don’t need to rely on anyone. For writing it means you are not constrained to your voice and an instrument, it opens up a new spectrum of songwriting and creativity,” she explains. After finishing the course she moved to London and started to figure out her own sound. Her approach to shoe-gazey rock, raw instrumentals and vocal delivery makes her stand out as one of the most exciting UK artists to watch, pioneering what rock music can sound like in the modern era”.

I will finish off with this review of So Vanilla. I am predicting massive things for the London-based artist. Viji is a sensation that will soon be playing all around the world. Do ensure that she is in your thoughts. She caps off a wonderful and busy 2023:

“It’s common to get excited when you hear that an artist has been signed to in-demand record labels such as Dirty Hit and Speedy Wunderground, and Australian-Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Vanilla Jenner, known as Viji, has experienced both in the lead-up to the release of her debut album, So Vanilla. An album that has been completed for almost a year, So Vanilla begins to cement Viji’s status as one of the most exciting artists currently blending 90’s inspired shoegaze and bedroom pop.

Opener, ‘Anything’, indulges on the lust that is felt when you know that you are someone’s fantasy, with a forceful chorus. Previous single, ‘Down’, then begins with a soft introduction that builds up to an intense and cathartic climax. Here, Viji’s creative potential shines through, delivering a powerful performance and evoking emotions that are both raw and authentic. The line ‘misery makes me holy’ echoes throughout the track, leaving a lasting impression on the listener, where the grunge-inspired tones of Sonic Youth can also be heard, adding an edge to Viji’s sound.

‘Sedative’ sees Viji explore the complexities of attraction and rejection through reflective vocals. Here, the lyrics convey a sense of inner turmoil, as she grapples with her emotions towards someone, struggling to express them freely – as if in a self-imposed trap, unable to escape her own thoughts. However, as the song progresses, Viji’s vulnerability gives way to an admission of her true feelings – that ‘London isn’t as cool without you’.

So Vanilla features a unique blend of sound, with ‘Karaoke’ and ‘Sharks’ standing out as they pay their homage to Viji’s ‘emo’ roots. The former is a captivating slice of alt-pop that exudes angst and vocals that draw inspiration from shouty Japanese punk tracks. Despite the stark contrast in sound found on the album, So Vanilla manages to maintain a cohesive flow.

Taking inspiration from a wide range of artists and genres, Viji’s debut album is a hit. The bond between her and producer, Dan Carey, is palpable, and their collaboration truly brings So Vanilla to life and overall, the album is a strong debut that showcases Viji’s talent and sets the bar high for what’s to come”.

The Austrian-born Viji is a wonderful artist that is being heralded and featured on so many hugely reputable and popular websites, music magazines and radio stations. With a great footing in the U.K., there are tonnes of fans internationally that want to see Viji in the flesh! With that sort of demand, I know that next year will…

BE even busier.

___________

Follow Viji

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/vijiwater

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/dontworrybeviji

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5T8jStToPqlBhbVU5WNHvi

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@vijiwater

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/vijiwater/

FEATURE: One for the Record Collection! Essential December, January and February Releases

FEATURE:

 

 

One for the Record Collection!

IN THIS PHOTO: Marika Hackman

Essential December, January and February Releases

_________

I may update this at the start of the year…

IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES/PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Ham

but, as we are almost at the end of 2023, I wanted to recommend some of the best albums still to come – and also look ahead to what is scheduled for the first couple of months of next year. Things may change; albums may be added or shift their release date. I am writing this on 31st October, so this is what is planned for December of this year, plus January and February next year. There is not a tonne out in December – though there are a few that might prove to be perfect as Christmas presents. I am going to highlight one you will want to get. On 1st December, Peter Gabriel releases his first studio album in twelve years, i/o. This is an album that you are definitely going to want to pre-order:

“More than 20 years in the making, this December finally sees the release of i/o, Peter Gabriel’s first album of new material since 2002’s Up. During 2023, Peter has been releasing a new song from the album on the occasion of every full moon. Being revealed roughly every four weeks, each track has been allowed to find its own time and space, to enjoy its own orbit. “It’s a little like getting a Lego piece each month,” Peter explains. Now it’s time to stand back and admire the final, completed creation. And what a creation – 12 tracks of grace, gravity and great beauty that provide welcome confirmation of not only Peter’s ongoing ability to write stop-you-in-your-tracks songs but also of that thrilling voice, still perfectly, delightfully intact. Throughout the album the intelligent and thoughtful – often thought-provoking – songs tackle life and the universe. Our connection to the world around us – ‘I’m just a part of everything’ Peter sings on title track i/o – is a recurring motif, but so too the passing of time, mortality and grief, alongside such themes as injustice, surveillance and the roots of terrorism. But this is not a solemn record. While reflective, the mood is never despondent; i/o is musically adventurous, often joyous and ultimately full of hope, topped off as it is, by the rousingly optimistic closing song, Live and Let Live.

Always looking to push the boundaries, i/o is not simply a collection of a dozen songs. All 12 tracks are subject to two stereo mixes: the Bright-Side Mix, handled by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, and the Dark-Side Mix, as reshaped by Tchad Blake. “We have two of the greatest mixers in the world in Tchad and Spike and they definitely bring different characters to the songs. Tchad is very much a sculptor building a journey with sound and drama, Spike loves sound and assembling these pictures, so he’s more of a painter.” Both versions are included on the double-CD package, and are also available separately as double vinyl albums. And that’s not all. A third version – the In-Side Mix, in Dolby Atmos, comes courtesy of Hans-Martin Buff “doing a wonderful job generating these much more three- dimensional mixes” and is included in three-disc set, including Blu-ray.

Peter has kept his trusty inner circle of musicians close to hand, which means guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Manu Katché are sterling presences throughout. Several songs bear the fingerprints of long-time associate Brian Eno, whilst there are notable contributions from the likes of Richard Russell, pianist Tom Cawley, trumpeters Josh Shpak and Paolo Fresu, cellist Linnea Olsson and keyboard player Don E. Peter’s daughter Melanie contributes warm backing vocals, as does Ríoghnach Connolly of The Breath. Soweto Gospel Choir and Swedish all-male choir Oprhei Drängar lend their magnificent harmonies and the mass strings of the New Blood Orchestra, led by John Metcalfe, both soothe and soar. Peter has also invited a range of visual artists to contribute a piece of art to accompany each track. The dozen artists make an exceedingly impressive team of collaborators: Ai Weiwei, Nick Cave, Olafur Eliasson, Henry Hudson, Annette Messager, Antony Micallef, David Moreno, Cornelia Parker, Megan Rooney, Tim Shaw, David Spriggs and Barthélémy Toguo. Having handpicked the artists, Peter recognises that “They have the same obsessive attention to their visual work that we musicians have in sound”.

That was the standout from December. There are a few others that you might want to pre-order, though there is plenty in January and February worth exploring! The first January release to seek out is on 5th. Ghetts’s On Purpose, With Purpose is going to be sublime and must-hear. This is going to kick off 2024 with real aplomb and command! One of our finest voices in Hip-Hop and Rap, I was a big fan of 2021’s Conflict of Interest. His approaching album sounds like it could well rival that. Here is where you can pre-order On Purpose, With Purpose:

“Ghetts proudly presents new album, On Purpose, With Purpose. The record - which follows 2021’s epic Conflict Of Interest - continues the ongoing artistic evolution and unstoppable rise of one of the UK’s greatest rappers.  Ghetts returns sounding sharper, more unflinchingly honest and boldly confident than ever before. As well as achieving dizzying new heights as a songwriter and rapper, On Purpose, With Purpose finds Ghetts expanding his sonic palette by reaching out beyond rap and incorporating elements of wider musical influences such as soul (Double Standards), R&B (Mine), gospel (Hallelujah), Afrobeat and amapiano (Gbedu, Blessings, Tumbi)”.

Let’s move things to the following week: releases out on 12th January. Kali Uchis’s Orquídeas is going to be very special. Back in March, she released the hugely acclaimed and brilliant Red Moon in Venus. It is wonderful that we get another album so soon! Not too much is known about the ins and outs of her new album. Suffice to say, it is going to be another remarkable album that you will want to pre-order:

“Grammy Award winner Kali Uchis releases her fourth studio album, Orquídeas. Marking Uchis’ striking return to Spanish-language music, the project features a superstar lineup with Karol G, Peso Pluma, El Alfa, and JT. Inspired by the sensual allure of Colombia’s national flower, the orchid, Orquídeas traverses multiple Latin genres including reggaeton, dembow, bolero and salsa furthering Uchis’ connection to her Colombian roots”.

Maybe four more from January that are worth getting. Prior to coming to them, let’s stick with 12th January and Marika Hackman’s Big Sigh. Sporting a particularly wonderful and eye-catching cover, you will want to pre-order an astonishing album from one our most consistent and finest artists. It is an album that I will check out when it arrives:

“Big Sigh brings together the best of Marika’s previous works as an indie musician and adds a new layer of epic sounds and full-bodied production. Big Sigh is the “hardest record” Marika has ever made. As the title suggest, it is a relief of sorts – of sadness, of stress and lust, but mostly relief. Co-produced with Sam Petts Davies (Frank Ocean, Radiohead, Red Hot Chilli Peppers) and Charlie Andrew (Alt J, Wolf Alice, London Grammar). Lyrically there’s always romance alongside grief, with elements of vulnerability and feeling trapped.

“This album took a long time to make. It was not easy, and by the time I got to the end of it I was quiet. I wanted to be away from it and let it sit in its own space. Now the dust has settled and I’ve got re-enter the world of Big Sigh, and I’m excited. Stepping into a new world, moving forward, chipping away. Breathe in, breathe out. Big sigh”.

It is always interesting when a new Green Day albums comes along. Saviors is out on 19th January. This is an album that Green Day fans will be all over. I feel it may be one of their most important and brilliant releases since 2004’s American Idiot. Definitely, there are shared characteristics:

“Right from “The American Dream Is Killing Me” — the first single and opening track from Saviors, Green Day is sending out a fiery SOS for these troubled times. Amazingly, Saviors represents Green Day's 14th studio album, yet somehow this enduring power trio - Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt - remain devoted to their defiant craft that has fueled their career-long destruction of every boundary bestowed on the genre, and landed 3 East Bay punks in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. So even as the band acknowledges its illustrious past — such as with the 30th Anniversary of their now classic Dookie album and the 20th Anniversary of American Idiot coming 2024 — Green Day remains firmly focused on the here and now. Saviors features 15 tracks, and from the aforementioned opening track, "The American Dream Is Killing Me" to the blissfully ironic “Look Ma, No Brains!" to the fittingly emotional track, "Father To A Son,” this is a deeply felt song cycle that provides the soundtrack for our world on fire – the one we deserve, and the one that we need. The album was recorded in both London and Los Angeles under the audacious ear and rock prowess of Green Day's longtime friend and collaborator, Grammy® Award-winning producer Rob Cavallo. Need a little inspiration to live on to fight the good fight another day?”.

One of the biggest albums due the first quarter of next year comes on 19th January. Sleater-Kinney’s Little Rope. A stunning work from Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, another superlative album that is going to be well worth the money. Go and pre-order the latest from the mighty Sleater-Kinney:

“Sleater-Kinney release their eleventh studio album, Little Rope via Loma Vista Recordings. Recorded at Flora Recording and Playback in Portland, Oregon with Grammy-winning producer John Congleton, Little Rope is a powerfully honest and soul-baring album by one of modern rock’s most vital bands. Little Rope is one of the finest, most delicately layered records in Sleater-Kinney’s nearly 30-year career. To call the album flawless feels like an insult to its intent – it careens headfirst into flaw and brokenness – a meditation on what living in a world of perpetual crisis has done to us, and what we do to the world in return. On the surface, the album’s 10 songs veer from spare to anthemic, catchy to deliberately hard-turning. But beneath that are perhaps the most complex and subtle arrangements of any Sleater-Kinney record, and a lyrical and emotional compass pointed firmly in the direction of something both liberating and terrifying: the sense that the only way to gain control is to let it go”.

Moving to 26th January and an artist people might not be aware of, Katy Kirby’s Blue Raspberry is one I can recommend people pre-order. It is going to be a really beautiful, open, playful and memorable album. If you are thinking about which albums are worth grabbing due out in January, Blue Raspberry should be near the top of your list:

“Blue Raspberry is Katy Kirby's follow up to her renowned debut album Cool Dry Place, which came out in February 2021.

Singer/ songwriter Katy Kirby introduced her warm, articulate vocals, perceptive lyrics, and playful adult-alternative style on her debut album as she toured tirelessly supporting bands like Waxahatchee, Andy Shauf, Julia Jacklin and Alex G.

That record was a tried-and-true folk collection, perfectly displaying the chops of a young songwriter and emanating the warm feel of a band in a room; Blue Raspberry, made with the same band and producers (Logan Chung and Alberto Sewald), hits the gas and enters completely new territory as we see Katy truly step into her own as a songwriting force. She fearlessly leans far into baroque piano pop on tracks like 'Redemption Arc' and the title track 'Blue Raspberry', and lyrically she explores themes of loss and queer love. Very few are able to capture the same emotional, theatrical magic of artists like Fiona Apple, Tom Waits and Joanna Newsom but Katy pulls it off on this record; standout 'Drop Dead'”.

A magnificent American artist whose albums are always remarkable, Torres is preparing to release her sixth studio album, What An Enormous Room, on 26th January. It follows the stunning Thirstier of 2021. Fans and newcomers alike will want to pre-order this album:

“What an enormous room is not only the title of the new album by Torres, it is an incantation, a phrase Mackenzie Scott has had in her head now for several years, for as long as some of the songs found here.

What an enormous room is an entirely new look at Torres. Scott’s undeniable skill as a guitar player is still the engine driving her songs, but in “Collect,” it’s pushed through a polyphonic octave generator, creating a sound that is sexy and alien and peak Torres, a provocative statement of purpose that’s both a call to arms and a call to the dance floor. “Wake to flowers” is a celebration of the unexpected joy of things turning out much better than one could have hoped. It’s on the slinkier side of What an enormous room, exploring new territory for Torres that Scott attributes to recording with her friend Sarah Jaffe, the Texan singer-songwriter whose inclination to break genre boundaries has led her to collaborate with Eminem and producer Symbolyc One.

Jaffe provides What an enormous room’s rhythm section, playing bass and drums, and the easiness of her collaboration with Scott made it possible for songs like “Jerk into joy” to emerge like the incantation central to it, and the album itself—after years in Scott’s head in a way that is simultaneously more direct and more sonically ambitious than any Torres record to date. When she sings “look at all the dancing I can do,” it’s an invitation to awe, and there is much here to be awed by. What an enormous room contains wry, Laurie Anderson–esque art rock, Nirvana’s rage, and ABBA’s strut. Rather than fear the unknown space she occupies, Mackenzie Scott has chosen to fill it with as much of herself as possible, an artist unwilling to be stifled. We’re hardly alone in our admiration for TORRES. As Julien Baker attests: What I can say about Torres is I think the music comes from a convicted place. Not convicted meaning a person is narrowly and foolishly committed to an ideal, or unshakably convinced of themselves, or a zealot, or stubborn.

I mean dedicated, I mean: If Torres’ music gets weird, gets brainy, gets funny, gets defiant, provokes, deliberately scandalizes, employs the crass to undermine the austere, courts lofty philosophical truth—it’s all done with the conviction of an artist with the (essential) belief in the worth of their task. I think you can hear it in the songs, someone reaching, leaning over the boundary between known and not, probing the almighty. After a decade and six studio albums and however many one-offs and tours and articles read and conversations had, the parts of this pursuit I’ve been able to observe are all marked by a dedication to creation that treats the act ongoing with as much preciousness as the evidence of the act that is left in a record. The modes of being are different: heartbroken, broke, furious (right- and unrighteously), awestruck by love, compelled by desire. sometimes resigned to death, sometimes fascinated by and reverent of the future. Sometimes viscerally present, other times suspended in heady awareness, poised on a fulcrum of observation and participation in the phenomenon that aliveness is.

The tools are the same: instruments that growl and shriek and moan, a lyrical voice shouting, swooning, chuckling, snarling as the moment commands. Torres’ music-making is conducted in a melodic vocabulary unique to itself—methods, equipment, circumstances shifting around the impulse to affirm the self within the world, to make art that bears all these little artifacts of the divine and of the real and show it to people and know it is valuable. I think that’s what Mackenzie’s music does. And I think it’s just incredibly good music to listen”.

We are in February now. The first is perhaps the most anticipated debut album in many years. The Last Dinner Party’s Prelude to Ecstasy is one that you will definitely want to pre-order. The London band are one of the most talented and promising groups of this generation:

“Without doubt Last Dinner Party will be the sound of 2024. Their debut album Prelude To Ecstasy is released via Island Records. It was produced by James Ford in London, and features the breakthrough singles, “Nothing Matters”, “Sinner”, and “My Lady Of Mercy”.

At the turn of 2023, The Last Dinner Party was little more than a new name being shared amongst those that had caught them live. Great songs, strong aesthetic. Having spent much of 2022 writing those songs, road-testing them, and then taking them into the studio, it wasn’t until April when the band released the instantly more-ish, dark guitar-pop of Nothing Matters that seemingly everyone had now formed an opinion on them. It was an introduction that took the online world by storm, and yet behind all the excitement and narrative was a fantastically confident indie-rock song by a band doing it the old-fashioned way, out on the road.

Third single, My Lady Of Mercy, an almost gothic, haunting rock song, and now with this atmospheric and anthemic ballad, On Your Side, the band’s songwriting is testament to all the buzz and excitement already accumulated. As it should be. Rather than wilt under the spotlight, they’ve arguably become a tighter, stronger unit because of it”.

Out on 9th February is Chelsea Wolfe’s She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She. Another captivating songwriter with a voice that buckles the senses, I would encourage people to pre-order an album that is going to scoop some huge reviews:

“Chelsea Wolfe’s latest album, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, is a rebirth in process. It’s about how such a moment connects to our past, our present, and our future. It’s a powerfully cathartic statement about cutting ties, as well as an important reminder that healing is cyclical and circular, and not a simple linear process. As Wolfe explains, “It’s a record about the past self reaching out to the present self reaching out to the future self to summon change, growth, and guidance. It’s a story of setting yourself free from situations and patterns that are holding you back, in order to become self-empowered. It’s an invitation to step into your authenticity”.

A terrific young artist who is still under the radar I think, Declan McKenna’s What Happened to the Beach? is a treat out on 9th February. 2020’s Zeros was an acclaimed and wonderful album. Almost four years after that was released, we get another treasure from a magnificent artist. If you do not know much about him, I can recommend checking out interviews and his previous albums. There are scant details about the album out there at this early stage. Even so, he is such a strong artist who never puts a foot wrong. His new album will definitely be worth time and investment:

“Produced by Gianluca Buccellati (Lana Del Rey, Arlo Parks), What Happened To The Beach? marks Mckenna’s third studio album following 2020’s Zeros. The LP is an album that revels in both space and atmosphere and the tracks much looser”.

An album I am looking forward to is Helado Negro’s Phasor. Due out on 9th February, you should pre-order this album. It is going to be a magnificent release you will not want to miss out on. Definitely worth some investigation if you have not heard of Helado Negro and want to take that first step:

“The eighth full-length album in Helado’s catalogue follows his critically acclaimed 2021 album Far In.

Some of the seeds for Phasor were planted in 2019 on Lange’s 39th birthday after a 5-hour visit to Salvatore Matirano’s SAL MAR machine at the University of Illinois. A complex synthesizer that creates music generatively with a vintage super computer brain and analog oscillators, it can create an infinite amount of possibilities in sound sequences. “I was enthralled by it,” Lange recalls.

That SAL MAR experience became the bedrock for Phasor. It taught Lange more about himself and became central to his creative process. “It gave me special insight into what stimulates me,” Lange explains. “This pursuit of constant curiosity in process and outcome. The songs are the fruit, but I love what’s under the dirt. The unseen magical process. I don’t want everybody to see it because not everyone cares to see it. Some of us just want the fruit. I do. But I want to grow the fruit, too.”

Phasor is Lange’s tightest collection—deep, atmospheric, meticulously executed. It’s aligned with 2019’s This Is How You Smile which found him incorporating more upfront drums and bass and focused grooves. His 2021 album, Far In, focused on being in quarantine—talking to your mother through Zoom instead of across a room. Phasor, in turn, is a homage to going outside again. It’s a returning-to-life record, remembering what the sun feels like and letting it warm your skin”.

Before getting to an album from 23rd February – and the one I am most looking forward to -, there are a selection due out on 16th February that I will highlight. Grandaddy’s Blu Wav is the first one. The legendary band’s forthcoming album will be one you’ll want to pre-order:

“Grandaddy release a brand new studio album Blu Wav via Dangerbird Records. A prolific storyteller, Jason Lytle is inspired by the overwhelming beauty of nature to the mundane moments that spark life’s strongest memories. Introducing pedal steel into the band’s repertoire for the first time, buoyant lead single “Watercooler” comments on the dichotomy of both. It was inspired by having his own outdoorsy rock guy (in both senses of the word) lifestyle while his partner had an office job. Lytle shares, “Most of my relationships have involved girls who worked in office settings. This song is about the end of one, or perhaps a few, of those relationships. Listeners will also notice the pedal steel on this track and eventually on many others from the forthcoming new album. It’s a first for Grandaddy, and I couldn't be more thrilled about this fact.”

With the album title Blu Wav meant to be a literal mash-up of “bluegrass” and “new wave”, the new collection has a distinct feel, a uniform vibe, and a somewhat unexpected sound. It was conceived as Grandaddy maestro Jason Lytle was driving through the Nevada desert, and Patti Page’s "Tennessee Waltz" came across the classic country station on the radio. He was immediately intrigued by the possibilities of what it might sound like to keep the slow sway and sweet, simple lyrics of the bluegrass waltz while adding layers of dense synthesizers and the electronics of new wave. It incorporates the lo-fi lushness and sometimes-psychedelic orchestration Grandaddy is knownfor with Lytle’sfirst foray into true country. Seven of its 13 songs are waltzes, and as Lytle notes, “there’s an inordinate amount of pedal steel”.

The brilliant IDLES release TANGK on 16th February. With a range of physical formats available for you to pre-order it on, there is no reason not to go and check out this latest album from one of the world’s very finest bands! I love everything they put out into the world:

“TANGK is the righteous and vibrant fifth album from madcap truth-seekers, IDLES. Pronounced “tank” with a whiff of the “g” - an onomatopoeic reference to the lashing way the band imagined their guitars sounding that has since grown into a sigil for living in love - the record is the band’s most ambitious and striking work yet. Where IDLES were once set on taking the world’s piss, squaring off with strong jaws against the perennially entitled, and exercising personal trauma in real time, they have arrived in this new act to offer the fruits of such perseverance: love, joy, and indeed gratitude for the mere opportunity of existence.

A radical sense of defiant empowerment radiates from TANGK, co-produced by Nigel Godrich, Kenny Beats, and IDLES guitarist Mark Bowen. Despite his reputation as an incendiary post-punk sparkplug, frontman Joe Talbot sings almost all the feelings inside these 10 songs with hard-earned soul, offering each lusty vow or solidarity plea as a bona fide pop song—that is, a thing for everyone to pass around and share, communal anthems intended for overcoming our grievance.

TANGK is a love album—open to anyone who requires something to shout out loud in order to fend off any encroaching sense of the void, now or forever”.

The penultimate album you should check out is due on 16th February. Paloma Faith’s superb The Glorification of Sadness. I would encourage those who might not be aware of or a huge fan of Faith’s to pre-order this album, as I think this might be her best work yet. Its themes and objectives are ones that we can all get behind and appreciate:

“The Glorification of Sadness is more than an album about relationships. The celebration of finding your way back after leaving a long term relationship, being empowered even in your failures and taking responsibility for your own happiness. It is Paloma's most personal album to date, drawing on her own experiences with Paloma acting as the anchor to direct a deeply personal narrative and album. This is the first new music from Paloma since the release of her fifth studio album Infinite Things in November 2020 and is the first time in her career where she has executively produced a record”.

On 23rd February, queen Nadine Shah releases Filthy Underneath. Following 2020’s Kitchen Sink, the first single from her new album, Topless Mother, might be one of her very best songs. It is insanely catchy and brilliant! I have no hesitation in recommending that everyone pre-orders what is going to be among the best albums of next year:

“Nadine Shah releases her fifth album - Filthy Underneath on EMI North. The follow up to 2020's critically acclaimed Kitchen Sink and 2017's Mercury Prize nominated Holiday Destination.

Filthy Underneath chronicles a period of unprecedented turbulence in Nadine Shah’s life. And yet, the experience of listening to it is oddly life-affirming – a parade of ghosts spanning the entirety of Nadine’s thirty-seven years, moving with balletic beauty to the music that Nadine and long-time co-writer and producer Ben Hillier have created around them, with renewed emphasis on placing melody and movement front and centre”.

One in December, a few from January, more from February, the albums above are ones you might want to save money for. Christmas is not too far away so, if you are saving for an album or get some money as a present, I hope the suggestions above are of use! It is looking like a pretty interesting start to 2024 albums-wise. As I say, things can be added and change between now and then – as these are albums confirmed as of 31st October. I am sure there are one or two albums above that you will want to…

ADD to your collection.

FEATURE: Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work at Thirty-Four: Whether Overused or Perfect in Anything, This Classic Endures and Inspires Still

FEATURE:

 

 

Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work at Thirty-Four

Whether Overused or Perfect in Anything, This Classic Endures and Inspires Still

_________

A Kate Bush single…

I have written about a fair few times, I want to bring together a feature reviews and interviews about it. Whilst This Woman’s Work was released as a single on 20th November, 1989, the fact is that it appeared on the film soundtrack of John Hughes’s She’s Having a Baby the previous year. It is definitely one of Bush’s most emotive and memorable songs. Before moving on, here is some interview archive where Kate Bush talked about the wonderful This Woman’s Work:

“That's the sequence I had to write the song about, and it's really very moving, him in the waiting room, having flashbacks of his wife and him going for walks, decorating... It's exploring his sadness and guilt: suddenly it's the point where he has to grow up. He'd been such a wally up to this point. (Len Brown, 'In The Realm Of The Senses'. NME (UK), 7 October 1989)

There's a film called 'She's Having A Baby'. And John Hughes, the director, rung up and said that he had a sequence in the film that he really wanted a song written to be with. And I'd only worked the once before on the 'Castaway' film - where I'd really enjoyed that - so I was extremely tempted by the offer. And when he sent the piece of film that the song was going to be part of, I just thought it was wonderful, it was so moving, a very moving piece of film. And in a way, there was a sense that the whole film built up to this moment. And it was a very easy song to write. It was very quick. And just kind of came, like a lot of songs do. Even if you struggle for months, in the end, they just kind of go - BLAH! - You know. [Laughs]. So that was the first song that I wrote for 'The Sensual World' album. In fact at the time we weren't even sure whether to put it on the album or not. And I must say that Del was very instrumental in saying that I should put it on the album, and I'm very glad I did. Because I had the most fantastic response - in some ways, maybe the greatest response - to this song. And I was really - I was absolutely thrilled, that you felt that way about it. (Kate Bush Con, 1990)”.

Whereas Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) has been used in various places but took off when it appeared on Netflix’s Stranger Things in 2022, This Woman’s Work has not had the same explosion. Even so, it has been used quite frequently. I will come to an article that argues, perhaps, the song is a bit of a go-to. Seen as an emotional song that is a little easily deployed and, therefore, common, I think that This Woman’s Work has elevated many a moment. I will wrap up with thoughts about a stunning song that is as impactful and emotional as it has ever been. Vulture wrote about how This Woman’s Work was used effectively in season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale:

“This Woman’s Work,” a ballad originally written by Kate Bush for a 1980s John Hughes movie, has appeared many, many times over the years in film and on television. Unlike other songs that suffer from pop-cultural overuse — like “Hallelujah,” in all its incarnations — this gut puncher about trying to summon strength in a moment of profound weakness never loses its power. Instead, it has accumulated additional, profound layers of meaning.

Most recently, “This Woman’s Work” shows up in season two of The Handmaid’s Tale, during the horrifying opening sequence in which June (Elisabeth Moss) and several other Handmaids realize they are about to be executed. As each woman is shoved toward a noose, the first, delicate trembles of Bush’s voice break through the silence. Suddenly, with “This Woman’s Work” laid on top of it, a moment that is already terribly sad becomes utterly devastating. That musical choice injects the scene with a sense of futility — “All the things we should have done though we never did” — and also a tinge of irony.

“This woman’s world / Oh, it’s hard on the man,” Bush sings, even though the bleak dystopia these women inhabit is run by men, and it’s monumentally harder by the longest of long shots for women. “I know you’ve got a little life in you yet,” Bush continues. “I know you’ve got a lot of strength left.” That may be a message that June and her fellow women are trying to convey to themselves, even as they appear to be facing the end, but it’s also one sent from the show to those of us watching. June’s got more than a little life in her yet, it says. You’ll see after she and the others survive this moment. Indeed they do, as the floor beneath their feet never drops away and they escape the gallows, shaken but still alive.

“It was shattering and perfect,” Bruce Miller, creator of The Handmaid’s Tale adaptation, told Vulture’s Maria Elena Fernandez about the track. “One of the things I really like about the song is that on its face, there’s a bit of very interesting lyrical play. It’s nice that that’s going on while you’re watching.”

That kind of lyrical play and juxtaposition wasn’t something that Kate Bush necessarily envisioned back in the ’80s. As she explained in a 1989 interview with the BBC’s Radio One, she wrote “This Woman’s Work” specifically for a scene in the John Hughes movie She’s Having a Baby, about a couple, played by Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Montgomery, navigating marriage and the imminent birth of their first child. Originally, the track was meant to underscore a moment of crisis and reflection for Bacon’s character, as he waits to find out whether his wife and about-to-be-born baby will make it through a potentially dangerous delivery.

“This is actually the moment in the film where he has to grow up. He has no choice,” Bush explained in the BBC interview. “There he is, he’s not a kid anymore; you can see he’s in a very grown-up situation. And he starts, in his head, going back to the times they were together. There are clips of film of them laughing together and doing up their flat and all this kind of thing. And it was such a powerful visual: it’s one of the quickest songs I’ve ever written. It was so easy to write. We had the piece of footage on video, so we plugged it up so that I could actually watch the monitor while I was sitting at the piano and I just wrote the song to these visuals.”

It’s obvious while watching that scene that it was designed to sync up with its story and emotional beats, which makes it a little on the nose, but still certainly moving. Yet Bush’s lyrics are so brilliantly universal that the song has proven to be applicable to an array of significant pop-culture moments.

In the years since She’s Having a Baby was released, “This Woman’s Work” has provided the soundtrack for: other men having breakdowns (the Party of Five episode “Hitting Bottom”); young men and women grappling with abuse and what it means to be a victim (the second act of the Felicity two-parter “Drawing the Line”); double agents grappling with grief over the loss of their fiancés (the second episode of Alias); longtime friends having sex for the first time (the movie Love and Basketball, which features the Maxwell cover); and, of course, for women having babies. That last one happens in an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, of all things, that opted for a cover by Swedish musician Emma Ejwertz. The FXX comedy isn’t known for its sentimentality, but when “This Woman’s Work” popped up in season six after Dee delivered a baby in what turned out to be a surrogate pregnancy, a normally absurd sitcom about classless dopes actually got sweet for a couple minutes.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

When there’s an element of irony involved, Bush’s otherwise cathartic, ultraserious ode to pain and regret can even succeed at scoring laughs, as it did in the season one finale of You’re the Worst, when a deflated and drunk Lindsay sang a karaoke rendition of “This Woman’s Work.” As played by Kether Donohue, Lindsay did so beautifully, sincerely, and with absolutely no awareness that she’s never done any actual work in her whole damn life.

But in the past year or so, “This Woman’s Work” has more often been used to reflect the mood and mind-set of those fighting injustice, or those just trying to find shreds of hope in hopeless times. That trend may have started because of the way that Maxwell — who first covered the song for MTV Unplugged in 1997, then recorded it on his 2001 album Now — began to frame it during his 2016 live shows, flashing images of lives lost, often to police violence, on the screen while he performed. “As this violent year draws to a close, this song became protest, dirge and battle cry,” a writer for the Economist put it in October 2016. “Night after night, by juxtaposing black and white, man and woman, today and yesterday, ‘This Woman’s Work’ has been reborn as a plea for social change and an olive branch of inclusivity.”

It made complete sense, then, when Maxwell’s take on the song was featured in a trailer for Fox’s limited series Shots Fired, which explored racism and police brutality. In that context, the song captured exhaustion and trauma of seeing the same tragedies play out over and over again (“Make it go away”).

When Spike Lee used it in the penultimate episode of She’s Gotta Have It, again within a story line about cops and racism, it had a similar effect. Maxwell’s cover slips in after the protagonist, Nola, insists on being taken into custody after an uppity white neighbor accuses her homeless friend Papo of spraying graffiti on the steps of a Brooklyn brownstone. Both Papo and Nola, who tries to take responsibility for the infraction, end up getting arrested and head to the station while Maxwell, again, insists in that desperate falsetto that they can find strength. To an even deeper degree than it does in that admittedly brief Shots Fired trailer, the song communicates how tired Nola is of having to defend herself and her friends, again and again having to do the work of a black woman living in a gentrifying neighborhood.

Now that we’re two years out from Maxwell’s 2016 concert tour and his reimagining of the subtext for “This Woman’s Work,” it’s obvious why the song resonates even more now. “Pray God you can cope” isn’t just the first lyric of this beautiful dark night of the soul set to music; it’s what people whisper to themselves in 2018 before they check their news feeds. “Make it go away” is what we say once we start processing what’s there. There’s a sense in the air that the country is stuck in some limbo between despair, surrender, and stubborn perseverance. All those feelings are conjured up by Kate Bush’s song, which was originally conceived to capture a moment of profound personal crisis but works just as well at capturing a social or political one.

That makes it just right for a drama like The Handmaid’s Tale, which is often received as if it’s the worst-case scenario of America’s future. In every episode, June and her fellow Handmaids are trying to summon the fortitude to press on, to get to a place where they don’t feel like they should be hoping, but where they can just hope. By placing “This Woman’s Work” in that near-hanging sequence at the beginning of season two, the show emphasizes through music that the possibility of death always hovers over June and her Handmaid sisters, but their fight to find a little life — not just by bearing children but by someday being free enough to build lives for themselves again — is going to continue. In other words, this woman’s work is never done.

“This Woman’s Work” is also a fitting in the Hulu drama for an simpler reason: Once again, a song that Kate Bush wrote just a few years after Margaret Atwood published The Handmaid’s Tale is being used to convey just how scary it is when a pregnant woman finds her life in danger”.

A new version of the song, by Max Tundra, was released earlier this year. It is a song that sounds great and interesting when others tackle in. Maybe some see This Woman’s Work as a personal song to Kate Bush or one that should not be wilfully and too overly used and incorporated into film and T.V. It is intriguing how it was perceived when featured in the recent Netflix film, The Mother, starring Jennifer Lopez. The Daily Beast had their say on a song that is a needle drop go-to to many – perhaps a track that should remain relatively chaste and untouched:

“Rumor has it that I enjoyed The Mother, Netflix’s new action film starring Jennifer Lopez. But really, I’m not so sure if that’s true. I’ve been a little too hung up on one moment, right at the very end of the movie, to remember what came before. Everything up until those last 10 seconds was more than serviceable—at least, I think it was. It all turned into flat, static noise the second I heard two piano notes, followed by the familiar coo of a certain English chanteuse, rattling over a shot of a resolute and triumphant-looking J.Lo: Ooooooohhhhhh haaaaooooooooooo.

If you’ve not yet experienced the phenomenon of music supervisors plopping Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” into a piece of visual media that you’re watching, then you either have hobbies that don’t include mindlessly staring at a screen all day (good for you!), or you haven’t yet seen The Mother (a curse unto your firstborn). At this point, “This Woman’s Work” is starting to veer on, well, any song on the Suicide Squad or Guardians of the Galaxy soundtracks in terms of sheer overuse.

It’s kind of like when a lot of us cried watching that one gay episode of The Last of Us, before the most annoying people online cropped up to say, “Stop weaponizing Max Richter’s ‘On the Nature of Daylight.’” Since its release in 2004, Richter’s song appeared in notable moments in The Last of Us, Arrival, Shutter Island, and several other films and television shows as well. I don’t really have much of an ear for recognizing the repetition of a sappy orchestral piece, but I certainly do for a bravura vocal performance from one Kate Bush. And I fear that too many music supervisors are misunderstanding the intention behind “This Woman’s Work” and using it as a slapdash form of emotional exploitation.

“This Woman’s Work” was written by Bush for John Hughes’ 1988 film, She’s Having a Baby. The song is introduced in a pivotal moment during the film, which is by-and-large a romantic comedy—until the titular baby that she’s having comes a-knockin’, and the movie suddenly takes on a very real gravity. In a hospital waiting room, Jake (Kevin Bacon) reflects upon his relationship with his wife Kristy (Elizabeth McGovern), whose health is in danger during labor, when their child reaches the breech position. Jake understands that he could lose Kristy, their child, or the both of them, and he can’t even be near them in this moment. As he waits for news, a flashback montage of his life with Kristy plays, set to “This Woman’s Work.”

It sounds almost a bit corny—and distinctly ’80s—but the scene is incredibly effective in its context. That’s especially true, considering that this was the first time audiences ever heard “This Woman’s Work;” it was written by Bush about experiencing a crisis during childbirth, from the man’s point of view. The video for the song made these details a bit murkier, so it could resonate with a larger audience, but the crux of the song’s meaning stays the same. Put simply: If you’re going to use “This Woman’s Work” in a film or television show, it should stay far away from the thin line between sentimental and hokey.

In the past five years alone, I’ve seen two shocking and unforgettable debasements of “This Woman’s Work,” which were equally appalling, but for different reasons. The first was in the second season premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale, where a group of 50 or so handmaids are sent to a barren, dystopian version of Fenway Park and made to climb up to gallows, where they think they are about to be hung under the glare of stadium lights. As nooses are put around their necks, that Bush’s memorable warble sings out. “I know you have a little life in you yet/ I know you have a lot of strength left,” she croons, while the handmaids, who have had their mouths muffled, silently exchange glances and tearfully try to accept their fate”.

Constantly appearing on the top ten and twenty lists of Kate Bush songs, This Woman’s Work is played fairly regular on radio. Still homogenised as an artist when it comes to a limited number of songs played, I can understand why This Woman’s Work resonates. Rather than it being specific to Kate Bush, the lyrics - which talk about dealing with a crisis - are relevant constantly. At a very bleak and tough time, it is going to be a song that filmmakers gravitate towards. Neon Music, in a feature from August, explored the legacy and continued relevance of This Woman’s Work. If Daily Beast felt it was an over-used part of soundtrack and not deployed carefully or skilfully, this article was a little more open-minded:

“As Kate Bush recalled in an interview with The Guardian, she wanted to write a song that would “make people cry”. She said, “I was very moved by the story. It was about a man who suddenly realises how much he loves his wife when she might die. It was such a powerful idea.” She also revealed that she had to work under pressure to finish the song in time for the film’s release. She said, “I had to write it very quickly. They sent me a video of the film, and I wrote it for the visuals. It was very difficult because there were lots of sound effects and dialogue over the top.” She also faced some technical problems while recording the song in her home studio. She said, “The tape kept breaking, and we had to splice it back together. It was a nightmare.“

LYRICS AND MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE SONG

At the heart of This Woman’s Work lie its poignant lyrics, which delve deep into the emotions of fear, guilt, regret, love, and hope experienced by the husband during his wife’s life-threatening situation. The song’s musical composition is a masterclass in evoking emotion. The piano melody, which sets the tone, builds tension throughout the song, drawing listeners into its narrative.

Bush’s vocal performance is nothing short of mesmerising, showcasing her range and emotion and bringing the meaning of This Woman’s Work to life. The strategic use of silence, pauses, and breaths adds drama and contrast, while the background vocals provide depth and harmony. The inclusion of strings further amplifies the song’s emotional impact, making it a timeless piece.

The lyrics of This Woman’s Work are divided into three verses and a chorus that repeat throughout the song. The first verse introduces the husband’s situation as he waits outside the operating room while his wife undergoes an emergency caesarean section. He reflects on how he has taken her for granted and how he wishes he could have done more for her:

I should be crying, but I just can’t let it show. I should be hoping, but I can’t stop thinking Of all the things I should’ve said that I never said, all the things we should’ve done that we never did All the things I should’ve given, but I didn’t. Oh, darling, make it go. Make it go away.

The chorus expresses his fear of losing her and his hope that she will survive:

Give me these moments back. Give them back to me. Give me that little kiss. Give me your hand.

The second verse shows his regret for not being more supportive of her dreams and aspirations:

I know you have a little life in you yet I know you have a lot of strength left. I know you have a little life in you yet I know you have a lot of strength left. I should be crying, but I just can’t let it show. I should be hoping, but I can’t stop thinking. Of all the things we should’ve said that we never said All the things we should’ve done that we never did All the things that you needed from me All the things that you wanted for me All the things that I should’ve given but I didn’t

The third verse reveals his love for her and his gratitude for their life together:

Oh, darling, make it go away. Just make it go away now.

The musical elements of This Woman’s Work complement and enhance its lyrics, creating a powerful and moving song. The piano melody, composed by Bush herself, is simple yet effective, consisting of a few chords that repeat with slight variations. The melody sets the mood of the song, which is sombre and melancholic, and builds up tension throughout the song, mirroring the husband’s anxiety and anticipation. The melody also matches the rhythm and pace of the film’s visuals, creating a seamless integration of sound and image.

RECEPTION AND LEGACY OF THE SONG

Upon its release, This Woman’s Work received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Although it only reached No. 25 in the UK charts, it has since become one of Bush’s most beloved creations. The song’s emotional depth and relatability have made it a classic, touching on themes of womanhood, motherhood, and gender roles. Its influence can be seen in its numerous covers, references in other media, and its use in social movements.

Critics praised This Woman’s Work for its lyrical and musical brilliance, as well as its cinematic connection. Rolling Stone called it “one of Bush’s most stunning achievements”, describing it as “a devastating ballad that captures a man’s fear of losing his wife during childbirth”. The New York Times described it as “a haunting song that matches words to images with eerie precision”, noting that “it is rare for a pop song to be so perfectly suited to a movie scene”. The Guardian ranked it as one of Bush’s best songs, stating that “it is hard to think of another song that packs such an emotional punch in such a short space of time”.

Audiences also responded positively to This Woman’s Work, especially women who related to its themes of womanhood, motherhood, and gender roles. Many women found the song empowering and inspiring, as it highlighted the strength and resilience of women in the face of adversity. Some women also used the song as a source of comfort and support during their own experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, or loss. For example, one woman wrote on a fan forum: “This song helped me through a very difficult time in my life when I had a miscarriage. It made me feel less alone and more hopeful.“

This Woman’s Work has also been covered, sampled, referenced, or used in various forms of media, demonstrating its widespread appeal and influence. Some of the most notable examples are:

She’s Having a Baby (1988), where the song was originally featured and synced with the climax scene.

In the film Love & Basketball (2000), Maxwell’s cover of the song was used in a similar scene of a woman giving birth while her partner plays basketball.

The TV show ER (2001), where the song was used in an episode where a pregnant woman suffers a stroke and her husband has to decide whether to save her or their baby.

The TV show The Handmaid’s Tale (2017), where the song was used in an episode where a handmaid gives birth in a dystopian society where women are oppressed and enslaved.

The TV show Pose (2018), where the song was used in an episode where a transgender woman undergoes gender confirmation surgery and faces complications.

The social movement #MeToo (2017–present), where the song was used as a rallying cry for women who have experienced sexual harassment or assault.

MOST NOTABLE COVERS OF THE SONG

One of the most renowned covers of This Woman’s Work is by American singer-songwriter Maxwell. His neo-soul rendition, first performed for his MTV Unplugged session in 1997 and later released as a single in 2001, brought a fresh perspective to the song. Maxwell’s Woman’s Work introduced an urbanised sound with a longer instrumental intro and a distinct vocal delivery and interpretation. The cover found its way into movies like Love & Basketball, showcasing its widespread appeal.

Maxwell’s version of This Woman’s Work differs from Kate Bush’s original in several ways, both musically and lyrically. Musically, Maxwell’s version has a more contemporary and urban sound, featuring elements of R&B, soul, and hip-hop. He also extends the instrumental intro of the song, adding drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, and horns to create a groove and a build-up. He also changes the key of the song from A minor to C minor, making it lower and darker”.

As it turns thirty-four on 20th November, I wanted to approach This Woman’s Work from a different perspective. Only reaching twenty-five in the U.K. when it was released as The Sensual World’s second single in 1989, I do feel that the song deserved better on the charts. It has been used a lot through film and T.V., though I feel it is good This Woman’s Work has widespread appeal. It goes to show…

WHAT a powerful song it is.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Lucy Gaffney

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

 PHOTO CREDIT: Charlotte Patmore

Lucy Gaffney

_________

EVEN though most of the interviews…

I am going to quote are from around 2020 and 2021, I think that is very much worth spotlighting the wonderful Lucy Gaffney. The Belfast artist is proudly putting Irish music on the map. Showing there is incredible strength and quality coming from there. I will use this feature to highlight some interviews where we learn more about a truly remarkable young artist who everyone needs to know about. Her latest single, Next Year, shows why she is such a special and instantly memorable songwriter! Gifted with a sublime voice and a wonderful songwriting ear and eye, her music is unforgettable! I am going to start with this biography about the sensational Lucy Gaffney:

“'Celestial' - Liam Gallagher

'A superstar in waiting' - This Feeling

'Seriously great record' - Huw Stephens/BBC Radio 1

Hailing from Belfast, Irish singer-songwriter Lucy Gaffney’s music conveys an abundance of hypnotic and sensuous charm with vocals that flow effortlessly over laid-back brooding lo-fi rock, enveloped in a bohemian haze.

Recent single 
‘Easy Come Easy Go’ captures your attention from the first note. It invites you into a world that preaches of the beauty in the mundane, everyday loneliness and coping with the anxieties of the unforeseen. It takes you on a journey immersed in distortion-driven guitars reminiscent of the Pixies that counter low evocative conversation in Lucy’s voice. Tilting a cap towards Elliot Smith, Lucy’s vocals evoke a warmth, longing and urgency that sparkle with a glimmer of hope from beginning to end. Lucy recorded the track in her home-studio in Liverpool in 2021 and it was produced by her brother Thom Southern.

Lucy Gaffney began her solo career at the beginning of 2020. Penned in Liverpool, her debut singles ‘Can’t Escape’ and ‘Send Me Away’ were produced by The Coral frontman James Skelly and immediately caught the attention of Ireland’s most influential, with Hot Press Magazine saying Gaffney “has emerged as one of the country’s most promising indie-pop prospects” and the iconic Liam Gallagher calling her music “celestial”.

Big supporters at radio have come in the form of BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Across The Line, BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing Merseyside, RTE Radio 1, RTE 2FM, Radio X, NPO 3FM and KINK. Lucy has opened for DMAs, Bill Ryder-Jones and Sorcha Richardson in her short career to date - summer 2022 will see her biggest performance yet opening for Ryan McMullan at Belfast’s 5,000 capacity Custom House Square”.

I do hope that Lucy Gaffney gets the opportunity to perform in the U.K. (especially London). I know there are a lot of her fans down here that would love to see her on the stage. I think one of the most striking and notable aspects of Lucy Gaffney’s music is the sense of atmosphere. You get songs filled with wind, weather and the wild. Dreamy vocals with something more stirring. Such a varied and instinctive artist, Gaffney stands out from a wave of songwriters this year. Because of that, she is going to enjoy a very long and successful career! I am going to include a recent feature where Gaffney chose albums that are influential to her. There are some pleasant surprises in the mix! I am going to start out with this Fred Perry question-and-answer:

“Describe your style in three words?

Comfy, chilled, casual.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

Queens Of The Stone Age - Reading & Leeds Festival 2016, it was the first time I got up on someone’s shoulders and the sun was setting throughout the whole gig and the sky was bright orange, absolute vibes.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?

Nirvana and Elliot Smith. I guess there’s something magic in the fact that I’ll physically never be able to witness either of those musicians play live, makes them even more special and genius. I seriously can’t imagine what seeing them must have felt like.

Which subcultures have influenced you?

From growing up and discovering new genres of music and art, I definitely have taken a pinch of a lot of different subcultures into my style and my tastes. The mods always resonated with me, especially when I discovered The Who and The Jam as a teenager but I don’t think I could ever fully commit to the essence of it all though. I also always wanted to be a grunger but I doubt I’m cool enough haha. I went through a mad '60s phase at one point too, I wanted to be Nico, flares, fringe, pea coat, deadpan vocals. I still really love all that, it never goes out of style.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?

David Bowie - I was gutted when he passed away, I remember that day I sat and watched all his interviews online. He’s just so down to earth and suave. Also, he’s got some great one-liners, I’d probably spend the whole hour laughing at his jokes.

Of all the venues you’ve been to or played, which is your favourite?

The Olympia Theatre in Dublin. It’s always been a mega gig and night for me there, and the backstage area is class.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?

Chrissy Hynde from the Pretenders. I’m not sure if she’s unsung. But she’s an absolute legend in rock music. Her voice and presence on stage is second to none. She could compete with any man in rock n roll. I hung out with her backstage after a Neil Young gig in Dublin and we chatted through the night, she’s the most supportive and cool person I’ve ever met, an absolute legend.

The first track you played on repeat?

'Walk On The Wild Side' by Lou Reed.

A song that defines the teenage you?

'Sweet Black Angel' by The Rolling Stones. I used to have it as my alarm clock ring tone when I got up for school every day, always puts me in a good mood. Also discovering the 'Exile On Main Street' album was a game-changer for me.

One record you would kee forever?

'Ape In Pink Marble' by Devendra Banhart.

A song lyric that has inspired you?

I remember that time you told me, you said
'Love is touching souls'
Surely you touched mine, 'cause
Part of you pours out of me
In these lines from time to time"

From 'A Case Of You' by Joni Mitchell.

The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?

'Cosmic Dancer' by T. Rex. I danced with a guy in Edinburgh to this one night in a club that was doing a '70s dance night, we never got each other's names, but we danced circa 1970 and I think it was one of the most freeing and fun nights of my life”.

In 2020, LOCK spoke with an artist they were really excited about. Even though she was – and is, I guess – a rising artist, that promise and potential was there. Showcasing the strength of Irish music, the amazing Lucy Gaffney let us into her world. I am a recent fan of hers, so it is interesting looking back at older interviews:

“You’ve recently released your In The Air EP, which includes an acoustic version of ‘Can’t Escape’, and a cover of DMA’s, The Stone Roses and Oasis.

How did you choose which songs to include and cover?

I just really liked playing those songs acoustic in my own style.

People seemed to love the videos I put up of them, so I thought it’d be kind of cool to record them in my studio properly during lockdown for something extra to have online before my second single drops.

How did it feel to have your cover of ‘Songbird’ shared and described as “celestial” by Liam Gallagher?

That was pretty cool haha. I remember a fan messaged me the morning after I released it saying ‘you know Liam’s been talking about your cover?!’ Best compliment ever.

How have you found the Liverpool music scene in comparison to your hometown of Belfast?

Liverpool’s ALL about the music for sure, living and breathing it.

You can’t turn a street corner without hearing a busker or a pub blasting tunes everyday of the week.

Belfast has a great music scene too but I feel like there isn’t as much of a young band culture throughout the city unless there’s a festival on or something.

There are some great nights and venues in Belfast but I think the scene needs to be embraced more.

Aside from music, how have you been keeping busy during lockdown?

I’ve been pretty busy with my music to be fair but apart from that I’ve done a a good bit of gardening and cooking – pretty proud of all the herbs and fruit I’ve grown.

Do you have any more releases planned for this year?

Yeah totally! I’ve got a single coming out in a few weeks and then there’s plenty more on the way after that.

I’m keeping it kind of hush hush at the minute but let’s just say the best has yet to come.

What are your goals for the future?

Touring non-stop if I can once gigs start properly again. I wanna play Glastonbury so bad!

What would you like listeners to take away from your music?

I just want my music to make people feel, music’s all about the buzz it gives you, so if people dig what I’m making I’m pretty proud of that”.

Let’s go forward to 2021. HotPress spoke with an artist that was described as "celestial" by Liam Gallagher. Tipped for success in 2021 (which was more than fulfilled!), Lucy Gaffney emerged as one of Northern Ireland’s most promising Indie-Pop names. Also in the interview, Gaffney reflected on her early days busking in Belfast; going solo; and drawing inspiration from the late great Sinéad O’Connor:

“I don’t even play covers that often, but that’s one Oasis song that I’ve always really loved – I think because it’s quite Beatles-y,” Lucy reflects. “I just stuck it up on Twitter, and within a couple of hours I had a fan messaging me, telling me that Liam had commented on it. I was like, ‘Wait, what?!’”

Although she was raised in Belfast, Lucy has been based in Liverpool in recent years – working in the city’s iconic Parr Street Studios with James Skelly on her first two singles. Skelly, who she first met while touring with his band The Coral, was a crucial force behind her evolution into a solo artist.

“I was coming out of a different band, where it was really veering towards me just being the lead singer,” she explains. “James Skelly was like, ‘These songs are really good. Have you recorded any of them?’ So me and the band went into the studio with him, and what we did felt more like a solo project. I decided that’s the way it should go, and James helped develop it – along with my brother. It just fell into place, and we went with it.”

“Irish music has always been really strong, but especially so at the minute – when you see how Fontaines D.C. have just taken over,” she continues. “I know I’m biased, but I feel like Irish acts have this really pure kind of talent. It goes back to Phil Lynott, and then U2. There’s always been very classic songwriting here – I suppose because there’s so much literature. You can’t get away from it. It’s in our blood.”

Placing her within this legacy of Irish talent, Lucy’s already been compared to the likes of Sinéad O’Connor.

“Sinéad O’Connor is amazing,” she enthuses. “Her track ‘Mandinka’ really inspired a lot of my new songs that haven’t come out yet. I first heard that when I was listening to Cillian Murphy’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, why have I never heard this track?’ She’s got a great energy to her, and a bit of spunk, which I like.”

You can expect some of those Sinéad-inspired tracks in the months ahead – as Lucy reveals that she hasn’t been resting on her laurels over lockdown.

“I’ve got quite a lot to come out this year,” she says. “I was fairly busy towards the end of last year – working with a producer in LA, and a producer in England. I’m also writing some stuff with Bill Ryder-Jones at the minute. I should be releasing my next single and an EP in March. So it’s been a pretty busy year, in a weird way!”

I think we will get even more interviews with Lucy Gaffney soon. Picked up by radio stations like BBC Radio 6 Music, her music is spreading far and wide. No longer just an Irish treasure, she belongs to the world! Even if she is very original and is unmistakably indebted to nobody, there are various albums and artists that she has been inspired by. This feature from September sees Gaffney naming albums important to her. I have included most of them. I am especially interested in her Beck selections! I am a big fan of his - and I especially love 2005’s Guero. The fact that she leads with a very early and obscure album of his really piqued my interested and showed she has this deep love and knowledge of albums that many do not know about:

“Beck – One Foot In The Grave

This album brought something new into my life when I first heard it. I played it on repeat until I new every word and guitar riff like second nature. Each song blissfully brings with it a mood of off the cuff nonsense that resonated to the nth degree.  It changed my songwriting and allowed me the ability to care less about what fits on an album and what actually flows. Beck’s albums mould into every crevice of my life in some way or another. This one in particular needs to be heard from start to finish over and over to fully appreciate it. It’s a beautiful two fingers up to his success on ’Loser’ just months prior and encapsulates everything I love about raw untouched songwriting and production. The album artwork and inside sleeve on the LP is perfect and I’ve spent many a lazy afternoon enjoying it with a cup of tea in hand; ‘Sleeping Bag’, ‘Hollow Log’ & ‘It’s All In Your Mind’ being my highlights on the record.

Air – Moon Safari

This album was the catalyst for my love of dreamy French space-pop. Beth Hirsch’s vocal on this record washes over you and takes you on a journey of nonchalant coolness. I first heard the track ‘All I Need’ on a trip to Santa Monica, driving around with my cousins in the LA sunshine. The vocal feels like a personification of that – warm sunshine, flowing like silk over your brainwaves. I was lucky enough to stand front row at Air’s gig back in 2010 and it’s still one of the best moments of my life.

Chet Baker – My Funny Valentine

This is the first vinyl I ever bought for myself in Head Records in Belfast. My love for Chet Baker from then on ran deep. I got a record player for my 18th birthday and sat on my bed most nights listening to this instead of doing homework. This album brought me into my romance era in my early 20s, it also got me through a 12 hour art exam which I’m forever thankful for. You can’t help but loose yourself throughout every track. Chet’s voice is intoxicating. ‘I Get Along Without You Very Well’ might be my favourite but I blow with the wind in regard to that so I can’t really say for sure.

Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue

I guess this record really speaks for itself. It was my proper introduction to jazz at 16. I initially found this album when my older brother’s friend Jimi (with incredible taste) kindly leant me his iPod for a few days. I listened to ‘Blue In Green’ over and over until my heart hurt and wrote copious amounts of poems listening it with teenage angst. Getting the chance to listen to it on vinyl in a quiet room is simply breathtaking and should be on everyones to do list. 

Nirvana – Unplugged

It goes without saying that this is one of the best live performances of all time and makes the hairs on your neck stand up. As a little kid we used to play the full record start to finish on long car journeys to the west of Ireland and I remember saying over and over “Can you play the one about the parrot” because I was obsessed with the intensity of the storytelling. Kurt becomes the character in each song oozing humanity and depth. It absorbs you. ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night?’ is a prime example of this.

Beck – Sea Change

The album closest to my heart on this planet potentially. I have lived and breathed every track on this ten fold. I listen to this when I need to remember myself and feel whole again. It’s got me through many phases in my life. It’s the one record that I don’t think I can ever fully listen to too much. It’ll break your heart and put it back together on every listen. The album artwork visually has been a massive influence over the years. ‘Lost Cause’, ‘End Of The Day’ and ‘Guess I’m Doing Fine’ might be my favourites, but it’s far too hard to narrow it down with this record.

Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire de Melody Nelson

Thee coolest album ever made I imagine. I’ll be honest I listen to this the second I wake up on a weekly basis anytime I need an artistic pick me and to start my day with a little joie de vivre. You can’t listen to this without automatically feeling a little bit more sultry and cool. My French friends say its a crying shame that I can’t understand the depth of the poetry in the words but nevertheless its a sublime piece of unwordly art that makes you want to pack a case and move to Paris instantly”.

If you have not heard of Lucy Gaffney, she is a fabulous and enormously talented artist that I cannot recommend highly enough. Somebody we will be hearing from many years from now, she has had a very busy 2023. I am not sure what her gig plans are for 2024. I know there will be a lot of demand for her to come see people around the world. With September’s Daydream in Tokyo E.P. gaining acclaim, I want to end with a Thoughts Words Action feature, where Gaffney discussed the amazing and mesmeric title track:

“Lucy Gaffney returns today with new single ‘Daydream In Tokyo’ and news of a new EP of the same name to arrive on 29th September via Nettwerk.

Lucy Gaffney is no newcomer to the power of patience and pure intention. The Belfast native began releasing solo material in 2020, with two well-received lo-fi offerings recorded by The Coral frontman James Skelly. Fast forward to 2023 and ‘Daydream In Tokyo’ luminously marks her arrival. The first single from her upcoming second EP, it’s a pure-cut indie-pop gem every bit as Technicolour as Gaffney’s journey along the way.

Written when she was living in Liverpool, the song is an escapist anthem with a trajectory that takes you on a journey. Across three minutes, it captures how a potent sense of place far beyond can – even in one’s mind’s eye – be an antidote to the mundane. But for Gaffney, dreaming of Tokyo isn’t a knee-jerk lunge in the throes of wanderlust. Musing on walking through neon-lit streets, and singing ‘Thirteen’ by Big Star in a backstreet karaoke bar, it bears the physical imprint of the Japanese capital as channelled in her favourite film, Lost In Translation.

“I’ve always adored and been fascinated by its cinematography,” says Gaffney. “There’s so much depth in the mystery and ambiguity of discovering a foreign place. I find it hard not to completely relate to every scene. I can’t write unless there’s something inspiring me visually, so I wanted it to capture the aesthetic of the movie and, in a similar way, translate a relatability in everyday thoughts and relationships between people.”

Nodding to Bowie’s ‘China Girl,’ and jangle-pop gems like ‘There She Goes’ by The La’s and The Pretenders’ ‘Brass In Pocket’ as influences for its classic style and structure – along with the subtle but powerful approach of contemporary artists like beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers and girl in red – the single is a feat of full-blown indie-pop finesse. It may not be the case for all of Gaffney’s songs but ‘Daydream In Tokyo’ is open-hearted and idealist to its core. It also doubles as an invitation to dig deeper and discover the full spectrum of her sound.

“There’s a side of me that really likes writing in a darker way,” says Gaffney. “but there’s also a side to me that absolutely loves pop music and that feeling of elation when you are having a moment where you’re really up for a dance, and really rocking out to a tune. I was so heavily into the Cure and the Smiths, where every song is catastrophizing your own life, so that’s definitely worked its way into some of my writing. At the same time, making it pop is so much fun. It’s always been the big track that has turned me onto bands and got me hooked. It’s the lesser-known tracks that I fall in love with. The sad stuff is what you’ll give time to once you’re hooked on the tracks that make you feel elated. ‘Daydream In Tokyo’ is a song I want people to hear, then they can dig deeper.”

To record ‘Daydream In Tokyo,’ Gaffney flew to the Isle Of Lewis in The Hebrides, Scotland to record a bunch of her new tracks at Black Bay Studios with her brother Thom Southern and London-based producer Duncan Mills. “We had a lot of fun working on this track in particular and I think we captured a lot of that energy from the studio in the final mix,” she says. “I usually tend to construct songs with three tracks, meshing melodies and hooks together. Like on this song, I can usually just hear it in my head. I love deconstructing a track and blending things together, almost like a DJ would.”

Alongside Duncan Mills and Thom Southern, Gaffney tapped into the simple yet powerful majesty of the moment when she holed up in the secluded Black Bay recording studio on the Isle of Lewis last year. For two weeks, the trio worked around the clock to realise her vision for widescreen indie-pop that makes space for big hooks every bit as sonic points of reference such as Pixies and Pavement.

“The studio looked out onto the Atlantic ocean and hills of heather,” says Gaffney. “It was that kind of wild beauty you can’t really capture on your phone camera but you know you don’t want to forget. We’d wake up in the morning and record until 3 or 4 am some nights, so we quickly became a well-oiled machine where everyone had a part to play. Sure enough, we were like zombies by the end of it but I was always obsessed with that Exile on Main Street documentary as a kid so I was there for it. It was the best experience I’ve ever had in a studio, we all felt totally detached from society out there, no shops, no people, just the odd sheep or fisherman passing by. It was the “back of beyond.”

“My life this last decade has been so weird,” she says. “I’ve had really random experiences travelling with my music, like going to play in South Korea and stuff, I never thought I’d do that. I don’t know if my life will ever be as crazy as the last ten years but I love that it’s brought me to the point where I can finally understand more about myself. I’ve always sort of known the genres of music I’ve wanted to make from day one and I’m at the point where I can properly ask myself, ‘What can you physically do yourself and where can you go sonically?’”

“For me, the answer is telling yourself you actually need to embrace curiosity and do it now because there’s no better time than the present. As David Bowie once said: ‘If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting. I think I’m finally ready to embrace that”.

It is clear that everyone needs to hear Lucy Gaffney! A real dream of an artist, I am excited to see how her career evolves and unfolds. One of the most impressive artists that I have heard in a very long time. I really love what she is doing right now. Gaffney is someone who loves Ireland and proudly talks about her home and heritage. In return, the country is very…

PROUD of her!

___________

Follow Lucy Gaffney

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lucygaffneymusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lucy__gaffney

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https://www.tiktok.com/@lucy_gaffney_music

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1dWfI2kDIBAxs8OxI5GUVQ?si=kozk2mf_SKeXB-_QrbhKeg

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FEATURE: Second Spin: David Gray – White Ladder

FEATURE:

 

Second Spin

David Gray – White Ladder

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AN album that provides…

a combination of comfort, reflection and some wonderfully crafted songwriting, David Gray’s White Ladder turns twenty-five on 27th November. I think that many know it for standout tracks like Babylon, Please Forgive Me and This Year’s Love. I think that it is much more worthy than its singles. You get a greater impression of Gray as a songwriter if you listen to the while album. The fourth studio album from the British artist arrived in a year when music was pushing away from Britpop. With more experimental and Electronic sounds coming to the forefront, it was actually a nice relief and balance getting an album like White Ladder! There were other albums like out around, though few were stronger. Travis released The Man Who the year after – I think it shares some DNA with White Ladder. David Gray’s 1998 commercial smash (it went to the top of the album chart in the U.K.) is one that is often named alongside the best of the 1990s. I am going to come to a couple of reviews for this superb album. It is one I don’t think is explored as much as it should be. I did not know the background and circumstances of White Ladder. During a period where other genres and artists were more in vogue, it would have been hard for David Gray to get a foot on the ladder so to speak. In 2020, when speaking with The Guardian about making White Ladder, he and producer Iestyn Polson discussed the setting and situation of White Ladder:

“David Gray, singer-songwriter

I was a struggling folky singer-songwriter during the 90s Britpop and dance boom. By the time I got to my third album, it was a Spinal Tap-style disaster. At one gig the sign outside read: “Barbecue ribs sold out, David Gray 9pm.”

I jettisoned my manager, label, everything, to work out what I wanted. I’d never captured our live energy in the studio, so I started recording in my bedroom in Stoke Newington, London, with some basic kit: computer, sampler, keyboard. Phil Hartnoll from Orbital gave me a small mixing desk and recommended the Roland Groovebox drum machine.

I’d been going to Orbital gigs since the early 90s and wanted to try on clubbier culture and make music that expressed living at that moment. I secreted myself away with the Groovebox during a dinner party and the chords and lyrics for Please Forgive Me fell out of the sky. The hairs on my neck stood on end. That song was the starting pistol.

Clune [drummer Craig McClune] and I had been gigging as a two-piece and had a joyous musical understanding. He brought rhythmic ideas and [producer] Iestyn Polson was perfect: he was street, naughty, a bit wild, but had this bat-like ear for detail and was super-creative. Iestyn created the drum’n’bass-like effect on Please Forgive Me.

Once we had four or five tracks, we were on a roll. The title track came in a day. Then Babylon landed. The imagery is what my life was like – a young person in London, going out all the time and getting a little bit lost. The album isn’t always autobiographical, but “let go your heart, let go your head” is me speaking to myself. I was in my late 20s, had lost my youthful momentum and was looking at myself. Financially, I was a mess. I’d got married and then my parents split up, which led me to probe everything deeper. I wanted every second of the album to be as good as it could be.

Everything happened fast. We self-funded with donations from my old boss Dave Boyd at Hut Records and another friend, pressed 5,000 copies and initially released it in Ireland, where I had some fans. From the moment we started playing the new music live, the albums sold like hot cakes off the merch stand. Eventually, East West Records licensed it. It took two and a half years to get to No 1, but I’m very proud that an album made in a bedroom is the [UK’s] 26th bestselling of all time. It’s proof that you don’t need much to make something that lasts.

Iestyn Polson, producer

I’d worked in studios but wasn’t known as a producer. Dave’s manager shared an office with the manager of my band. I met him outside a pub and later he said: “Dave’s having trouble working all this gear. Could you go over?” When I arrived, Clune was leaning out of the window.

We were limited by what we had, so I was chopping up beats and making samples, which I was into back then. I got Clune to play some drums in the bathroom – we were lucky with the neighbours. The problem was external sounds. They were constantly digging up the road outside the house and you can hear traffic on the record. On Babylon, there’s a car going right past the house. When I edited it out, the song didn’t sound as good, so I put it back in.

I’d turn up at 10am and we had to finish before Dave’s wife came home from work. The last half hour would be pretty frantic, then Dave would have to rush out to pick her up from the station. It was strict, but gave us time to reflect on the day’s work. Soft Cell’s Say Hello, Wave Goodbye was part of Dave’s live set so we cut that live with Simon Edwards from Fairground Attraction playing bass. I’d seen them on Top of the Pops, so when he came in I was completely starstruck.

There were no great commercial hopes for the album. We were doing fairly full shows in Ireland, then coming back to the UK and playing to 30 people. But then suddenly young girls started coming, then they brought their mums. At Glastonbury, someone [Burt Bacharach] cancelled, so we ended up playing twice, the second time on the Pyramid stage. The reaction was much bigger and you could hear people singing along. I thought: “Wow, this is it”.

You can look at the modern singer-songwriter market and artists such as Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi. No doubt inspired by White Ladder, that is a mixed blessing to some! I think nobody get closer to the appeal of David Gray. White Ladder is a much more complete, appealing and satisfying album than anything that has come since (sound/genre-wise). The Young Folks has their say in a 2021 retrospective:

“Ultimately, the best way to understand this album’s brilliance is to simply sit down and listen to the thing. You hear the tasteful backdrops he’s concocted alongside producers Iestyn Polson and Craig McClune—not complex, sure, but lush and meticulously woven, the ideal bedrock for Gray’s emotional musings. You experience his unmistakable delivery: a gruff, impassioned growl that recalls a young Bob Dylan, with a unique percussiveness not unlike Gray’s idol Van Morrison. (He even interpolates the latter’s “Madame George” and “Into the Mystic” on Ladder toward the end of an equally-epic cover of Soft Cell’s “Say Hello Wave Goodbye.”) And you quickly realize that there are no throwaway moments on White Ladder—when this fella sings something, he means it. Even all the whoas and yeahs and my-mys burst with a deeply-felt potency.

The word “cinematic” comes to mind here. Take opener “Please Forgive Me,” with its intense flood of piano and synthesized strings girded by a drum-machine loop like running footsteps. It easily could (and still does) pop up at a pivotal moment in many a sappy romcom.

Not a bad thing, of course, as there’s a certain subtle and affecting charm to how Gray captures the feeling of so achingly, desperately wanting someone that you come off a dumbstruck idiot in their presence. In his lovesick suffering, he paraphrases Jesus on the cross: “Please forgive me if I act a little strange/For I know not what I do/Feels like lightning running through my veins/Every time I look at you.” When he croons about “how good it feels/When you look at me that way,” you feel his exuberance as if she were flashing you that look. The real kicker, though, comes in the final verse as we learn just how nuts he is about her: “I got half a mind to scream out loud/I got half a mind to die/So I won’t ever have to lose you, girl/Won’t ever have to say goodbye.” Damn.

Ivor Novello Award-winning cut “Babylon” is the biggest hit off the disc, and for good reason. It remains a flawless pop song over 20 years on, buoyed by that playful guitar/piano hook that’s probably chiming in your brain as we speak. The track demonstrates Gray’s gift for pinpointing and illuminating life’s specific moments—in this case, a lonely, contemplative weekend in London. He walks us through it one color-coded day at a time: a dull Friday evening at home “turning over TV stations,” followed by a hedonistic night of partying and a hungover Sunday spent “kicking through the autumn leaves/Wondering where it is you might be going to.” All the while, he dearly misses the love of his life, kicking himself for not being able to overcome his fear and make his feelings known.

And then it happens: he’s heading back, he turns, and she’s right there! It’s the kind of thing that only happens in the movies, or the words of a song—it makes no sense and it makes all the sense in the world. Gray’s now-iconic refrain—“Let go your heart/Let go your head/And feel it now”—drives the message home: Surrender to the wild, brazen uncertainty of love. It can be as insane and extravagant as life in that titular biblical city, and it may not work out in the end, but how will you know unless you try?

In fact, if a batch of solid tunes isn’t enough for you and you simply must unite Ladder’s songs under the umbrella of a single “concept,” that might be the difficulties that come with launching (and staying in) a romance. These range from depression (“Seems these days I don’t feel anything/Unless it cuts me right down to the bone”) to substance abuse (“Can’t tell the bottle from the mountaintop/No, we’re not right”) to the aforementioned terror of giving oneself over to the pain and mayhem (“…it takes something more this time/Than sweet, sweet lies, oh, now/Before I open up my arms and fall/Losing all control/Every dream inside my soul”).

By the time Gray and his lover “Sail Away” on the wispy seas of Rufus Wainwright/Baz Luhrmann collaborator Marius de Vries’ magnificent co-production, it seems they’ve fully embraced the mantra of the frosty, kinetic title track: “There’s no rhyme or reason to love/This sweet, sweet love.” They’re Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard walking off together at the end of Modern Times, unsure of what lies ahead but content to at least have one another.

If Gray’s songwriting seems straightforward or commonplace, perhaps it’s because of the universality of the feelings he expresses. We’ve all been hurt by those we care for in some way. We’ve all allowed lonesomeness, doubt and insecurity numb us to the outside world. We’ve all feared the vulnerability that comes with opening ourselves up to another person. We’ve all found euphoria at the very thought of a crush or significant other. In short, we’ve all been in love. It takes a special kind of songwriter to chronicle the human condition so succinctly yet so poetically, and Gray is one of them”.

I am going to wrap up with parts of Pitchfork’s review for the 20th Anniversary release of White Ladder. The 2020 review (the same year the reissue came out) makes some interesting observations. Maybe quite divisive at the time, there is no denying the influence David Gray has had. How remarkable a success story White Ladder is:

“Adding 1998’s state-of-the-art electronic beats to his sturdy, occasionally sappy folk-pop gave White Ladder an air of novelty, even if it was hardly anomalous during a time when the coffee house and the club converged into a veritable subgenre: Think, for instance, of Everything But the Girl’s Walking Wounded, or Beth Orton collaborating with William Orbit. Though “Sail Away” featured production from Marius de Vries, a collaborator of Bjork and Madonna, White Ladder wasn’t intended as a reinvention. The newly aerodynamic production contrasted with Gray’s endearingly po-faced image, emphasizing what he already was: a self-described sincere guy with a guitar, and also a man slightly out of time, someone watching from the periphery as others less burdened by regret lived, laughed, and danced without care. Paul Hartnoll of Orbital weaponized the four-on-the-floor thump that brings “Please Forgive Me” to a climax into an unlikely Ibiza smash, while the single “Babylon” was given an industrial remake. But on White Ladder, these underlying elements of dance music sounded like they were being experienced from a safe and sad distance, a drum’n’bass track muffled by a midnight cab’s dull engine roar. The synthetic percussion of White Ladder betrays its origins as a home-recorded folktronica album—the hollowed-out trip-hop drums of “Nightblindness” bear the requisite influence of Radiohead’s “Climbing Up the Walls,” while the lightly carbonated shuffle of “Silver Lining” makes Gray sound like he’s suspended in a glass of OK Cola for six minutes.

“Please Forgive Me” was also included in the pilot of Scrubs, more indicative than its club cameos of the album’s future in meet-cute media. Half of its 10 songs were released as singles, so White Ladder clearly worked as a collection of episodes that could be experienced discretely and repeatedly. There’s no linguistic subtext to any song on White Ladder: Recall that Gray’s sincerity and plainspokenness are his main selling points, but the lack of specificity leaves space for emotional interpretation. “This Year’s Love” likely did soundtrack countless wedding dances and many drank alone to it. The pleas of “Sail Away” are either bravely passionate or absolutely desperate; “We’re Not Right” can either be a blithe acceptance of alcoholism’s grim fate or an agent for change. “Babylon” tells a story with a clear conflict and resolution that still leaves room for projection—to tell someone you love them or that you loved them or even that you wish you had told them these things. “If you want it, come and get it for crying out loud,” and whatever it was, you could get it: “Babylon” was a festival anthem disguised as a counterbalance to the monsters of Glastonbury.

The frontloading of its biggest, most unabashedly optimistic hits lends White Ladder a narrative thread: As I always imagined it, here was a skeptical romantic hitting the bars with a precarious hope of finding connection; slowly sulking into the corner while his friends laughed and flirted; bitterly going home to commiserate with his favorite records. It all ends with an unfathomably sad, nine-minute cover of Soft Cell’s “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” that interpolates Van Morrison’s “Madame George” and “Into the Mystic.”

While White Ladder was virtually inescapable in public spaces during the early 2000s, its influence has dissipated in the time since, though it is audible in the crystalline, cosmic folk of Amen Dunes’ 2018 album Freedom. Gray himself suggested that he had paved the way for folk-pop idols like Ed Sheeran and James Blunt. “When I started out, a man with a guitar baring his soul wasn't in vogue at all. Suddenly, it's everywhere!” Gray exclaimed in 2011, despite soul-bearing guitar men being the primary vessel for acclaimed rock music for the past 50 years.

Yet he’s not totally wrong. Man or woman, guitar or no guitar, the world will always be full of people who believe that they’re the only ones truly baring their soul, doing so in a way that brings them constant misunderstanding and disappointment at their jobs and relationships, an exception in a world where dishonesty and artifice are the rule and guys like David Gray get dropped from their label. And then an album like White Ladder comes along to sell millions of copies and offer the hope that living the exact same way can be the best revenge”.

An album that was widely played and ubiquitous in the late-1990s, I think that White Ladder is not as explored as much as it should be. Perhaps seen as a product of its time and not relevant today, the fact that a wave of artists influenced by David Gray have stolen attention might betray a debt to the original. An artist whose fourth studio album was a big success, at a time when Folk and Singer-Songwriter sounds were not that widespread, popular and seen as cool. Timeless and simple songwriting with messages that resonated meant that White Ladder became a massive success. It is an album that needs to be heard more widely. Released on 27th November, 1998, the supreme White Ladder became that year’s love. You can feel and see its influence spread far and wide…

TO this very day.

FEATURE: 402023: Yes’ Superb 90125 at Forty

FEATURE:

 

 

402023

Yes’ Superb 90125 at Forty

_________

ON 7th November, 1983…

Yes released the brilliant album 90125. Some sites say it was released on 11th November, though their official social media say it is 7th November. Perhaps best-known for its single, Owner of a Lonely Heart, there is not a weak moment on 90125. The eleventh studio album from the London band was a little rocky and controversial in terms of band line-ups ands changes. Jon Anderson, who left the group in 1980, was convinced to rejoin on vocals. With the legendary Trevor Horn producing, 90125 has a more Pop feel compared to previous Yes albums. Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire, Tony Kaye and Alan White released an album that took their music to new fans. Charting at five in the U.S. and sixteen in the U.K., it was a big success for Yes. I want to mix together some features and reviews concerning an album that turns forty on 7th November. Louder writing in 2016, provided background to the album. This was an incredibly unlikely comeback from a band who, in 1983, arguably released their finest album:

“In 1983 Yes stormed the charts with a new pop sound. Yet just months before, the band hadn’t even existed. This is the story of one of music’s least likely comebacks...

By 1981, Yes had disappeared. As the new decade dawned, the line-up that had given us Drama the previous year had cracked and splintered. Keyboard player Geoff Downes and guitarist Steve Howe became founding members of Asia and enjoyed huge success in their own right. Vocalist Trevor Horn was on an upward trajectory as a producer. And that left bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White trying to find a cohesive musical direction.

“Atlantic, to whom Yes were signed, were determined to keep Alan and I working together,” recalls Squire. “We had tried to form a new band, XYZ, in 1981 with Jimmy Page, but that had fizzled out. And then in 1982 Trevor Rabin’s name came up. Brian Lane, our former manager, had actually played me some of his tracks in 1979 and I thought it was the new Foreigner album. But three years later, we agreed to meet up with him.”

While Squire and White contemplated where life might lead in the post-Yes era, multi-instrumentalist Rabin had been facing an exciting, albeit uncertain, future. After releasing three well-received but commercially disappointing solo albums, he relocated to Los Angeles from the UK after signing to Geffen.

“I went through an intense writing phase out there, when I effectively came up with the songs which would appear on 90125,” he explains. “But Geffen weren’t impressed, so they dropped me.”

After getting some interest from other labels, Rabin eventually agreed a deal with Atlantic, and it was Phil Carson, one of the most powerful men at the company, who put him in touch with Squire and White.

“He felt that I needed a rhythm section,” Rabin says. “So, the three of us agreed to meet at a sushi bar in London. Chris was late, which I was to discover was usual for him, but we eventually went back to his place and jammed. I have to say, it wasn’t a very good session. But there was clearly a chemistry between us which was worth pursuing.”

Despite coming on to the scene rather late, Anderson still had some input into the writing process. “I changed some of the choruses and added lyrics to certain songs as well. I only had about three weeks in the studio to do my parts, but found it to be a very rewarding experience. I loved working with Trevor Horn as he was always so receptive to any ideas I had.”

But Squire has a different take on the relationship between the returning vocalist and the producer. “Oh, they butted heads quite a lot. At times, there was major friction.”

To add to the melodrama in the studio, Kaye had his own problems with Horn. “They didn’t get on at all,” says Rabin. “So, he left the band before we’d finished the album, and I had to finish the keyboard parts.”

Squire, though, has an alternative version on what happened. “Tony actually completed all his work. So, because he wasn’t on good terms with Trevor Horn, we suggested he should go home to Los Angeles. But he was never fired from Yes, nor did he quit. The only reason we had Eddie Jobson feature in the video for Owner Of A Lonely Heart was because he was around when we shot it. We never talked to Eddie, or anybody, about replacing Tony.”

“We did hold discussions with Eddie about coming into the band for touring,” disagrees Rabin. “And we also considered Duncan Mackay. But we got Tony back in the end because he knew all the parts and with Horn not involved in touring, there was no chance of any of those problems rearing up again.”

Rabin recalls the studio sessions as running well behind schedule. “We had a very laissez‑faire attitude. There were times when I was in the studio with just one of the engineers doing my parts because Trevor was away working on Malcolm McLaren’s Duck Rock album. It was typical of the inefficient beast called Yes.”

And there were even problems with Horn’s final mix, as Squire recalls: “Trevor Rabin wasn’t satisfied and did a couple of his own remixes. But the label were very happy with the original mix, and we didn’t want to compromise and have a few Rabin mixes alongside the rest from Horn. So we went for the amazing sound that Trevor Horn got for us.”

So where did the idea for the album title originate? There’s no consensus on this, with both Rabin and Anderson claiming to have come up with the idea. But Squire has his own view. “The suggestion came from Garry Mouat, who designed the sleeve. We couldn’t come up with any suitable title and he thought of using the catalogue number. Actually, it was supposed to be called 89464. That was to be the album catalogue number. But we were two months late delivering the album [in July 1983], so the release date and the catalogue number changed.”

The success in 1983 of 90125 gave Yes a fresh impetus for a new era of achievement, which is something that Squire acknowledges: “We reinvented Yes,” he says. “Because the album was so fresh, we picked up a new audience. Some 70s diehards might have been upset by what we did. However, it gave us an extra dimension.”

“I was delighted with the reaction the album got,” adds Rabin. “The fact that Owner Of A Lonely Heart was a big hit gave us a new profile for the MTV age. I was determined this wouldn’t be seen as a continuation of Yes as they were in the 70s, and we got it right. It was a new beginning for Yes, not just another chapter”.

I want to come to this 2015 feature from Ultimate Classic Rock. It seemed nearly impossible that a band who seemed to be on rocks in some ways made this big statement with 90125. A massive chart success, Yes toured for the album in 1984 and 1985. This included two headline shows at the inaugural Rock in Rio festival:

“It's often said that it's always darkest before the dawn. This has proven particularly true for Yes fans, who endured the band's ugly 1981 breakup only to watch the prog legends rise from the ashes with one of their most popular albums two years later.

The group's 11th LP, 90125, arrived on Nov. 7, 1983, the happy end result of a long series of twists and turns that included yet another flurry of lineup changes for the famously fluctuating outfit. In fact, while comings and goings had become customary for the band, 90125 didn't even start out as a Yes album. Following 1980's rather poorly received Drama album, the group more or less imploded, with bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White left at loose ends.

Knowing they still wanted to keep making music together but unsure of what form it should take, Squire and White dabbled for a bit with a couple of short-lived projects (including what would have been a mighty intriguing-sounding supergroup with Jimmy Page) before getting down to work with guitarist Trevor Rabin. Although he wasn't known to many Yes fans, Rabin had been hovering in the band's axis for some time – to the point that he nearly ended up joining Asia with former Yes members Geoff Downes and Steve Howe.

Aside from his considerable guitar skills and a sturdy singing voice, Rabin brought a stack of songs to the new band, which would eventually be named Cinema – a group whose ranks were quickly expanded to include former Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye. By the time Cinema entered the studio at the tail end of 1982, it had started to look less like a new enterprise and more like yet another iteration of Yes. Once former Yes singer Jon Anderson heard what the new group was up to in the spring of '83, it was obvious that the band would reform in earnest.

Although Rabin was initially reluctant to make the change from Cinema to Yes, and bristled at the notion that some would see him as a replacement member of the band, he was eventually won over by Anderson's enthusiasm. Looking back, it's easy to see why: Even though Yes had suffered from lack of direction in the years leading up to 90125, Rabin's influx of fresh ideas – coupled with Trevor Horn's clean, technologically driven production – brought the group a new sound that managed to be fresh while still bearing many hallmarks of the band's past.

Best of all, at least from a label perspective, was the eminently radio-ready focus of Rabin's songwriting. Where Anderson's lyrics tended to focus on more esoteric subjects, Rabin tended toward poppier fare. And although Yes would never truly be thought of as a Top 40 band, there was no way for radio programmers to resist hook-laden tracks like the album's lead-off single, "Owner of a Lonely Heart."

Boasting grinding guitar, clattering synths and a soaring vocal from Anderson, the track signaled the start of a new era for Yes – and a fairly lucrative one, too. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" eventually became the band's first and only chart-topper, helping send 90125 to the Top Five and paving the way for three more singles (one of which, "Leave It," broke the Top 40 the following year). It certainly wasn't Tales From Topographic Oceans, but it was identifiably Yes, and it expanded the band's audience to a degree that nobody could have predicted.

Unfortunately, as it so often tended to be with Yes, the harmony proved short-lived. In fact, Kaye left the lineup even before 90125 was finished, forcing Rabin to handle a substantial portion of the keyboard work. Although kaye returned in time for the tour, ongoing tensions with Horn added another layer of difficulty to the already-messy sessions for the follow-up album.

By the time Yes re-emerged from the studio, four years had gone by, and the result – 1987's Big Generator – was neither as cohesive nor as cutting-edge as its predecessor. By the end of 1988, Yes had split into different factions yet again ... and yet another reunion loomed on the horizon”.

There are two more features that I want to get to. Progarchy provided a retrospective on 90125 on its thirtieth anniversary in 2013. With a new guitarist, Trevor Rabin, in the fold, that caused some controversy and split among fans. Also, in terms of the music and style fans were used to, 90125 was a big departure. Even so, the album was a huge success and an unexpected triumph from a band some presumed all but finished:

“Yes, it was definitely Yes

 A cursory examination of the membership makes it hard to declare the band that created ‘90125’ anything other than Yes.  Four of the five members on the album were Yes veterans.  Three of them – Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, and Tony Kaye – were original members of Yes.  The fourth, Alan White, had originally joined Yes more than a decade prior, and was firmly established in the band.  Calling the band Cinema, as they were before Anderson’s return, would have been odd, to say the least.  In fact, I’m willing to bet most of the “it’s not Yes” crowd would have said “well, it’s really just Yes” had they tried to get away with calling the band Cinema.  Four established Yes veterans with Jon Anderson on vocals is, for all intents and purposes, Yes.  And thus an album created by such a band is, for all intents and purposes, a Yes album.  When Anderson reconnected with Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, and Bill Bruford in 1989, they may have called themselves Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe for legal reasons, but everybody knew is was really just another incarnation of Yes.  Otherwise, why call the shows on your tour ‘An Evening of Yes Music Plus’?

One person who was decidedly a fan of the new band – Rabin himself – was also against calling it Yes.  I have sympathy for Rabin’s position, given that he took the brunt of the criticism from the established Yes fans.  Still, there was nothing else you could call this band, with four veterans in the lineup including Anderson on vocals.  It simply would not have been credible to call it anything else but Yes.  With a different vocalist – or with the pre-Anderson lineup, the Cinema name would have worked.  Once Anderson came on board, Yes was the only name that would do.  The band that did ‘90125’ was not Cinema.  It was Yes.  Yes with a new guitarist? Sure.  A Yes wherein the newest member had the most impact on his first recorded output with the band?  Undoubtedly.  But still Yes.  There is simply no other credible band name for the lineup that recorded ‘90125’.

Musically?

Even with as radical a departure as this album was from its predecessors, it’s hard to think musically of ‘90125’ as anything other than a Yes album.  Certainly, it had a heaviness that was rarely heard on previous Yes albums.  The intro to ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ telegraphed early on that this was going to be a different kind of Yes music.  ‘Hold On’, ‘City of Love’, and ‘Changes’ produced more power chords than had been heard in any previous Yes album.  The music also had much more of a 80’s feel to it, and Tony Kaye’s description of it as sometimes being dimensionally sparse was fitting.

Still, there were more than a few common threads with previous Yes works.  And despite Anderson’s late entry into the project, there is no doubt that his creative impact on the final product was second only to Rabin’s.  No other song exemplifies this more than ‘It Can Happen’, in particular when the Cinema version is compared to the final Yes version.  The Cinema version of ‘It Can Happen’ appears, among other places, on disc 4 of the YesYears box set.  The lyrics on that version were those of a rather sappy love song.  Even keeping in mind that this is more or less a demo version, the music was relatively mundane.  In contrast, it is clear that Anderson had completely rewritten the lyrics by the time the final version was recorded. The rewritten lyrics have much more of the trademark cosmic mysticism that infuses so much of Anderson’s output.  Moreover, the music has much more in terms of ‘Yessy’ touches to it, beginning with the sitar intro.  If a Yes fan had entered a cave in 1979 and emerged in early 1984 to hear ‘It Can Happen’ on the radio, he or she might have concluded that Yes had never broken up or had gone through the turmoil of the intervening years.  The final version of ‘It Can Happen’ clearly sounds like a Yes song, and, 80’s production values notwithstanding.  It would not be out of place in the earlier Yes catalog.

Various vocal arrangements on the album also tie in nicely with Yes music past.  In ‘Hold On’, a multi-part harmony is sung on the verse that begins with “Talk the simple smile, such platonic eyes …”.  This bears a lot of similarity to the final chorus of “Does It Really Happen” (“time is the measure, before it’s begun …”) from ‘Drama’.  And of course, ‘Leave It’ is a vocal tour de force that begins with a huge five-part harmony that is unmistakably Yes (this was the second song I heard off of this album, and the one that told me “Yes is back!”).  In the previously mentioned ‘It Can Happen’, Anderson and Squire alternate on lead vocals, with Squire singing lead on those portions that serve as a transition from the verses to the chorus.  And finally, Anderson’s delivery on the album’s finale, ‘Hearts’, is not something that sounds unusual to the experienced Yes listener.

Other notable connections to previous Yes music includes the ebb and flow of ‘Hearts’, Squire’s bass work on ‘Our Song’ and ‘Cinema’, and the keyboard intro to ‘Changes.’  Had this lineup of musicians released these same songs under the guise of Cinema, I would have scratched my head and asked “why didn’t they just call themselves Yes?”, and I doubt I’m alone in that aspect”.

I will finish with a Classic Rock Review assessment from 2013. Forty years after its release, 90125 still sounds fantastic. Maybe some say it is dated, yet I don’t think that is the case. We still hear songs from it on the radio today. It is a magnificent album I hope a new generation have discovered. It is accessible and deserves to get a new audience and appreciation:

“The album’s original first side was filled with charting singles. “Hold On” reached #27 On the Mainstream Rock chart and starts as kind of an upbeat bluesy ballad with later added sonic textures including a choppy organ, a heavy guitar and plenty of vocal motifs. The tune was actually a combination of two songs by Rabin and the two distinct parts of the song are held together nicely by the simple but effective drumming by Alan White. “It Can Happen” may be a song either of hope or foreboding and uses a synthesized sitar sound for the main riff. The song, which gets a bit more intense towards the end, reached the Billboard Top Forty in 1984. “Changes” has a long xylophone-like intro playing a very syncopated riff, similar to Yes of yesterdays, until it breaks into a standard rock beat with bluesy overtones.

The lead single from 90125 and the band’s first and only #1 hit was “Owner of a Lonely Heart”. The song originated from a solo demo by Rabin in 1980 and was originally written as a ballad. Trevor Horn later developed this album version as a final addition for commercial purposes. The song contains excellent production which includes plenty of orchestral and odd instrumental samples above the crisp guitar riff, strong rhythm, and soaring vocals.

The second side begins with a track named after the original group name for this project. “Cinema” developed from a twenty minute-long track with the working title “Time”, but was paired back to a barely two minute final product. The song is driven by White’s intensive drumming and Squire’s fretless bass, which topical instrumentation that gives it a sound more like old Genesis than old Yes. In 1985 it won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental, the Yes’s only Grammy. A half decade before Bobby McFerrin made it popular, the a cappella vocals of “Leave It” drove the early choruses of this fine pop song with precision polyphonic vocal effects. Above this orchestra of vocals, Squire and Anderson alternate lead vocal duties on this popular radio hit which peaked at number 24 on the American pop chart.

The fun continues with the exciting intro of “Our Song”, which sounds like a cross between Rush and Dire Straits stylistically. It is the hardest rocking track on the album, led by Kaye’s intense organ riff. The song references a 1977 Yes concert in Toledo, Ohio, where the temperature inside the arena reportedly reached over 120 °F, resulting in the song being a big hit in that area (while a moderate hit everywhere else). “City of Love” starts with doomy bass and synth orchestral effects and is decorated by 1980s sounds while maintaining an entertaining rock core. The album’s closer “Hearts” works off a simple Eastern-sounding verse with vocal duet sections and a couple of inspired guitar leads by Rabin. After abandoning this initial riff, the seven-minute track morphs into many interesting sections, with Anderson firmly taking over vocally while building on the general feel of the song.

90125 reached #5 on the album charts and has sold over three million copies, by far the band’s most successful album commercially. This same incarnation of the band and production team returned with Big Generator in 1987, another successful album of contemporary and catchy with the edge that only Yes provides”.

On 7th November, we mark forty years of Yes’ 90125. Few bands release something so complete and unexpected when they get to album number eleven. Yes released their twenty-third studio album, Mirror to the Sky, earlier in the year. Even if the line-up is different again, the band still have plenty of life and brilliance in them! In my view, 1983’s 90125 is their…

FINEST work.

FEATURE: If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You): Billy Joel’s Piano Man at Fifty

FEATURE:

 

 

If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)

Billy Joel’s Piano Man at Fifty

_________

ONE of Billy Joel’s…

IN THIS PHOTO: Billy Joel in 1973/PHOTO CREDIT: Don Hunstein/CBS Records

most famous and well-known studio albums, Piano Man turns fifty on 9th November. The second album from the master, Piano Man arose from legal difficulties with Joel's former label, Family Productions, and ultimately became his first breakthrough album. Even though it is a minor classic, Piano Man peaked outside of the top twenty on the US Billboard 200. The title track is iconic. I will spotlight that soon. I want to bring in some features/interviews regarding this album. Piano Man was certified gold by the RIAA in 1975. I will start with a feature from Houston Press. They argued that it is the best song of all time. Quite a big claim - though it is a signature song from Billy Joel! In fact, he is nicknamed ‘ The Piano Man’. You cannot deny the quality and legacy of this remarkable song (that was released as a single on 2nd November, 1973):

“The subject of Billy Joel’s breakthrough hit and signature song, and the question of whether it is, in fact, the greatest song ever written, was broached recently by a friend on Facebook. Within minutes of his fun-spirited post (he later admitted he was drunk when he wrote it), he was bombarded with stinging rebukes like “Every track on The Stranger is better” and less diplomatic fare like, “Forever ignorant” and “You fart queen.”

Because I am a good friend with a reasonable command of words and a soft spot for underdogs, I chimed in support of this incredibly subjective notion. It was Friday morning and I was bored at work, so my few paragraphs for the affirmative helped kill an hour before lunchtime. As I finished going Lincoln to the negatives’ Douglas, a weird thing happened:  I’d convinced myself that Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” recorded 35 years ago this fall, is better than any Beatles song, the entirety of Motown’s musical output, whatever 50 million Elvis fans considered right and all the collected works of the classical masters. It is the greatest song ever written.

I realize this sounds absurd. “Piano Man” is not even my favorite Billy Joel song. Nor is it his. Joel appeared on Stephen Colbert’s late night show once and Colbert asked him for his top five Billy Joel songs. “Piano Man” was noticeably absent. (It should be noted that “favorite” and “greatest” are two different adjectives for two different things. Did da Vinci consider the "Mona Lisa" his favorite work? Did James Joyce believe Ulysses was his greatest masterpiece? Let’s book them on Colbert to find out).

I also admit I am laughably biased. I’m an avowed Billy Joel fan. I own every album on vinyl, cassette tape and CD. I know all of the lyrics, even to core-of-the-earth deep cuts like “The Great Suburban Showdown” and “Last of the Big Time Spenders.” I’m convinced Joel wrote “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” for me and three old friends. I have yellowed clippings from his past Houston shows in a closet upstairs. I’ve seen him live eight times since 1982, seven times with my wife by my side singing along. When he last came to Houston in November 2015, the editors at Houston Press indulged me in a week’s worth of articles about the man, his music and its impact on my own life. He is my favorite musical artist, besides my own kids, who are both musicians, as is his daughter, Alexa Ray. When Joel croaks, if he does ahead of me, I'll be inconsolable. Just leave me to my copy of Songs in the Attic. After a few spins of “I’ve Loved These Days” my broken heart will begin mending.

I know you probably disagree with me. Quoting Billy Joel himself, “You may be right; I may be crazy.” But I truly feel I can set aside my prejudicial leanings and make an objective case. “Piano Man” is the greatest song ever written”.

There are some features worth bringing in, as they give us different aspects to the Piano Man album. As it is fifty on 9th November, many of Billy Joel’s fans will be playing it through anew. It holds a special place in many people’s hearts Maybe not his most successful and loved albums, Piano Man is definitely among his best. The Vinyl District had their say in a feature from 2016:

“Me, I hear the alienation but not the condescension; on “Piano Man” Joel doesn’t seem to be looking down on the customers in that cocktail lounge so much as feeling empathy for them, and the same goes for the reefer-smoking kid who seeks refuge on his “special island” in “Captain Jack.” We all need something to get us through this world, Joel seems to be saying, and while that’s sad, it’s just the way things are.

Besides, Piano Man is hardly the album to sit around and contemplate your navel to. In fact it’s full of fast numbers, like the chug-a-lugging “Travelin’ Prayer,” which is powered by the banjo of Eric Weissberg and the violin of Billy Armstrong, and the bona fide funky “Ain’t No Crime,” on which Joel once again tells us that getting fucked up may be the only way to survive in this hellhole of a world of ours. And on the similarly funky and calypso-flavored “Worse Comes to Worst” Joel sings, “I’ll get along/I don’t know how,” which is a despairing sentiment if I’ve ever heard one, and really isn’t so far away from Samuel Beckett’s “I can’t go on. I’ll go on.” As for “Somewhere Along the Line” it sounds like an Elton John song, and on it Joel, sitting in a café in Paris sings, “But in the morning there’ll be hell to pay/Somewhere along the line.” There’s no free lunch on this LP, and that’s one of the things I like most about it.

The best tracks on Piano Man are “The Ballad of Billy the Kid,” “Captain Jack,” and the title cut. “The Ballad of Billy the Kid” is a romanticized recounting of the career of the legendary killer with an interesting twist at the end; after Billy the Kid’s hanging Joel tosses in a final ironic verse in which he cuts to the present day, and sings, “From the town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island/Rode a boy with a six-pack in his hand/And his daring life of crime/Made him a legend in his time/East and West of the Rio Grande.” In the boy’s mind, perhaps. As for “Captain Jack,” it boasts a lovely melody and tells the story of a po-faced young man from “a one-horse town” who goes to Greenwich Village in his “New England clothes” to score some weed. Because, sings Joel, “Captain Jack will get you by tonight/Just a little push and you’ll be smiling.” The chorus soars, the kid plays his albums and masturbates, and he can’t understand what went wrong and why his world is so dead. But in the end it doesn’t really matter. Because here comes Captain Jack to get him high tonight, and take him to his special island.

As for “Piano Man,” I don’t know what to say about it that hasn’t already been said. It’s a great story song, with Joel going from lost soul to lost soul in his cocktail lounge of the living dead; this one is in the Navy and “probably will be for life,” this other one is a “real estate novelist,” whatever the fuck that is, and next to Billy at his piano sits an old man “making love to his tonic and gin.” All of them are, in Joel’s words, “sharing a drink they call loneliness/But it’s better than drinking alone.” Like wounded animals they come to that bar, to lick their wounds and forget about their troubles, but it remains, for all that, a kind of Hell in miniature, despite the piano that “sounds like a carnival.” And finally the song’s narrator acknowledges that he’s no different from anyone else in that lounge, and wow. Played to death or not, great song.

It is interesting reading constructive interpretations of Piano Man. There are some classic moments for sure, although maybe one or two songs that have weaker elements. Brutally Honest Rock Album Reviews, true to their name, highlighted the highs and lows of Billy Joel’s second studio album. One that ranks alongside the best and most important of 1973:

“It’s been nice to listen to the album without dropouts all over the place where my dad recorded over swear words, I’m the kind of music lover who gets a little uptight when something interrupts the listening experience (surface noise on vinyl drives me right up the wall), so hearing the album again has been a whole new experience for me. Gotta say, though, that album cover still creeps me out. I don’t know what Billy was going for with that, but he landed on “scary looking drug addict”. Would you let your daughter date a guy who looked like that? Not me man. I think its one of the creepiest album covers ever that isn’t Blind Faith. I mean really, it’s kind of disturbing, it’s what you’d get if Charles Manson shaved his beard and tried to recreate the album cover of With the Beatles. No wonder the album wasn’t a hit.

One thing that strikes me about the album – other than the somewhat disturbing cover – is that considering this is Billy Joel, how many of the songs aren’t built around piano parts. “Piano Man” is, obviously, and “If I Only Had the Words” is, and the piano drives “The Ballad of Billy the Kid”, and several others. But album opener, “Travelin’ Prayer”, begins with just drums. Piano comes for a minute not long after, but is conspicuously absent from the rest of the song other than a fantastic piano solo. Around the second verse a banjo kicks in, and some hoe-down fiddle playin’ mosies along after a bit – buyers could hardly be blamed if they thought Billy was aiming for the “Hee Haw” crowd. Thing is, I like the song – it’s catchy, it’s got a great melody, and Joel sings with a lot of passion. But considering it was the world’s introduction to Billy Joel albums (the misfire that was Cold Spring Harbor hardly counts in that no one ever bought it, and Attila sure as hell doesn’t count), it’s a little weird. So Billy Joel introduces himself to the world of pop music at a hoe-down, probably not the opening number I would have gone with. “You’re My Home” is another song that isn’t really built around a piano part, and I really like that one. It’s much more standard pop than “Travelin’ Prayer”, with a calm vibe and a catchy melody. That line ”you’re my castle, you’re my cabin, and my instant Pleasuredome” icks me out a little bit, I’m not sure how most women would feel about being called a Pleasuredome, but hey, its better than on “Captain Jack” where he talks about being his own Pleasuredome. Anyway, I kind of see these non-piano songs as Billy’s attempt to make it clear he isn’t just another Elton John – yes, piano is his thing, but it’s like he wants to emphasize that there is more to the Billy Joel package than just that.

Although of course, he was always going to be known as a “Piano Man”, and if that isn’t the best song he ever wrote, it’s pretty damn close (Bible swear word, see?). Joel made some interesting choices on the arrangement for this one – he could have had a whole full-on orchestra plus the kitchen sink like he did on “The Ballad of Billy the Kid”, but this is mostly just piano, harmonica, and accordion backed by drums and bass. And I think it was a wise decision – put much more on the song and the piano would have been drowned out, and the piano really needs to be the star of the show on the song. I find the arrangement perfectly suited to the song – good call there Billy. Given the relatively sparse arrangement, he manages a rousing climax in the final verse, its actually remarkable how much mileage he is able to get out of just a few instruments and a powerful, passionate vocal. The song itself, of course, is wonderful, a true classic. Love the melody, the piano solo is fantastic, the story of lonely souls looking to escape the solitude of their existence for a couple of hours in a piano bar is skillfully told – all in all it’s a real triumph. It’s got those cool internal rhymes (“…talking to Davy who’s still in the Navy”, “…quick with a joke or to light up your smoke”). Oddly enough, people don’t realize it wasn’t a huge hit – it topped out at 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1973, hardly indicative of the stadium filling machine Billy Joel’s career would one day become, where not one of the tens of thousands of fans in attendance would go home happy without hearing “Piano Man”.

I consider “If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)” the other standout on the album – great piano part, beautiful melody, pretty good lyrics – Joel makes the excellent point that writing a great love song isn’t so easy “when the simple lines have all been taken/And the radio repeats them every day”. Great bridge on this one too – not every songwriter gets the way a bridge can take a song in an exciting new direction for a few seconds, but Joel did it with this one. Excellent ballad.

“Stop in Nevada” is pretty good too, although I’m a little wary of that “And though he never tried to make her/She often thought it would be nice” line, that’s a little iffy. Otherwise, this song cooks, and it’s another song with some great instrumentation along with Joel’s always exceptional playing. When I hear the orchestrations on this song and “The Ballad of Billy the Kid”, it makes me think Columbia must have believed in Billy Joel enough to put a little money into the record. Too bad they probably didn’t make that money back until The Stranger (and then Billy Joel suddenly turned into a very good investment indeed).

There’s a surprisingly low filler quotient, although there is some filler. For some reason “Ain’t No Crime” was one of the songs released as a single from the album, but I have no idea why, to my ears it’s filler. That piano lick that opens the song gets run into the ground, the chorus isn’t all that catchy, it just doesn’t have much going for it. “Worse Comes to Worst” isn’t a great song – everything about it is kind of awkward, the instruments, the melody, Joel’s weird faux-reggae singing. Nothing about the song works – except that cool bridge, the ”lightning and thunder” section, that’s actually pretty cool. And Billy’s piano solo in the middle, that’s pretty great. But the rest of the song falls pretty flat, it doesn’t really have any momentum, there’s no groove, its like the song is swimming upstream against a swift current – filler. But then no Billy Joel album that isn’t a greatest hits album is going to be completely filler free, and this album actually comes fairly close.

Personally I love Piano Man, it’s my favorite Billy Joel album except maybe An Innocent Man, and I like it way better than The Stranger, which for some odd reason became the best selling album of all time up to that point (all I can say is hey, it was 1977, a lot of things didn’t make a lot of sense that year). In a rational world, Piano Man would have outsold The Stranger several times over.   But we don’t live in a rational world, now, do we?”.

On 7th November, the wonderful Piano Man turns fifty. It is an album well worth getting on vinyl. I really like it! I wanted to mark its fiftieth anniversary, as it is seen by many as the true debut of a legendary artist. Billy Joel is still performing to this day. I wonder how he sees Piano Man. With its genius title track, it definitely made him more of a household name. He would follow up Piano Man with 1974’s underrated Streetlife Serenade. I guess his first critical and commercial peak was his fourth studio album, 1976’s Turnstiles. Still, Piano Man is a brilliant album that warrants salutes ahead of its fiftieth anniversary. Maybe it did not connect with all critics, yet I feel that Piano Man is a…

TERRIFIC release.

FEATURE: Nice to Meet You: Spotlighting the Incredible PinkPantheress and Her Forthcoming Debut Album, Heaven Knows

FEATURE:

 

 

Nice to Meet You

PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Hahn for Rolling Stone UK

Spotlighting the Incredible PinkPantheress and Her Forthcoming Debut Album, Heaven Knows

_________

BECAUSE the amazing PinkPantheress…

releases her debut album, Heaven Knows, on 10th November, I wanted to shine a light on the Somerset-born artist. One of our most remarkable talents, PinkPantheress is going to release one of the most important debut albums of the year. You can pre-order the album here. I want to get to a couple of interviews from PinkPantheress – one that was recently published and is in promotion of the upcoming release of Heaven Knows. For anyone who is not aware of PinkPantheress’s work, I am going to end with a playlist featuring some of her best tracks. Before then, Elle spoke with PinkPantheress about her song, Angel, being featured in the Barbie film earlier this year:

“You just released ”Angel” for the Barbie album. Can you tell me how you got involved with making the album for the film? Who approached you?

I think someone in the board meeting must have just brought up my name, and I think that they just were just like, “Yeah, let’s try and ask her.” And they did. I was actually gassed beyond belief, because, again, I do not think that anyone knows me. I’m always surprised. So, the fact that Greta Gerwig [does]...

I remember I was on a call with Mark Ronson [a producer on Barbie The Album] and he was naming my deep cut songs. I was like, “This is f-ing crazy.” So, I was really happy to be on it. And the song that I made...we just made a random little thing for it. It’s random, but I just felt like it was appropriate for the soundtrack. There’s an Irish jig moment in it.

I was going to say, the fiddle was a fun little moment.

Yeah, because the soundtrack reminded me of a 2000s Disney prom scene. I was just like, let’s try it and see what they think. I just wanted to have fun.

Did you get to see any of the movie to prepare?

I’ve seen a little bit. Everyone’s going to love it.

The sound of “Angel” is not what you’d expect from the Barbie film. Is that something that you intentionally wanted to do?

I get what you’re saying...I think it is actually so on par though! When I listen to that song, all I think about is the color pink. And when I think of pink, I think of Barbie. And then, the jig moment, I’m like, “No, I’m sorry. This is soundtrack music.” I don’t know. I was trying to make it so it was a song and soundtrack vibe. I wasn’t trying to have it be more of one or the other. But I like the other songs I’ve heard as well. I think they were good.

As for what else is coming next, what are you cooking up right now? Are you working on anything? An album?

Yeah, I’m trying to work on an album. I don’t know, I haven’t ever been much of a feature person until this year. I’ve been so into it. I’m just thinking, maybe a few features here and there. You never know. We’ll see what happens”.

f you are new to PinkPantheress and wondered about her path to Heaven Knows, then this Billboard interview from earlier in the year gives some background to a truly amazing artist. I do think that all eyes will be on PinkPantheress on 10th November. A definite late contender for album of the year:

“Nothing caught on — but when she took to TikTok in December 2020, seemingly overnight, she became an indie pop darling. “Pain” broke onto the U.K. Singles chart in August 2021 and peaked at No. 35. Later that year, she signed a deal with Parlophone and Elektra Records and released her first mixtape, To Hell With It. As booking offers came in for PinkPantheress — who had yet to perform live — her management at Upclose took things slowly, opting for smaller shows that allowed her to build an audience rather than going for festival stages.

“I remember my first few shows after my mixtape was out at the end of 2021 and [my management] were making me do rooms of like 100 people and 150 people,” she recalls. “The biggest room I did was probably 800. I remember thinking, ‘Why are these rooms so small?’ ”

“It has been superintentional,” says Jesse Gassongo-Alexander, PinkPantheress’ co-manager, when asked about helping her build a fan base after finding so much success online. “It was always a case of putting in the hard work and taking the slower route to build a foundation that is solid that’s going to allow her to stay here for a while.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Lia Clay Miller

Her story resembles that of another young female artist who managed to parlay massive online success into real-world results: rapper Ice Spice. On paper, PinkPantheress and Ice Spice may seem like photo negatives of each other — one’s a brash rapper from the Bronx who has no problem putting herself in the spotlight; the other’s an introverted singer who prefers the solitary pursuit of songwriting to industry glad-handing — but to PinkPantheress, they’re more alike than different. So much so that she offered Ice a spot on the remix to her hit song, “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2,” earlier this year.

“I feel like I don’t have that many peers that exist in a similar space to me,” she says. “I’m not talking about levels. I’m talking about internet space. I think a lot of people see me as being this, like, internet cutesy teen-pop girl. I feel like she was one of the newcomers whom I got drawn to because, even though she does drill and rap, it still feels like she’s in the same cutesy world to me. And she’s Black too, and that was a big important part of it to me. I prefer to collaborate with other Black artists.” 

The song became an instant hit, her biggest so far, debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 after going viral on TikTok. For many in the United States, “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” was the first time they had heard PinkPantheress. It got her her first BET Award nominations (best collaboration, BET Her Award), landed her an MTV Video Music Awards nod (best new artist) and ultimately peaked at No. 3.

Many believe she’s a lock for her first Grammy nomination thanks to the song — if she had to guess, probably for best pop duo/group performance. She’s taken aback and amused when told about the drama that has surrounded the Grammy Awards’ classification of certain albums by Black artists — even more so when she learns how disappointed Justin Bieber was when his album Changes got the nod for best pop vocal album instead of best R&B album.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lia Clay Miller

But even without a Grammy nomination, she can count this year as an unequivocal success. In addition to her biggest single yet, she appeared on Barbie: The Album — as good an “I’ve arrived” moment as any. But still, even as her career explodes, it’s surprising to hear that TikTok has taken a back seat.

“I didn’t leave it behind. I still post on it,” she says reassuringly. “I love using it to post my own videos, but I do not watch videos on there. Because like a year ago, I would scroll and I’d see too many TikToks about me. I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ ”

Makes sense. Her management team trusts her to make the best decisions for herself. “I think she has shown how globally intelligent she is by being one of the earlier trendsetters,” Gassongo-Alexander says. “Coming from TikTok and appealing to a wider audience and then knowing how to retain that wider audience.”

How does PinkPantheress plan to keep growing that audience? By keeping on keeping on, it seems. She’s uninterested in sacrificing her core audience at the altar of pop stardom. Thankfully, her music is naturally easy on pop fan ears. “What I’ve realized is that my natural way of writing is more pop-friendly than anything,” she says. “So even though the beats can be kind of alternative, I still write in a very standard structure. And I make sure all the lyrics are tangible. And because of that, I think that it has made the [music] that I’m doing very accessible to mainstream audiences. But my biggest fear is having people hear me do a [song] and recognize that I’m doing it for the wrong reasons”.

I will end with a new interview form Rolling Stone. Such a sensational artist whose music is original and imaginative. I do think that PinkPantheress is one of our most important young artists. Someone primed for world domination! Heaven Knows is shaping up to be a truly incredible album:

“Raised in the suburbs of Kent, PinkPantheress, 22, was drawn to London from an early age, and moved there as soon as she could, for university. When she was propelled to notoriety a few years back, she was still studying film — one of many young people robbed of the full student experience by the pandemic. But it was that forced confinement that gave her extra time to experiment with music. She recorded at home, mostly on GarageBand, challenging herself to consistently put snippets of songs out into the world. (PinkPantheress was her TikTok username.) “Day 2 of posting my song until someone notices it,” she wrote in the text accompanying an early TikTok. And then, at first gradually and then seemingly all at once, without uttering her birth name or initially showing her entire face, suddenly millions of people did notice.

In 2021, PinkPantheress released her debut mixtape, To Hell with It, 19 minutes of melodies, samples and reinterpretations of house, drum-and-bass and cybercore soundscapes about teenage tribulations: loneliness, family conflict, crashing your car, and failing your A-levels. From there, things kept taking off: she scored spots on blockbuster soundtracks — Wakanda Forever and Barbie — and collaborated with Willow Smith, Skrillex, Kaytranada, Troye Sivan, Destroy Lonely and Ice Spice, who joined her for ‘Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2’, a global hit and her biggest track to date, amassing more than a billion streams.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Hahn

Though her bite-size tracks (and concerts) have been known to speed past you with the headiness of a sugar rush, PinkPantheress is in it for the long haul, harnessing her TikTok-farmed momentum into a four-dimensional career. Her debut album, Heaven knows (due out on 10 November), is all about growth — both personally and artistically. In this new patchwork, you might find a riff on Oxlade’s Afrobeats hit ‘Ku Lo Sa’, hefty gothic organ chords, lengthy rock-guitar solos, strings, or the sound of thunderous rain. Collaborators include Greg Kurstin, Mura Masa and Cash Cobain, among others. “It was hard to let go of drum-and-bass, but …” she says a little wistfully, looking off into the distance for a second before snapping back. “It wasn’t, actually — it was so easy. I just realised I had to mature lyrically and do things like sampling in a different way. We’ve got more guitars in there, more live instruments.”

Even with some of her defining references disappearing in the rearview mirror, the PinkPantheress sound still has the same singular, addictive essence, I tell her. “Essence,” she agrees, emphasising the sibilance in the word a few more times. “That’s true. Every artist I love has an essence.… You just can’t mistake their songs [for anyone else], even if they use multiple genres. Someone like Lily [Allen], even aside from her singing voice, you always know it’s her because of the subject matter, or the tone, or the vibe of the instrumental. Some artists are really smart at being able to kind of pack their stuff up in a suitcase and then unload it onto a new track.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Hahn

PinkPantheress’s music carries a similar tension, with lyrics often teetering on the edge of darkness, but delivered with sweetness and playful production that seems to unburden you from the weight of those problems, or at least create a space where for a few minutes they don’t matter. If anything, spending more time in the land of palm trees and permanent summer may have added a sprinkle of bliss to the bleakness: “That’s the thing. Previous to this album, I’d never recorded anywhere else but London, so that’s new, and probably why the songs do sound different. But I can never lose the Britishness in me.”

Heaven knows started out as an ode to those beginnings, she tells me. “I actually wanted [this album] to sound like classic Brit pop, and then it ended up turning into something I actually don’t know how to categorise. Like, I have no idea. I guess it’s alt-pop,” she offers. Genre has always been a tricky subject when it comes to PinkPantheress. When she first emerged, many listeners took the opportunity to point out her influences — from jungle to drum-and-bass to garage especially. Her success became an overdue reason to spotlight the rich history of electronic music and club culture in the UK. She took on that mantle gracefully, citing her inspirations and samples across interviews, dissecting the significance of Y2K culture for her generation, and giving flowers where flowers were due.

Today, she stands firmer than ever in the place she created for herself, rooted in something far deeper than just nostalgia: “When people say, ‘Oh, she’s not original,’ or ‘She hasn’t done anything different,’ or ‘I’ve heard artists like her before,’ they can never name me a single one. Because even if you name people back in the 2000s, they didn’t really sound like me, and I don’t sound like them.” Of course, she has inspirations, but today they’re more eclectic than you might guess — Imogen Heap’s openhearted, whimsical storytelling, Grace Jones’s decades-long career, Lily Allen’s inimitable voice. “I think people forget that music is more than just the beat.… Unless you’re finding someone that uses this type of beat, and writes about the same thing that I do, and in the same melodic way that I do, then I am the first person you’ve heard make this kind of music”.

Following 2021’s mixtape, To Hell with It, we are going to get a much-anticipated debut studio album. We have heard three singles from it already. They sound amazing! Having taken her sound to new places after that 2021 mixtape, we are primed to receive a wonderful album from the mighty PinkPantheress. She really is…

AN artist to behold.

FEATURE: You See a Sight That Almost Stops Your Heart: The Music Video As Cinema: Is It Possible in the Modern Age?

FEATURE:

 

 

You See a Sight That Almost Stops Your Heart

PHOTO CREDIT: Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels

The Music Video As Cinema: Is It Possible in the Modern Age?

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I ask that particular question…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Douglas Kirkland/Glitterati Incorporated

as perhaps the greatest music video of all time premiered forty years ago on 21st November. Michael Jackson’s Thriller was given this cinematic treatment:

“On November 21, 1983, a nearly 14-minute music video for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” premiered in Los Angeles. Directed by John Landis (An American Warewolf in London, Three Amigos, Trading Places), the ghoulish visual paid homage to some of Hollywood’s biggest horror films, including a voiceover from the genre’s original icon, Vincent Price. Michael Jackson’s Thriller saw heavy rotation on MTV, helping to make its namesake album become the highest-selling LP in history”.

I think one reason why it is so revered is because of its length. Michael Jackson was no stranger to epic videos. During the Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991) eras, he would put out these long and conceptual videos where you almost got short films. I am going to come to a couple of features relating to Thriller. The title track from the 1982 classic album, few videos before had this sort of cinematic approach. Maybe because of costs and the fact that most music videos were a lot shorter, Thriller seems like a breakthrough. At a time when MTV was new and artists liker Michael Jackson were struggling to get played, Thriller helped to change that. I am going to come to other videos that are pretty epic and tell this longer story. I want to focus on whether, at a time when music videos are not as desired/popular and very few modern artists can afford to do that, whether we are losing something. I’ll move to a detailed article from Vanity Fair. They told the story of an iconic video. A behind-the-scenes look:

“Michael Jackson, a shy pixie in a red leather jacket and jeans, stands in shadow in the theater’s entryway, talking with actress Ola Ray and director John Landis. The camera crew is making final preparations for a crane shot that will pan down from the marquee as Jackson and Ray, playing a couple on a date, emerge from the theater. Judging from the saucy looks she is sending his way, Ray is clearly besotted by her leading man, who responds by casually throwing an arm around her shoulders.

I am on set covering the shoot for Life magazine. Landis says that he needs a “ticket girl” in the background and orders me to sit in the booth—a prime spot from which to watch the performances.

Just before calling “Action,” Landis fortifies his actors with boisterous encouragement.

“How are you going to be in this shot?” he shouts.

“Wonderful,” Jackson chirps, barely audibly.

Seconds later Jackson steps into his nimbus of light, and it is as if he flips on an internal switch: he smiles, he glows, he mesmerizes. Landis executes the long crane shot, then moves in for close-ups and dialogue. “It’s only a movie,” Jackson reassures his date. “You were scared, weren’t you?”

Landis calls for another take and coaxes: “Make it sexy this time.”

“How?” asks Jackson.

“You know, as if you want to fuck her.”

The star flinches and licks his lips uncomfortably, then gazes earnestly into Ray’s eyes. Landis gets the shot he wants and calls for the next setup, satisfied. He whispers to me, “I bet it will be sexy.”

The world certainly thought so, and apparently still does. The campy horror-fest with dancing zombies that is “Michael Jackson’s Thriller,” originally conceived as a 14-minute short film, is the most popular and influential music video of all time. In January of this year it was designated a national treasure by the Library of Congress, the first music video to be inducted into the National Film Registry.

Unlike forgotten favorites from MTV’s heyday (Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf,” anyone?), “Thriller” is thriving on YouTube, where one can view, along with the original, scores of “Thriller” dance tutorials and re-enactments by Bollywood actors and Bar Mitzvah celebrants. The dance has become an annual tribal ritual in major cities around the world, with initiates in ghoul makeup aping Michael’s moves en masse; the current record for largest dance of the undead is 12,937, held by Mexico City. A YouTube 41-million-hit sensation features more than 1,500 inmates in a Philippines prison yard executing the funky footwork as part of a rehab program designed to “turn dregs into human beings”; the prison, in the city of Cebu, has become a T-shirt-selling tourist attraction.

None of this was imaginable back at the Palace Theatre 27 years ago. Jackson then was a naïve, preternaturally gifted 25-year-old “who wanted to be turned into a monster, just for fun,” as Landis recently told me—and had the money to make it happen. “Thriller” marked the most incandescent moment in Jackson’s life, his apex creatively as well as commercially. He would spend the rest of his career trying to surpass it. “In the Off the Wall/Thriller era, Michael was in a constant state of becoming,” says Glen Brunman, then Jackson’s publicist at his record company Epic. “It was all about the music, until it also became about the sales and the awards, and something changed forever.”

It was the “Thriller” video that pushed Jackson over the top, consolidating his position as the King of Pop, a royal title he encouraged and Elizabeth Taylor helped popularize. “Thriller” was the seventh and last single and third video (after “Billie Jean” and “Beat It”) to be released from the album of the same name, which had already been on the charts for almost a year since its release, in November 1982. The video’s frenzied reception, whipped up by round-the-clock showings on MTV, would more than double album sales, driving Thriller into the record books as the No. 1 LP of all time, a distinction it maintains today. But, for anyone paying close attention during the making of the “Thriller” video—and Jackson’s collaborators were—the outlines of subsequent tragedies were already painfully visible.

But in June of 1983 the album, after four months as No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, was bumped from the top slot by the Flashdance soundtrack. It briefly regained the top position in July, then was toppled again, this time by Synchronicity, by the Police. The three remaining planned singles—“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” just released in May, “Human Nature,” scheduled for July, and “P.Y.T.” for September—were not expected to drive album sales as “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” had, nor were they suitable for videos.

Jackson was upset. Obsessive about tracking his sales figures, he compared them constantly with those of his competitors in the top echelon, including Prince and Madonna. “He enjoyed being on top,” says Larry Stessel, Epic’s West Coast marketing executive, who worked closely with the star. “He reveled in it. He didn’t like it when it ended.” With his own album making history, Jackson yearned to shatter records held by the Fab Four. “It was all about the Beatles,” says Stessel. “He knew in his heart of hearts that he would never be bigger than the Beatles, but he had such tremendous respect for them, and he certainly wanted to come as close as he could.”

In the summer of ’83, Yetnikoff and Stessel answered calls at all hours of the night from Jackson. “Walter, the record isn’t No. 1 anymore,” Yetnikoff remembers Jackson saying. “What are we going to do about it?” “We’re going to go to sleep and deal with it tomorrow,” Yetnikoff told him. It was DiLeo who first mentioned the idea of making a third video, and pressed Jackson to consider the album’s title track. “It’s simple—all you’ve got to do is dance, sing, and make it scary,” DiLeo recalls telling Jackson.

Jackson had known episodes of real-life terror. His father once put on a fright mask and crawled into Michael’s bedroom, screaming.

In some ways “Thriller,” written by Rod Temperton, is the album’s sore thumb, a semi-novelty song with sound effects of creaking doors and eerie footsteps and bwah-ha-ha narration by Vincent Price. Horror was a genre with which Jackson had an ambivalent relationship. As a child, he had known episodes of real-life terror. Michael’s biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli recounted that Joe Jackson had once put on a fright mask and crawled into Michael’s bedroom through a window at night, screaming; Joe Jackson said his purpose was to teach his son to keep the window closed when he slept. For years afterward Michael suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his room, and said that whenever he saw his father he felt nauseated.

Jackson had reason to be fascinated by scary disguises and things that go bump in the night, but he didn’t want them to seem too real. His tastes generally ran to benign Disney-esque fantasies where people were nice and children were safe. “I never was a horror fan,” he said. “I was too scared.” He would make sure that the tone of his “Thriller” film was creepy-comical, not genuinely terrifying.

In early August, John Landis, whose most successful films had been National Lampoon’s Animal House and Trading Places, picked up the phone and heard Jackson’s wee voice on the line. The star told Landis how much he had enjoyed the director’s horror spoof An American Werewolf in London. Would he be willing to direct Jackson in a music video with a spooky story line that had him transform into a werewolf? At the time, making music videos was not something feature directors did. But Landis was intrigued enough by Jackson’s entreaty to take a meeting.

On the afternoon of August 20, Landis and his producing partner, George Folsey Jr., drove through the gates of Hayvenhurst, the high-walled mock-Tudor estate in Encino where the family had moved when Jackson was 13, and where he still lived with his parents and sisters LaToya and Janet. In 1981, Jackson had purchased the house from his parents and rebuilt it, installing such diversions as an exotic-animal farm stocked with llamas, a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs diorama, and a 32-seat screening room with a popcorn machine. In the corner of his second-story bedroom suite stood his “friends,” five life-size, fully dressed female mannequins.

At the time, Jackson was a practicing Jehovah’s Witness who obeyed his religion’s mandate to spread the faith by knocking on doors in his neighborhood, wearing a crude disguise of mustache and glasses. He attended services at the local Kingdom Hall and abstained from drinking, swearing, sex before marriage, and, supposedly, R-rated movies. The gregarious Landis teased Jackson about having watched the R-rated An American Werewolf in London. “I said, ‘Michael, what about the sex?’ He said, ‘I closed my eyes.’”

Landis told Jackson that he would not direct “Thriller” as a music video, proposing instead that they collaborate on a short narrative film that could be released in theaters—reviving that endangered species, the short subject—before it went to video. Landis would write a story line, inspired by the song, about a cute young guy on a date who turns into a monster. The short would be shot on 35-mm. film with feature-film production values, including great locations and an impressive dance number. Landis would call in a favor from Rick Baker, the Oscar-winning makeup wizard who had created the title creature for An American Werewolf in London, and get him to design Jackson’s transformation makeup. Jackson was enthusiastic about Landis’s vision and immediately said, “Let’s do it.”

Although CBS/Epic had ponied up $250,000 for the “Billie Jean” video, Yetnikoff had refused to underwrite “Beat It,” so Jackson had paid $150,000 out of his own pocket. When Folsey and Landis worked up the budget for “Thriller,” they put it at an estimated $900,000. Landis and Jackson placed a call to “Uncle Walter,” as Jackson referred to him, to explain the “Thriller” concept and what it would cost. Landis says that Yetnikoff screamed so loudly that the director had to hold the phone away from his ear. “I’ve only heard three or four people swear like that in my life,” he says. When Landis hung up the phone, Jackson said calmly, “It’s O.K. I’ll pay for it.” Eventually Yetnikoff agreed that the record company would contribute $100,000 to pay for the video, but that left a long way to go and Jackson’s collaborators didn’t want the star to be on the hook”.

It is clear that Thriller changed music videos! It showed that they can be artform and cinematic. A new school and wave of music videos influenced by Thriller’s impact came about. Given Michael Jackson’s legacy and reputation now, there will be fewer celebrations of the Thriller video on its fortieth anniversary. That is a shame to something that remains truly astonishing. I am going to move on. Before that, The Guardian ran a feature in 2013 - marking thirty years since Thriller was first shown in public. Some hugely popular and innovative filmmakers were impacted by the video:

“Nevertheless, the Thriller video was set to be so expensive – $900,000, to pay for not just the filming and effects but 10 days of dance rehearsals – that Landis and Jackson had to find a way to fund it (Jackson had paid the $150,000 cost of the Beat It video himself). It was Landis's producer George Folsey Jr who came up with the idea of the making-of video, which could be sold to networks as bespoke content. MTV paid $250,000 and Showtime $300,000 for the rights to the documentary, Jackson would take care of upfront costs, and the video was able to go ahead, with the label coughing up $100,000. When the documentary was released on VHS, selling for $29.95, it attracted more than 100,000 advance orders in its own right.

Trudy Bellinger was studying art in Brighton when it first shown and it inspired her to start making music films herself. "It was really groundbreaking to have such a long video, and it helped to shape the future of music videos, which previously had been more performance-based," she says. "I recall everybody at college talking about it; about how it was like a mini-movie and how much it had cost. It really opened our eyes to music videos as a creative form of film-making, and a potential career." Six Girls Aloud videos later and Thriller is still part of Bellinger's life. Her 10-year-old son recently learned the routines at a holiday kids' club in Turkey, reminding her of the huge impact it had on kids in the 1980s.

One such kid was Spike Jonze, who was 14 in 1983. "I loved it," he says. "It had some magic that made it shine. When I started directing videos myself a few years later, it was like a touchpoint. I didn't have this thought intellectually at the time, but when I watch it now I realise that there's no reason for a lot of it; it's so free and loose. There's the car running out of gas and it's like a movie, then it just keeps going, as if they're saying: 'That'd be cool, let's do that.' Michael Jackson seems like this kid who loves music, horror films, special effects, makeup, zombies and wants all of those things in the video. It has that spirit to it that must have been contagious; it spoke to other kids."

Jonze took the freedom he sensed in Thriller – and also its eccentricity and humour – and ran with it, creating some of the 90s' most famous music videos, including the Beastie Boys' Sabotage and Praise You by Fatboy Slim, which also get continually spoofed. "When I made videos, whether it was with the Beastie Boys or Björk, we weren't chasing anything," he says. "It was never like some marketing thing. I just wanted to create something that would do justice to the song and I was excited about making, and I think Thriller was the same way."

Perhaps that's Thriller's ultimate legacy, and it's also why Jonze has become a key influence on film-makers creating videos for YouTube. As Psy's Gangnam Style proved, films shot relatively cheaply and quickly, and which don't require pluggers, or for the artist to necessarily have an existing profile, can have a global impact comparable to Thriller. The rules have been rewritten, unleashing a new surge of creativity.

"For nearly three decades, music-related projects had to conform to TV's rules," says Giorgio Testi, who makes artful, elegant films with bands like the Killers and Savages that are not related to a single's release, yet clock up hundreds of thousands of views online. "Then YouTube came along and that suddenly brought film-makers back to a more unconventional way of thinking, which I see as a totally positive thing."

In fact, says Dave Ma – another up-and-coming film-maker who's worked with Foals and Delphic – directors now have no choice but to be as unconventional as Landis 30 years ago, because their work needs to rise above all the junk online: "The emergence of YouTube has given us a plethora of mindless throw-away 'content'. Love it or hate it, labels are obsessed with it and it's here to stay. The flipside of all these interviews, sessions and phone footage is that it takes the heat off music videos, making the traditional performance video completely redundant."

"People are making great videos again," Jonze says. "Romain Gavras – he did M.I.A.'s Bad Girls and that's got to be one of the best videos ever. Ray Tintori, who did MGMT's Kids is really good, too. And Chris Milk – the [interactive] stuff he's doing, like The Wilderness Downtown with Arcade Fire and The Johnny Cash Project could never have been done in the 90s. He's taking things to a whole new place."

Jonze doubts Thriller has had a direct influence on the new school of music video directors, but he is nonetheless convinced it will survive – as a portrait of an artist on the mountaintop. "Above all, it's just this amazing documentation of Michael Jackson at his most electric," he says. "Even him bantering with the girl after they come out of the movie; you're seeing him at this incredible age and at this moment in his life. It's like he's disconnected from everything and everyone, and that's exciting”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift/PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Mazur

I guess, in today’s music scene, we do not have that many artists who can command the same sort of focus and spotlight as Michael Jackson did in 1983. Maybe the modern-day comparison when it comes to musical brilliance and these epic videos is Taylor Swift. Even though MTV does not play music videos much and there is not that same culture today, Swift has put out some short films of her songs. Again, few can afford to do this. I do think we miss something. Not only are videos less popular and viewed as they once were; they are definitely made to a budget. Few artists have the sort of money to rival the all-time greats. I know you can make a genius video with little money though making something like a short film takes money. I think that the most effective videos are less to do with being a background to the song and more to do with a narrative and distinct aesthetic. The music as a jumping off point to a more engrossing central focus. I will come to Taylor Swift as someone who is among those pushing boundaries and still keeping the epic, cinematic music video alive. In 2021, Hollywood Insider observed how there have been some wonderfully bold, clever and epic videos in the twenty-first century. Here are a few:

“Arcade Fire – “My Body is a Cage”

The pairing of a great film and great music does not happen too often. And matching two, completely different works of art from different ages of film and music is even more difficult to accomplish. Still, that’s exactly what happened when Sergio Leone’s mashup with Arcade Fire hit YouTube.

Chicago-based designer & music fan J Tyler Helms took it upon himself to edit a music video for the Arcade Fire song “My Body Is A Cage” using clips from the classic Sergio Leone film ‘Once Upon A Time in the West’. Not only does the edit amplify the church-organ-driven, somber tone of the song remarkably well and intensify its lyrics, but the slow-motion movements and extreme close-ups match the rhythm of the song so organically that you almost begin to doubt whether this really is an edit or an actual reenactment.

No wonder that when the video was brought to the attention of someone associated with the band, they contacted Tyler straight away and requested his permission to use his work on their official site.

Jay-Z – “The Story of O.J.”

The animated video obviously hints at America’s long history of racist cartoons from major studios. In the video, Jay reads the lyrics as an animated cartoon character Jaybo, whose name is a reference to both the racist ‘Little Black Sambo’ books and cartoons from the early 20th century and to the story of ‘Dumbo’, a Disney cartoon with its own set of racist caricatures.

DJ Shadow & Run The Jewels – “Nobody Speak”

This brilliantly executed video gives us the opportunity to satisfy our wildest fantasies of how debates behind the closed doors of political summits could go – instead of stone-faced diplomats making cunning statements and meticulously undermining each other’s interests, we see politicians spitting insults, dissing, and finally engaging in an all-out brawl with each other. What really amplifies the build-up of tension is that the actors nailed every character and their body language. The two leaders of the groups are played by Igor Tsyshkevych and Ian Bailey as the video was filmed at the Narodniy Dim Ukraine exhibition center in Kyiv, Ukraine.

“We wanted to make a positive, life-affirming video that captures politicians at their election-year best,” DJ Shadow said in a prepared statement. “We got this instead.” No wonder that the present political climate of discord and animus in and outside of the US had its influence on the video production, which has definitely rendered a not-so-subtle allegory on the disappointing state of diplomacy and the dysfunctional political leaders of recent years.

Jamie XX – “Gosh”

This 2016 Romain Gavras video strikes the last chord in our list because there is simply nothing else quite like it. Firstly, the location: In the early 2000s, China began to build imitations of Western cities and ended up constructing replicas of English, Swiss, and American towns in China – and if you go to Tianducheng, you’ll find yourself in Paris. Its central feature is a 300-foot-tall replica of the Eiffel Tower and 12 square miles of Parisian-style architecture, fountains, and landscaping.

However, the city didn’t live up to expectations and was somewhat close to being a ghost town for some time. And that’s where the main character – an albino young man (Hassan Kone) – wakes up from virtual reality and leads an army of yellow-haired devoted younger followers, who finally form a synchronized, marching circle that revolves around him as a worshipping, ego-boosting baptism wheel.

The video is loaded with allegories and metaphors that can be interpreted a few hundred ways, but to me personally, one ritual clearly depicted there is coming of age. It’s obvious that the main character’s time has come, and he is about to make the transition to a new state; the younger kids circling around him are perfectly aware of this and, under the watchful eye of his elders, they respectfully give him their last goodbye though this awe-inducing choreography of camaraderie”.

Taylor Swift is someone whose videos are primed for feature-length treatment. Her videos are praised for their cinematic quality and great concepts. I think she is going to lead other artists to combine film and cinema in a more expansive and ambitious way. I don’t think that it is wealthier mainstream artists this luxury is reserved for. A stunning and long music video can create its own legacy. It can go down in history. Not that artists need to do it all of the time…yet there are very few in the modern day. I am thinking about the fact that, on 21st November, 1983, Michael Jackson’s Thriller premiered and created this huge reaction. I don’t think we have seen many music videos since then that have almost been their own film. It had this whole language and story that distinguishes it from more conventional, short-form videos. As someone who loves music videos and how there is this direct link with cinema, Thriller is in my mind. Despite its stars blackened name and problematic status, it takes nothing away from a video often seen as the best ever made. There are still artists pushing limits and taken music videos to new places. Will we get anything like Thriller again?! This historic short film that tells this story and has a distinct arc. I think there are even greater possibilities to make something even more striking and memorable than Thriller. I suppose it comes down to the status of the artist, the budget they can pull, plus people’s willingness to share and discuss it. A major station like MTV does not have the same influence today. Maybe videos that are Thriller-esque fear being lost - or they will only be shared on social media. I live in hope that we will see more artists – such as Taylor Swift – who experiment with videos and create something longer. Might we see a modern-day Thriller? Perhaps so. That would truly…

BE thrilling to see.

FEATURE: catch me or I go... Dua Lipa, and the Allure, Complexity and Mystery of the Social Media Teaser Campaign

FEATURE:

 

 

catch me or I go...

Dua Lipa, and the Allure, Complexity and Mystery of the Social Media Teaser Campaign

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IT is not a new thing…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Magnus Mueller/Pexels

but there does seem to be this allure and fascination when it comes to the social media tease. On Friday (27th October), Dua Lipa posted a photo to her social media that suggested a new song. With the caption saying, ‘catch me or I go…’, that may be an album or song. There is that sensuous and rather mysterious photo of her with a key between her teeth. I am going to go into more depth about social media tease campaigns and how effective they are. First, NME reacted to Dua Lipa’s cryptic posts:

“Dua Lipa has hinted at the imminent release of new music with teaser post shared to social media today (October 27).

Earlier this month, fans predicted that a new era could be on the way from the ‘One Kiss’ singer after she wiped her Instagram profile and uploaded a new profile picture.

Now, the artist has suggested that a new single could be arriving very soon, sharing a close-up picture of a small key between her teeth with the caption “catch me or I go…”.

The singer’s anticipated follow-up to 2020’s ‘Future Nostalgia’ has been teased for a few years. In March last year, she told Elton John that the album was “50 per cent done”, before walking the statement back in December. “When I was speaking to Elton I really felt like I was halfway done,” she said.

In an interview with New York Times Magazine in August of this year, it was then revealed that the album will be released in 2024.

The same profile also appeared to suggest that Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker has worked on the album. When discussing the collaboration, the writer of the piece said it’s “a rumour [Lipa] all but confirms by denying.”

As for what fans can expect, artist said last year that her third album has “taken a complete turn”, adding: “The album is different – it’s still pop but it’s different sonically, and there’s more of a lyrical theme. If I told you the title, everything would make sense – but I think we’ll just have to wait.”

The singer’s Barbie collaborator Mark Ronson also revealed that he’s heard some of Lipa‘s new album, describing it as “incredible”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé in a promotional image for Renaissance (2022)/PHOTO CREDIT: Carlijn Jacobs

Some artists black out their social media before an album or single is release. Before the Internet and social media, you had T.V. and radio adverts but not too much. Some print media promotion. There wasn’t this multimedia format and access where you could build up this huge intrigue. I think that the modern promotional cycle is interest. I think every artist wants to maximise impact and use social media to the maximum. There are guides that gives steps as to how to get your music out there and keep the pressure on. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube mean artists can engage across multiple forums and spaces in different ways. I feel digital and visual promotion is much more effective than anything written or even spoken. Having a photo or tease like Dua Lipa gets people talking. Maybe a silent short clip on TikTok or YouTube adds to that mystery and hype! There is that pre-release stage where artists are finding new ways to grab fans’ attention. Once a song or album comes out, artists and teams are still ensuring that there is engagement and discussion. Music promotion is a business and market as much as anything. With a particular cycle in place, it is as very complex and competitive routine. I can emphasise with independent artists especially. They have fewer number and followers compared to mainstream artists. I will come back to Dua Lipa. I think that the latest images might be part of a wider marketing campaign. These initial and fascinating seeds are part of a much larger cycle and thought process. I want to highlight incidents where artists and their teams and have utilised a marketing campaign to full effect. Going outside of social media when it comes to branding and promotion, ICMP highlighted ten astonishing and memorable music marketing campaigns:

“Beyonce | ‘Renaissance’

Beyonce is perhaps the biggest megastar in contemporary music. As befits her status as the 'Queen of Pop', her marketing tactics continually raise the bar for how artists interact with audiences and grow their following.

In 2013, she changed the game with her self-titled fifth record. Many artists have followed her lead and releasing a surprise album is now a common tactic.

Then in 2016, she released 'Lemonade' on Tidal for the music and HBO for a visual album, something few stars of her stature had tried before.

‘Renaissance’, released earlier in 2022, has again set the path for others to follow. The story is multi-faceted as indeed Beyonce is an artist.

From working with a plethora of brilliant, cutting edge producers (A.G. Cook and Honey Dijon - we’re looking at you) to the tracks themselves and the musical splash it caused (she’s 'saving' house music, according to the media narrative), this release positions Beyonce as a cultural centre around which everything else orbits.

The album cover is as out there as some of the music - and suggests that now Beyonce can do whatever she wants. Rather than taking over the pop universe, she is now a universe in herself that we are all in awe of...

IN THIS PHOTO: Stormzy/PHOTO CREDIT: Adidas

Stormzy | 'This is What I Mean' and Adidas

As an artist and creative, Stormzy, like Beyonce, is writing his own rulebook with his music marketing strategy. While his musical roots are in the abrasive rhymes and beats of UK grime, he’s launched his own Merky Books publishing house and launched a scholarship at Cambridge University.

Like Beyonce, he turns his hand to any method and all platforms are all up for grabs to fuel a powerful marketing strategy.

His new record, ‘This is What I Mean’, has seen Stormzy using heavyweight promotional tactics somewhat removed from his early career. Its release has been propelled by a high-profile BBC interview with Louis Theroux, and an online video where Stormzy plays the record to the inspirational and inspired producer, Rick Rubin.

Alongside the record, Stormzy has long-been associated with Adidas and features in the brand's ‘Impossible Is Nothing’ recent World Cup 2022 campaign.

The ‘Family Reunion’ film follows Stormzy as he unites with a number of football heroes including Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham and more.

Radiohead | 'Kid A'

As we all know, the online world dominates all aspects of our lives.

However, back when Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’ was being teased at the end of the nineties, the internet and streaming services did not exist in the way they do now.

Getting music heard was very much about the physical format and marketing strategy rather than anything digital.

Radiohead, who feature ICMP alumnus Ed O'Brien on guitar, have always been known as future-facing and their decision to market the album entirely online made it the first album to be promoted like this.

Not only did they overhaul how albums were marketed, Radiohead also changed the way albums were bought with their 2007 album 'In Rainbows'.

This was self-released and fans had the option to purchase online and pay whatever they wanted - even nothing.

The record went on to sell three million copies across all formats...

Lewis Capaldi

Scottish singer songwriter Lewis Capaldi is one of our biggest stars - not only for his music but also the way his marketing emphasises his self-deprecating sense of humour.

To promote his new music, ‘Forget Me’, released in September 2022, the acclaimed singer songwriter posed in his underwear for a series of massive billboard ads in cities around the world.

Lyrics to Lewis’ new track appeared alongside the image: ‘I’m not ready to find out you know how to forget me,’ along with his name.’

Announcing the unique promotional ads, he wrote on Twitter, said: "Took my clothes off and traumatised the general public all in the name of shameless self promotion.

By including the not-so-glamorous moments, his social media platforms and accompanying music video both show how he's just as normal as you or me”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

I think that there is so much to consider when it comes to social media! The more platforms there are, the more artists and labels need to consider ways to attack that. Coming up with a plan that maybe starts with photos and teasers. Then it goes to various different online filters, gimmicks and teaser videos. The singles get promoted with lyrical videos and tease videos. I think it is the idea of engaging fans and sending out unique and tailored messages is what caught my eye about Dua Lipa’s new announcement and photos. This article salutes some iconic music marketing campaigns through the years:

“1. Ariana Grande’s Sweeten

When reality meets music social media campaigns, it just couldn’t be sweeter. At least that’s what Ariana Grande proved with the release of her album, Sweetener, in 2018.

The popstar’s music marketing campaign team gave “Arianators” quite the adventure. In partnership with Landmrk, a location-based VR platform, fans were sent on a treasure hunt across the UK to find “Sweet Spots.” At each of these spots, billboards containing codes that needed to be deciphered were found. These had to be entered on the official website to win prizes like official merchandise, Sweetener albums, and even tour tickets. And for the fans who couldn’t go to the billboards in person, virtual billboards were created too.

Ariana proves that you can never go wrong with interactive campaigns and treasure hunts for new music releases.

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2. BTS’s “Dynamite”

BTS’s song, “Dynamite” (2020), holds the YouTube record for having the most views ever (over 100 million!) within 24 hours. The song is, without a doubt, a total bop with a colourful burst of energy.

One aspect that contributed to its record-breaking stature is its genius music marketing campaign. One month prior to the release of the song, a new BTS website containing nothing but seven countdowns was launched. Whoever thought of relating the song “Dynamite” to a ticking timer deserves a standing ovation, honestly.

Each timer was counting down to 12 midnight (KST) but corresponded to different dates spanning one month. The mystery surrounding these countdowns made millions of people stay up at night to see what each timer would reveal.

For each countdown completed, BTS released various content on almost every social media platform. This included pre-order links for vinyl and cassette versions of “Dynamite,” their promo schedule (including surprise TV show performances), and a music video teaser on YouTube, to name a few.

The art of mystery works. Humans are a naturally curious species, and when you put enigmatic timers on a blank website and social media, the anticipation within just thrives.

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A post shared by Columbia Records (@columbiarecords)

3. Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits”

Ed Sheeran’s new music releases always leave “Sheerios” wanting more. And when he went flying around as a glamorous vampire in his music video for “Bad Habits” (2021), everyone already knew it was a look worth copying.

The singer-songwriter’s music marketing campaign team saw this coming for sure, and released a “Bad Habits” Snapchat filter that allowed fans to rock their own set of digital fangs.

After all, who could resist trying out filters? It’s a habit this generation won’t be breaking any time soon.

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4. The Weeknd’s After Hours

The Weeknd’s music marketing campaign for the release of After Hours (2020) was pretty much a blast from the future.

The album was hyped by Spotify using some incredible artificial intelligence (AI) technology. To provide fans with a personalized way of experiencing the singer’s brand new album, a site featuring a one-on-one chat with The Weeknd’s AI self was launched.

When Spotify users landed on AloneWithMe.ai, they were instantly greeted by the singer who would address each person by name. Next, this alter ego would mention the statistics on how often the specific fan has streamed his music on Spotify through the years. Then, the intimate listening party of After Hours began.

Are you thinking what we’re thinking? The future of music social media campaigns has officially arrived.

5. Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever

If there’s one thing that defined Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever era, it was golden fabric.

To honour the release of the singer-songwriter’s brand new album, Instagram and Facebook gave fans the option to switch to a Billie Eilish chat theme with a gold fabric background. Who doesn’t love music social media campaigns that come with some shimmer?

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A post shared by ALANNA DURKOVICH (@xandervintage)

6. Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty

One of the sparkliest music social media campaigns on our list is Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty.

To amplify the conversation on the country star’s new album, her team tapped four popular Instagram influencers to share makeup looks inspired by the album title. These social media personalities then encouraged their followers to create their own Cry Pretty-inspired looks, which automatically entered them into a contest to win a signed album.

It turns out, you actually can look pretty when you cry — and even gain some cool prizes for it in the process.

7. Taylor Swift’s Reputation

There’s no denying that Taylor Swift is one of the queens of teaser tactics.

Her music social media campaign for the release of Reputation in 2017 began with the “great wipeout” of her entire Instagram feed. This was followed by various cryptic (and unsettling) images of snakes — considering Taylor Swift is well-known for her colourful and “America’s Sweetheart” image, fans knew this was marking the countdown to a brand new era.

You guessed it right: “Swifties” everywhere quite literally lost it on every social media platform. And just like that, it went down in history as one of the campaigns that changed the way the music industry promotes new music releases”.

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A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

Something that should be part of a larger book or documentary, the modern-day music promotional cycle and social media teaser. We may learn as early as next week what these images of Dua Lipa leads to. Maybe it is an album. Perhaps her next single. Artists who are new might not know about a teaser campaign and how to start one. There are articles that gives you some insight and explanation. You get some more ideas here. In such a hectic, competitive and fast-paced social media world, artists large and new need to target and impact their audience as effectively as possible. It is so difficult to make an impression when so many other artists are in the same situation. I love the fever and speculation you get when someone like Dua Lipa posts a photo. Taylor Swift might put out a short video. I know these are huge artists - though even newcomers and rising artists can really do something memorable. It is an interesting phenomenon the social media teaser campaign. How far you go and how many stages you implement. It can be overkill at times. All eyes are on Dua Lipa’s social media sites. We will hold our breaths to see…

WHAT comes next.

FEATURE: Now, Then and Everywhere… The Final Beatles Song, and the Mix-Filled ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ Hits Collections

FEATURE:

 

 

Now, Then and Everywhere…

PHOTO CREDIT: Apple Corps Ltd.

The Final Beatles Song, and the Mix-Filled ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ Hits Collections

_________

THERE is a real treat…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Apple Corps Ltd.

in store for fans of The Beatles. Two in fact! So close to Christmas, news broke that the iconic ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ albums that compiles the best of the band from their start to end, is to be reissued fifty years after the original editions. With new mixes and extra tracks, I wonder how new fans of The Beatles will react. Those of us who grew up with these compilations and this was almost a first point of call had a distinct impression and arc regarding The Beatles and their music. With the extra tracks, young listeners will have a different view and narrative. Out on 10th November, here is the pre-order link. With various different format options alongside merchandise, it is a chance to explore a new version of the career-spanning collection from The Beatles. Before then, tomorrow (2nd November) as it happens, the ‘final’ song from the band, Now and Then, is released. With assistance from AI and support from Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, it is this finalisation of a John Lennon song. The fact that we get this a week before The Beatles’ ‘1962-1966’ (The Red Album) and ‘1967-1970’ (The Blue Album) collections with expanded tracklists is a real bonus! Here are some details from Variety:

“Although the material, apart from “Now and Then,” is all familiar, these aren’t just fresh playlists. All of the songs on these two collections that had not been previously remixed by Giles Martin for previous deluxe editions have gotten the full treatment now — adding up to a total of 36 brand-new remixes across audio formats: 30 on “1962-66” and six on “1967-70.” (Additionally, a Dolby Atmos release has its own new, immersive mixes of those same 36 tracks, plus another seven remixed for songs Martin had previously updated only in stereo.)

Collectors who say “I wanna hold my physical single” will be happy to know that “Now and Then” is getting a stand-alone release on vinyl, and even cassette, apart from its place as an addition to the reconfigured “1967-70” album. The newly completed track will come out on vinyl in four different 7-inch or 12-inch variants. It’s being described as a “double A-side single,” with the new stereo remix of the Fabs’ first single, “Love Me Do,” on the flip side. (Note, however, that some variants of the single and two hits collections will only be available via the Beatles’ own webstore.)

A 12-minute documentary about the making of “Now and Then” will premiere on Nov. 1. Written and directed by Oliver Murray, the mini-doc includes footage of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, the late George Harrison, Sean Ono Lennon and Peter Jackson (whose technology was put to use in the track’s unique creation). A 34-second teaser for the mini-doc went up on YouTube today. Watch that trailer here:

Beatles fans have been curious about the credits for the “Now and Then” song, and those were released in full Thursday. As was previously known, the tune has its origins in a John Lennon solo demo from the ’70s that Yoko Ono made available when the surviving members decided to add fresh tracks to the “Anthology” collections in the mid-’90s. While Paul, George and Ringo finished “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” with producer Jeff Lynne at the time, they set aside “Now and Then,” in part because Lennon’s rough home-cassette vocal lacked the fidelity to easily mesh with what the other members were attempting to graft on two decades later.

IMAGE CREDIT: Apple Corps Ltd.

It was McCartney’s idea last year to re-approach “Now and Then” and pull a usable version of Lennon’s vocal using the same technology that’d been used to separate music or conversation from background noise for Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” documentary film. The new single has a telling credit for the New Zealand company WingNut Films Productions Ltd. for “source separation”; the press announcement notes that Jackson’s sound team was led by Emile de la Rey, who was charged with taking Lennon’s low-fi demo and setting his vocal apart from his piano and other noise.

(1/6) “NOW AND THEN. THE LAST BEATLES SONG. OUT 02.11.23. #NowAndThen
New expanded and mixed editions of the "Red and Blue" albums to be released 10.11.23.
Pre-order now: https://t.co/jQtFaz4Tq8 pic.twitter.com/aLS2C046Pu

— The Beatles (@thebeatles) October 26, 2023

Otherwise, most of the “Now and Then” credits read straightforwardly, leaving fans to figure out which parts were recorded in the ’70s, ’90s and 2022. McCartney and Giles Martin are credited as the producers, with an additional production credit for Lynne. Lennon and McCartney are credited with primary vocals; all four members are credited with background vocals, McCartney’s and Starr’s being new additions. Harrison, who died in 2001, has electric and acoustic guitar parts recorded in 1995 on the track — although a slide guitar solo that bears an unmistakable similarity to his trademark style was actually laid down by McCartney, “inspired by George,” during the 2022 sessions. McCartney also is credited with brand new bass, piano and electric harpsichord, and Starr’s drum playing is a fresh addition as well … and both get credit for playing shakers.

A new string arrangement was written for the song by McCartney, Martin and Ben Foster and overseen by McCartney at Capitol Studios in L.A. The press announcement says that “Paul and Giles also added one last, wonderfully subtle touch: backing vocals from the original recordings of ‘Here, There and Everywhere,’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘Because,’ woven into the new song using the techniques perfected during the making of the ‘Love’ show and album.” Spike Stent mixed the McCartney/Martin production.

“There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear,” McCartney said in a statement. “It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it, it’s a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.” Added Starr, “It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out.”

Olivia Harrison co-signed on the effort to revive the track. She said, “Back in 1995, after several days in the studio working on the track, George felt the technical issues with the demo were insurmountable and concluded that it was not possible to finish the track to a high enough standard. If he were here today, Dhani and I know he would have whole-heartedly joined Paul and Ringo in completing the recording of ‘Now and Then.’” Sean Ono Lennon added his imprimatur to the project, too, saying: “It was incredibly touching to hear them working together after all the years that Dad had been gone. It’s the last song my dad, Paul, George and Ringo got to make together. It’s like a time capsule and all feels very meant to be.”

What choices do collectors have in picking up “Now and Then” (and B-side “Love Me Do”) in stand-alone, physical form? Apart from its online digital release in both stereo and Dolby Atmos, retail outlets will be selling it in both 7-inch and 12-inch form on black vinyl, along with light blue and clear 7-inch variants. A cassette version is exclusive to the Beatles’ store. A blue-and-white marbled 7-inch was also announced as a Beatles webstore exclusive, although it will apparently be available at independent record stores too, as those retailers were solicited on the release Thursday morning.

The sleeve art for the single was designed by the noted artist Ed Ruscha.

As for the 2023 editions of the “1962-66” and “1967-70” albums, choices abound there, too. Retailers everywhere will offer both collections as separate two-CD or three-LP 180g black-vinyl sets. But if you want them bundled together in a slipcase, and/or want colored vinyl, those are limited to the Beatles’ store and described as limited editions. The webstore offers a four-CD set that bundles the two collections together in a slipcase. More tantalizingly, the Beatles’ store offers the “red” album on red vinyl and the “blue” one on, yes, blue — either individually or bundled together in a slipcase as a six-LP set. A bundled six-LP set on standard black vinyl in the slipcase is also exclusive to the Beatles’ store.

(6/6) All the songs are mixed in stereo and Dolby Atmos, and new 4CD and 180g 6LP vinyl collections pair ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ in slipcased sets. Digital, CD, and vinyl available to pre-order/pre-save now. https://t.co/uAxSpf4UzF

— The Beatles (@thebeatles) October 26, 2023

The track listings for the vinyl editions are in a different order than what appears on the CD and digital/streaming versions. In the case of the three-LP “1962-66” and “1967-70” sets, the first two records in the set follow exactly the same order of the sequence that appeared on the 1973 double albums, with the third LP devoted to all the material that has been added for 2023. Those who want to remember the song orders as they existed for 50 years will surely be pleased by that decision, while still getting the additional material. However, the editions that do not break things up by sides — that is, the digital and CD versions — dispense with that and present all the material in chronological order, with the fresh additions sprinkled in along the way instead of segregated.

In answer to the question that inevitably comes from many audiophile fans: No, there is no BluRay audio option; the Atmos mixes are not being issued on discs but are available for download or streaming.

Although the printed material is not expected to be as elaborate as what accompanied the “Sgt. Pepper,” White Album, “Abbey Road,” “Let It Be” and “Revolver” deluxe editions, the new red and blue hits editions will include new essays written by author John Harris.

Many fans had expected “Rubber Soul” to be next in what has become a mostly annual series of deluxe sets, if the Beatles were to start working backward from last year’s “Revolver.” But they’ll get an awfully good head start on that anticipated project via “1962-66,” since it includes brand new Giles Martin remixes of no fewer than seven of the 14 tracks from the original U.K. version of “Rubber Soul”: “Drive My Car,” “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” “Nowhere Man,” “Michelle,” “In My Life,” “If I Needed Someone” and “Girl.”

But Beatles fans will be at least as curious, when “1962-66” comes out Nov. 10, to hear what Martin has done with the rest of the material dating back even further. It’s long been considered a challenging task to make full-sounding new stereo mixes of early ’60s track that essentially glued together multiple vocal or instrumental parts on one of two channels. But Martin had said recently that he believed the time and the technology for that were at hand, mentioning the kind of separation that Jackson’s “Get Back” team had been able to pull off. Now fans will get a huge sampling, all at once, of just how effective those newly realized techniques are at making stereo (or immersive!) mixes that sound far less bizarre to the modern ear.

“Love Me Do” in Dolby Atmos: It’s about to be a thing.

While the lion’s share of the previously unheard Giles Martin stereo mixes will arrive with the “red” album, it’s surprising to see how many songs on “1967-70” had not yet been given the updated treatment till know — either selections from the “Magical Mystery Tour” soundtrack EP, or assorted non-album singles or B-sides. Those new remixes for songs from the later period include “Revolution,” “I Am the Walrus,” “Magical Mystery Tour,” “The Fool on the Hill,” “Hey Bulldog” and “Old Brown Shoe.”

Among the songs making their Atmos debut next month, meanwhile, are “All You Need Is Love,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Hello Goodbye,” “Hey Jude,” “Lady Madonna,” “The Ballad of John and Yoko” and this version of “Get Back”.

I was very pleased to talk with the amazing Roxanne de Bastion about Now and Then and The Beatles’ Red and Blue album expanded reissues. As a wonderful musician and massive fan of the band, it was insightful and interesting hearing what she had to say:

Hi Roxanne. I know you are a massive Beatles fan. Do you remember when they came into your life, and whether it was a particular album or song that caught you?

My love for The Beatles precedes my memory - but my mother tells me that it all started when she showed me the animated Yellow Submarine movie when I was four. Apparently I was so enthralled with the songs that I ran to my room, got my little Fisher-Price cassette recorder and asked if I could have the songs on that (how I knew about music pirating at that age, I do not know).

What it about The Beatles that especially captivates you? Their melodic and experimental sensibilities, the kinship between the four lads - or is it just the sheer quantity and variety of their catalogue?

There is no band that comes even close to achieving the depth and breadth of creativity, quality and historical significance as The Beatles, and I don’t think there ever will be. I mean, let’s not discount Taylor Swift, yet with all her genre hopping and record breaking…but she’s just one person - the fact that The Beatles featured three brilliant songwriters, each with their own interests and sensibilities, has a lot to do with their magic. It wasn’t one thing that captivated me, it was very much the whole package: the melodies, the harmonies, the lyrics, the visuals, etc. Ultimately, I fell in love with The Beatles at such an early age and they are such a constant in my life that to me, their music is my home.

“Perhaps rather predictably, I got very emotional watching the trailer. I cannot wait to hear it”

As a musician yourself, how important have they been regarding your journey and passion for music?

They are very much the foundation to my whole life, never mind my career. But it was certainly because of The Beatles (and John Lennon in particular) that I wanted to start writing my own songs. I spent hours in my room listening to their albums on loop and trying to sing the songs perfectly - emulating every breath and memorising every word. My favourite thing to do was sit in the kitchen and sing The Beatles together with my dad - he was usually Lennon, I was McCartney.

Their final song as a band, Now and Then, is out tomorrow (2nd November). How excited were you when you heard the news?! In terms of a ‘finale’, is this going to be a perfect way to wrap things up do you think?

A NEW BEATLES SONG!! Perhaps rather predictably, I got very emotional watching the trailer. I cannot wait to hear it. One of my favourite John Lennon songs, Real Love, was released posthumously, and so I have no doubt that there’s potential for Now and Then to be very special. As for wrapping things up, I somehow don’t think this will be the last treasure to be unearthed. The four Beatles created (and continue to create) so feverishly throughout their respective lives, I think we have many more decades of surprises, unfinished songs and unheard recordings to look forward to.

Of course, the ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ albums are being reissues and remixed. Were the original albums played when you were a child?

I spent much more time listening to the original albums and the BBC live album (which was an early favourite of mine, as it captured The Beatles’ electric live energy, their charm and their humour). I did own both on CD though and have a really strong memory of hearing We Can Work It Out for the first time. I remember being fascinated by the conversational tone of the lyrics (“Try to see things my way” is such an arresting opening line). I will forever associate that song with my dad explaining to me how clever it was that the time signature changed from a straight 4/4 to a waltz at the end of the chorus.

As a child, I was also fascinated by the Red and Blue album artwork. Firstly, I loved how they look down and straight into the camera. It somehow made it feel as though they were smiling down and looking directly at me. To my childlike eyes, they looked so much older on the Blue cover than they actually were at the time (beards are definitely deceiving!), so to me it seemed magic that they were photographed in exactly the same spot, almost as if they were time travellers. But they may as well have been - the Red and Blue albums are extraordinary evidence to just how much the band evolved musically and visually in the span of just a couple of years.

I like the fact this reissue is a more complete and comprehensive account of their early and later career. Are there extra songs - that were not on the originals - particularly important or standout when it comes to defining or redefining their importance and brilliance?

It’s interesting that the reissue includes some cover songs (Roll Over Beethoven and Twist and Shout), but I suppose interpreting Rhythm and Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll classics was an important part of their career and their development. I’m thrilled to see that the reissue features This Boy, which is just such a stunning example of their harmony work. It’s also one of my favourite Lennon vocal deliveries ever. I’m equally excited to see Harrison’s If I Needed Someone added to the Blue Reissue and, hey, if there’s a new mix of Tomorrow Never Knows, the song responsible for the sound of countless bands that followed, I’m here for it!

“Isn’t it just amazing that sentences such as “It has been a busy past few years for The Beatles” can be totally true in 2023?”

It has been a busy past few years for The Beatles. Quite a bit to see and listen to. Why do you think the band remain so important and in demand?! I think it is also great that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still with us and get to actively have a say in this incredible music.

Isn’t it just amazing that sentences such as “It has been a busy past few years for The Beatles” can be totally true in 2023? If I could be at a Paul McCartney concert every day of my life (like, you know, eight days a week) I would! It’s incredible that he performs three hour sets with just as much showmanship, charm and musicality as he did half a century ago. I think the answer is simple: Great music is timeless. Every generation will discover them anew (I’m sure somewhere in the world there’s a wide-eyed four-year-old watching Yellow Submarine for the first time right now) and that’s a beautiful thing. The Beatles and all their songs about love and how it is all we need are well and truly immortal and that, in today’s world of doom-scrolling and twenty-four-hour news cycle, is a very comforting thought to me.

Finally, as look ahead to next year, people might ask what album will be reissued or remixed. What would you personally like to see come out? Maybe Rubber Soul or A Hard Day’s Night expanded reissues?

The film A Hard Day’s Night is so iconic, it would definitely be fun to see what’s in the vaults, both audio and visual - perhaps some kind of mixed-media re-release? I’m here for it all :)

The final link in this feature is an interview with Will Hodge. He is the Zine Editor for vinyl reissues Bandbox and a freelance music journalist with bylines for Rolling Stone, the Grammys, No Depression, and a variety of other publications. It was fascinating and wonderfully getting his views and impressions regarding two very important Beatles releases. It is quite a seismic moment. We will never get another Beatles song! There will be reissues and new releases in terms of their albums. I am not sure what studio album will get the remix and remaster treatment from Giles Martin (perhaps Rubber Soul). I love the sixth side of The Beatles’ ‘1962-1966’ (The Red Album) and ‘1967-1970’ reissues, as you get Then and Now plus Hey Bulldog. I think one of the criticism of the original red and blue selections is that stuff was omitted. Rather than it being an update of the originals, it looks more like an expanded greatest hits. Something for new fans to get, though diehards will also want to add these reissues to their collection. I think most eyes are on the new, final track from The Beatles. Whether it is going to be any good or up to expectations. Maybe one of the most hyped or important songs of this generation, we will hear a moment of history. Regardless of how the song comes out and how people react to it, this is a moment of history. The greatest band ever might have split up over fifty years ago, yet there is no shortage when it comes to the archives and new mixes of older material! That expansive reissue that is available in various formats together with the new single – available digitally and physically – gives us a nod to the past but also the future. What now for The Beatles’ music?! We will never get another track, though there are going to be many who want a studio album reissued or a new book. It will be exciting to see what arrives next year. It is clear, though, that this year has been an exciting and huge one…

SamLiddicott · Interview with Will Hodge

FOR fans of The Beatles.

FEATURE: Now and Again: Forty Years of the Iconic Compilation Series: The Digital and Physical, and Its Incredible Legacy

FEATURE:

 

 

Now and Again

Forty Years of the Iconic Compilation Series: The Digital and Physical, and Its Incredible Legacy

_________

ONE of the most recognisable brands in music…

the Now That’s What I Call Music! series is forty on 28th November. The makers announced some special anniversary releases. You can get some information and history about the iconic and beloved series. I wanted to discuss the digitisation of the compilations, plus a suggestion regarding making some of the editions physical. It is great that there is a decades-spanning release for the fortieth (here is another link). There are a couple of features/articles that I want to bring in before getting to thoughts about the archives and making everything digital and physical. I also have some interviews coming from very special people who will discuss their experiences and memories of the Now That’s What I Call Music! series. It is important to first recognise one important milestone (you should check out the Now That’s What I Call Music! official site, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook). Even if I don’t buy most of the Now albums on C.D. anymore, I keep track of them through streaming. I feel a special connection with the compilation series, as it was launched in the same year that i was born. It is in very rude health ahead of its fortieth birthday. On 28th November, I think that a lot of people will share their memories of the compilation album and when they came to it. I might have chance to do another feature/something special before the big day.

SamLiddicott · Now That's What I Call Music! at Forty - An Introduction

When the one-hundredth instalment of Now That’s What I Call Music! arrived in 2018, Music Week spoke with Virgin boss Richard Branson. The first Now That’s What I Call Music! was released through Virgin/EMI. Branson reflected on the legacy of the celebrated and iconic compilation series:

“Today’s the day. Now That’s What I Call Music 100 hits stores, cementing its place in music business folklore as the UK’s longest-running and best-loved compilation series.

Somewhat ironically, back in the day, bosses were concerned about numbering each edition, fearing teenagers wouldn’t be interested in the brand once it passed Now 21. Such worries proved unfounded, and Now 100 has attracted widespread publicity, not least in the form of an all-encompassing feature in the current print edition of Music Week.

Music Week was there at the start for Now, back in November 1983, when the concept was dreamed up by Stephen Navin and Jon "Webbo" Webster and the brand was launched by Richard Branson’s Virgin Records in a blaze of curious pig-themed marketing. So Branson – now Sir Richard, founder of the Virgin Group and Music Week’s Strat Award winner in 1991 – sat down with us Music Week to talk through the birth of a compilations phenomenon – and, of course, the historic significance of that pig…

How did Virgin come up with the concept for Now That's What I Call Music?

“At the time Virgin was dominating the charts with our singles, but I was fed up with third party labels like K-Tel ringing us up for our hits and making fortunes out of our hard work. So I went to see EMI and said, ‘Why don’t we both create our own label together which would put out ours and other’s hits?’. The only thing was, we didn’t have a title.

“I’d fallen in love with a beautiful girl called Joan who worked in a shop in Westbourne Grove that sold ephemera. The owner of the shop made it clear that I had to buy something in order to spend time with her in the shop. One day, I saw this wonderful poster for Danish Bacon with the words ‘Now, that’s what I call music’ written on it. We had our name and the rest is history. As for that beautiful girl in the shop? She became my wife…”

Did you think it would be anywhere near as successful/mould-breaking as it went on to be?

“I knew from its initial success that we had created something very special. However, I don’t think anyone would have predicted the 35-year-long success of any brand, especially in the record industry. The music business is fast-changing and ephemeral at the best of times, which makes Now That’s What I Call Music’s success even more extraordinary.”

How important were the compilations to Virgin, financially and creatively, at that time?

“The Virgin label was going through an enormously successful period in the early ‘80s with UB40, The Human League, Culture Club, Phil Collins, Genesis, Simple Minds, OMD, and many more. The success of the Now compilations allowed us to invest more into the business to help maintain Virgin as the premier label it was.”

What is the secret to the series' enduring success?

“I suspect it’s the attractive combination of quality, value, and of course that great brand title: Now That’s What I Call Music, which resonates so well with everyone. And of course Now is always current yet, at the same time incredibly nostalgic, which is an unusual and very positive combination. They represent a host of emotions and memories; as well as some great music it’s those memories that people hold with such affection, whether they bought it on a CD or via streaming. It is the thoughtful curation that ensures every album evokes such memories and becomes a soundtrack of a time in our lives”.

So, how did Now That's What I Call Music! get its start? How did it get its name? The Oxford Blue looked at the story behind a series of compilation albums that remains popular to this very day. I honestly cannot see it ending or becoming less popular in years to come. It flourishes at a time when digital music succeeds and dominates still:

“If you were anything like me as a child, you vividly remember the Now! compilation albums. I can recall hours upon hours spent listening to these albums, which would be playing from the pink flowery CD player which sat proudly upon my desk. A huge amount of time would be spent singing along to the radio edits of songs such as Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’, Cee Lo Green’s ‘Forget You’, and Taio Cruz’s ‘Dynamite’, to name just a few. It was always a treat to receive the newest Now! album for Christmas, which would never fail to encapsulate the pop scene of the time through an eclectic mix of the biggest releases from the last few months. Looking back at the tracklists today is like looking into a time capsule. Now! is a brand which has endured the test of time, still going strong today after more than 100 numbered album releases since its inception in 1983. Spin-offs and other Now! series such as Now Dance and Now Decades take the total number of releases past 250. Their success can be contextualised by considering the musical landscape of the time and the potential to exploit a gap in the album market.

In 1983, compilation albums existed, but they were often seen as tacky. They were cheap and nasty, with songs which had been messily put together to create disarrayed and generally poor albums. This all changed when Stephen Navin and Jon Webster at Virgin Records, the top selling singles label in the UK at the time, had an idea. Companies were repeatedly asking Virgin to buy tracks to use in their compilation albums, and Navin and Webster realised how lucrative it could be to simply create their own compilation albums instead. Virgin spoke to EMI about this to see if they would get involved, as EMI were a larger and older establishment which could help out with getting big bands on board. Together, they resolved to create a brand which would give music lovers compilation albums which they could genuinely enjoy listening to. They were much more elegantly compiled and were made to look very different to other compilation albums, with sleeker packaging which contrasted with the basic black and white or black and red sleeves which were seen with previously existing compilation albums. From the beginning, the product was presented as a more luxurious product, evoking excitement in the general public.

The name Now That’s What I Call Music! came from a 1930s poster for Danish Bacon which was hung in the office of Simon Draper, Navin and Webster’s boss. It was bought for Draper by Richard Branson, Draper’s cousin, and depicted a pig listening to a hen singing, with the caption “Now that’s what I call music”. The poster was a joke, referring to Draper’s early morning irritability – Branson said that he was “notoriously grumpy before breakfast”. On seeing this poster, Navin decided that the phrase said exactly what they wanted to say and so the name was chosen.

The first album was released on 28 November 1983, compiling 30 UK hit singles from that year by artists such as Phil Collins, Duran Duran, and Rod Stewart. The album went straight to number one, selling 1.1 million copies. Webster has said that it was difficult to convince some artists to get involved to begin with, due to concerns that it could affect single sales and reputations, but once the album sales took off, everyone was keen to be a part of it. David Bowie and Eurythmics refused to be on the first one, but after its triumphant release, they agreed to feature on Now 2. Three Now! albums were released in 1984, and a pattern was established. The albums were released just before every Christmas, Easter, and during the summer, just as they are today. Polygram and Universal began to contribute tracks to Now!, but other labels got involved in another new compilation brand known as Hits. This new brand was able to get big American acts involved, but Now! was known for maintaining a notable sense of Britishness. Many people seemed to like this, and Now! reached much greater success. As Draper said to the BBC in 2018, Now! “wiped out all the opposition”. Along with the numbered series, some of the spin-off albums have also reached huge success. The Now! Christmas album is the seventh best-selling album of all time in Britain, having sold four and a half million copies and outselling even Pink Floyd’s (The) Dark Side of the Moon

The rapid decrease in the number of people owning CD players, the rise of digital downloads and the increased popularity of streaming services have meant that sales have been gradually declining. Every Now! album released prior to 2018 received platinum or multiplatinum certification, but none of the albums released from 2019 onwards achieved this. However, it would be unfair to claim that there is not still a large amount of interest in the releases, as most of these later editions still received gold certification, meaning that over 500,000 copies were sold. However, the downward sales trajectory shows no sign of stopping, so the brand will have to evolve and adapt to changes in technology and the listening habits of the general public. I really do hope that the album series is able to continue – it is simply too iconic to lose”.

In terms of the physical releases, you can go to Amazon or HMV and get the compilation series on C.D. You can even get the original 1983 release on C.D. and vinyl. As the prices vary between the editions, I wonder whether the official website would stock all of them at the same cost. Maybe a special Now That's What I Call Music! store of shop with every edition is available on a range of physical formats. It might be financially and logistically impossible to do but, as I have posed before, how about a cassette, vinyl and C.D. option for each? Maybe also a digital link to that album – going to Spotify, Apple or Deezer etc. As it stands, you can get some digital Now That's What I Call Music! albums. You can get a great deal of them physically. However, as mentioned, the prices vary. I don’t know if you can get every one of the Now That's What I Call Music! albums on a physical format new. You can see which albums are available on vinyl. An affordable range of C.D.s too. As far as I understand – and maybe owing to the number of tracks and it would be unwieldy – you can’t get any/most on cassette. Perhaps it would need to be three cassettes to fit all the tracks in. That said, I do remember buying Now That's What I Call Music! 24 on cassette back in 1993. I think a lot of people would love the option of owning their favourite Now That's What I Call Music! albums on cassette, vinyl or C.D.

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I am going to include a few interviews with some wonderful people who tell me about their experiences with the NOW/Now series. It has been really interesting getting some different and unique perspectives on this timeless and legendary compilation album. In some way or another, I feel most of us have a love of Now That’s What I Call Music! Maybe people do not share them today the same way that they did years ago, though it is clear there is still a lot of demand for the album. First is the magnificent journalist Lee Campbell. He currently writes for UTR, The Guardian, Belfast Telegraph, Rolling Stone UK, Hot Press, and Sunday Times Ireland. You can catch Lee’s incredible recent Danse Macabre interview with Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes for Under the Radar. He also has an upcoming interview with Holly Johnson from Frankie Goes to Hollywood (which will be published in the next month). Also, please do check out the leecampellwrites Linktree link. It was a most enjoyable experience speaking with him and getting his unique insight into a compilation series that is very dear in my heart.

SamLiddicott · Now That's What I Call Music! at Forty Interview with Lee Campbell

My penultimate interview is with someone who knows the NOW series better than most people. The fantastic Iain McDermott runs the tremendous Back to NOW! podcast. A podcast that is all about “celebrating the variously compiled world of pop”, he chatted to me about his love of the compilation series and some of his impressions about its impact, importance and future:

The Now That’s What I Call Music! series was launched in the U.K. on 28th November, 1983. What are your earliest memories of the series? When did you hear the very first edition?

I have a vivid memory of the T.V. advert for the first NOW, around Christmas 1983. I was 11 the day after the first album was released that year. Tracey Ullman did the voiceover for it and it looked very glamorous featuring those (very '80s graphics) tracks and images from the album. I don’t remember asking for it for Christmas that year, however I did borrow a copy from a friend’s big sister early in 1984 and ‘may have’ accidentally copied it to cassette. I certainly remember making an inlay sleeve for it, faithfully recreating that iconic first NOW white font on black background, with plenty of felt tips. But my first purchase was a cassette copy of NOW3 in the summer of 1984. WH Smith, I think - holiday money. Having all of those songs in their entirety, the ability to rewind, fast forward and play repeatedly, pouring over the chart stars in the fold out inlay, that cover with the pig in sunglasses (for the first time) and the Day-Glo colour scheme was so exciting.

I was born six months before NOW was launched. It seems strange being the same age. My favourite compilation is 1993’s NOW24. Have you got a personal favourite or a top three?

NOW24 is a great entry to the series! And happy 40th to you too! Some of the albums are more special for different reasons, and whilst I drifted a bit from the NOW series in the mid-to-late-1990s (purchased them all since!), there are some that I would call favourites. * NOW3 - the first for me as stated above. * NOW7 - 1986 often gets a raw deal when people review the '80s (post-Live Aid, cynicism of the record industry, C.D.s evolving etc), but for me this album is awash with my 13-year-old Pop heaven. * NOW Dance 901/902/903 - (is this cheating, picking three here?) - My first year as a student (1990) and also starting out DJing, these three albums highlighted NOWs interest in the dance scene and featured 12’ mixes (which I loved) and actually, for me, say more about 1990 than the actual numbered NOWs of that year - 17 and 18. Blissful!

“Duran, UB40, Culture Club et al were all relatively new acts, but in 1983 they all seemed to move up a gear in image and sound”

It was quite revolutionary in 1983. Why do you think that that year was the right one for NOW to come about? How did it change the way we looked at chart music?

I think that 1983 marked a point where the ‘80s found their identity. The first three years of the decade had been full of swagger, excitement and experimentation in Pop, and by 1983 there was a genuine '80s legacy starting to emerge. Duran, UB40, Culture Club et al were all relatively new acts, but in 1983 they all seemed to move up a gear in image and sound. I also think that EMI/Virgin had such a presence in the singles chart that it made perfect sense to pull forces and celebrate their success (as opposed to licensing out to other compilation companies). It kind of equates to a decade earlier in 1973 when singles sales were equally huge and similarly the '70s got into their stride properly too.

The NOW brand signified a new quality for compilation albums; not just the biggest hits but also how the landscape was producing new and exciting acts too that could easily sit alongside no.1s of the year (enter The Cure, Simple Minds and, on NOW2, The Smiths, Big Country etc). Chart music was obviously big business by this point of the '80s, but it was also a huge part of our lives. T.V., newspapers and the media at large were just as interested in the likes of Simon Le Bon and Boy George as Smash Hits were. For me, NOW captured that presence and excitement in that glossy, colourful gatefold vinyl.

I am not sure whether any specific plans are afoot for the fortieth anniversary? How will you be marking it?

I am currently pulling together the annual end-of-year review episode with regular guests and great supporters of the podcast Ian Wade, Mark Wood and Johnny Kalifornia. But, as well as reviewing 2023 and the NOW releases, we are planning to celebrate the 40th anniversary too, with some special guests contributing and general pop nostalgia sprinkled across the episode!

Before carrying on, tell me about the Back to NOW podcast and why that was set up. Are there any new episodes in the offing?

The podcast started back in 2020. The idea had been floating around for a couple of years, and the pandemic probably gave me more time to get it up and running. The premise of the podcast is for guests to select a NOW compilation L.P. that reminds them of important time in their life. Guests don’t have to have owned it…because as well as discussing the tracks, of equal interest is to discuss the wider cultural contexts of the chosen L.P. or time period in Pop: memories of the time, track anecdotes, sequencing of songs and cultural contexts of the music and the world around it at that time. The U.K.’s love of compilation L.P.s means that we have a rich tapestry of curated time capsules representing the changing sounds and styles of our Pop listening landscapes - warts and all!

Episodes have been just as interesting (if not often more so) with the stories of how particular times in our lives are so memorably soundtracked by the music we listen to and often influence our own musical journeys. I’ve been hugely fortunate to have some great guests so far such as Pete Paphides, Alexis Petridis, Bob Stanley, Siän Pattenden, Jude Rogers, Michael Cragg and Will Hodgkinson. More than anything, it has been great chatting with guests who share a love of both Pop music (in all its forms) and pop culture - and have been generous enough to give over an hour or so of time to chat about it over Zoom. As long as I can continue to find interesting guests who are happy to share their memories, and an audience happy to join us, then hopefully the podcast will continue to find its place in peoples’ listening spaces. I’m always incredibly grateful to everyone that connects and chooses to come along with us.

I guess the NOW albums document the best of that year’s chart music. The series has broadened from year-based albums to concentrate too on genres. It has got more thematic. How do you see NOW expanding and evolving through the years?

I have loved the diversification, and I know from speaking to listeners and other fans that the evolution of the brand has been well received. I believe that one of the strengths of the brand is its identification with quality. Whether it was picking up a cassette copy in 1984 or a C.D. in 1994 or a new vinyl retrospective in 2023, the logo/name always lets people know that the content will be well-curated, the correct versions, thoughtfully sequenced. Plus, the team at NOW know their audience and are keen to provide a range of genres, themes etc. based on what people want. The genre-hopping also enables the team to really get creative with their sequencing and track selection. This, and the fact that music can always be viewed through ever- evolving sets of lenses and new contexts, I think creates a vibrant template (with such recognisable brand identity) for so much music to be revisited.

“This emotional response is harder to replicate on a streaming service!”

In a streaming age, it is remarkable that the series continues to flourish and remain in the consciousness! Why do you feel people of all ages keep on buying the physical NOW albums when they could stream the songs individually?!

I suppose, connected to the point above, there is still (to many music lovers) something tangible about physical product. If it is high quality (and I believe that the NOW albums are), then it will always be desirable. The recent expansion into Yearbook editions has been wonderful example of that. Coloured vinyl, hardback C.D.s with sleeve notes and photos - these have highlighted a real love for Pop nostalgia and sparked a great response in fans. Personally, there is still something very exciting about unwrapping a new NOW record/C.D.! This emotional response is harder to replicate on a streaming service!

The NOW series is available on vinyl and C.D. I don’t think that every edition is on those formats. Is this something you feel would be beneficial? Maybe transferring some to cassette – or would it prove too expensive?!

I think the team at NOW have done a great job in expanding the offer for compilation fans in recent years. I think that you will always find someone, somewhere that would find something else they’d like! But for me, the choice is fabulous. No return to VHS compilations that I can see! (I have a box full of them in the loft, so no worry there!). On that note, the NOW TV channels are also worth mentioning as an interesting addition to the brand. Channel-surfing and finding a show called ‘Every Track from NOW2’ or likewise will always catch my attention!

“Wow, I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it”

Looking back on forty years of Now That’s What I Call Music!, how important has it been in your life in terms of your childhood and teenage years and, indeed, your adulthood? What does it mean to you and your love of music in general?

Huge. NOW always makes me smile for different reasons. Growing up into early-teens, the NOW albums were a massively exciting (and accessible) touchpoint for pop culture throughout the years. In a pre-social media/Internet world, anticipating the double-page glossy advert spread in Smash Hits the week before release was (for me) like nothing else. First chance to see the artwork and tracklist. What songs had made it, how were they sequenced, what surprises were included. Wow, I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. As an adult they mean different things. Memory time capsules - as I said earlier with warts and all - which make them even better! I have fond memories of (early-2000s) filling in gaps in my collection via eBay. Now, it’s a joy to see how decades, years, genres etc. are revisited and celebrated again. Often, different tracks are highlighted.

Finally, and maybe an impossible question, you can choose any song from any of the NOW albums and I will include it here. What shall we go for?

I CANT ANSWER THAT! Actually, I can. The Reflex by Duran Duran. NOW3. Side 1, Track 1. Unbridled Pop joy. (As celebrated with great gushing with BBC Music correspondent Mark Savage earlier this year - shameless episode plug! – I hope these rambles are useful. That was a blast! lain x

In the final interview before I wrap up this feature, I have been asking journalist and writer Cath Holland about her experience and memories of the iconic Now That’s What I Call Music! series. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter/X. It has been fascinating discovering her impressions and perspectives about a compilation that means so much to so many people. We all have different takes and favourites. Like me, the compilations of the 1990s are particularly dear to Holland:

Hey Cath. I hope you are well. As the Now That’s What I Call Music! series turns forty on 28th November, I wondered if you could tell me when you first discovered the series.

For me, it was the compilations of the 1990s that was the most impactful and enduring.

When do you think the peak was? Do you have a favourite number in the series?

The 1990s would be for me, too. I think the value of the series is that each album is a summing up of the Pop hits for the weeks or months each compilation covers. Because the content is largely mainstream and mass market, the quality of each depends on what we each individually view as quality Pop! In the 1990s the sort of music nearer the top of the charts broadened away from cash cow teen fodder, which makes it more interesting, I guess.

PHOTO CREDIT: amyofdarkness

I remember discussing the latest Now That’s What I Call Music! series at school. Was it a big part of your childhood and social circles?

I like the way Alternative music – in its broadest sense - sneaks in: The Cure, Blur, Skunk Anansie, Radiohead, The Sundays, Gorillaz making unexpected appearances.  It allowed me to feel smug and knowledgeable because I knew who they were, and others in my social circle had no idea. If you listen to the 1980s Now albums, they are largely glossy and quite horrible, but then an artist like Yello pops up, bonkers and defiant. Square peg, round hole. I like the anarchy of that, creators of innovative and influential works sharing a space with the disposable, and the idea those buying the Now albums would happily consume something musically and creatively quite different simply because the music was included within the brand. Whether many people went on and did a deep dive into the work of many of the more left-field artists featured and became/become enthusiasts, I wouldn’t know! It’s nice to think that might be the case.

I think it would have been pretty monumental having a compilation of chart hits on an album in 1983. It is still popular today - when we can make our own playlists. Why do you feel Now That’s What I Call Music! remains and has this relevance in 2023?

Sometimes it’s quite an experience to close your eyes, run your fingers along a row of albums at home, feel the cardboard of the vinyl spine, stop at a random one, pull it out and play it. It’s like a luky dip, even if it’s one of your own purchases. To sit there and be presented with a series of songs curated by someone else, Now or not, reminds us of music and creators’ authority - something which we should respect but don’t. Rather than us as individuals putting together a playlist and becoming dependent on the familiar and having the arrogance to believe we are the true tastemakers!

“I kinda like the thought of a Wham! song right in the middle, confusing everyone”

I guess the quality fluctuates. It may not be as exciting today as in past years. Even so, would you say people still buy Now That’s What I Call Music! because it has that almost nostalgic quality?

If I was 14 now, I’d probably think contemporary compilations are the best. That’s the way it should be at that age.

Nostalgia is definitely a substantial part of the Now identity for adults in contemporary times. I see well-thumbed copies in charity shops and car boot sales which makes me a bit sad, a piece of someone’s teen years lashed into a Sally Army shop, left to languish, covered in dust, its glory days of being excitedly played at parties well behind it.

I am not sure what is planned for the fortieth anniversary. What would be the most fitting way to mark its big birthday?

A gloriously Alternative Now compilation would be an inspiration, and great fun. I kinda like the thought of a Wham! song right in the middle, confusing everyone.

The series has a different meaning to every person. What does it mean to you personally?

Each album is a time capsule of sorts. A musical encyclopaedia of the most commercial Pop.

This is a harsh question, but choose your favourite song from a Now That’s What I Call Music! album and I will play it here.

The Smiths – What Difference Does It Make?

As the sensational, legendary and hugely important Now That’s What I Call Music! series celebrates its fortieth birthday/anniversary forty on 28th November, ensuring that this phenomenal series is committed to streaming sites and is availably physically would be a real treat for the fans. I am curious whether this is something the makers are considering that for the future. I was going to just have this feature discuss that point. I thought about expanding it and speaking to different people and learning their opinions about the compilation album. We all have our own memories, so thanks enormously to Lee Campbell, Iain McDermott and Cath Holland for taking the time to go into depth about Now That’s What I Call Music! and what it means to them. After forty years, it is still this exciting and curious yearbook of the best Pop around! I am curious to see how many more years it will survive. I think that we all hope that it will endure…

FOR decades more.