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David Bowie is best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century

Charlotte Krol
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David Bowie is best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century
David Bowie has been revealed as the 21st century's best-selling vinyl artist. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut READ MORE: David Bowie’s contemporaries on lost album Toy: “We always felt that they were great songs†The late musician's vinyl sales f...

David Bowie has been revealed as the 21st century’s best-selling vinyl artist.

The late musician’s vinyl sales for the 2000s of 582,704 (calculated up until January 6) place him ahead of the only other act to top half a million units on the format – The Beatles (535,596 sales).

As revealed by Music Week’s chart analyst Alan Jones, in the 2020s the same two acts lead the way with Bowie on 134,237 sales and The Beatles on 113,613. Based on the Top 10,000 vinyl sellers of 2021, Bowie placed third (53,181) behind The Beatles (58,567) and Taylor Swift (56,917).

However, Bowie is ahead on vinyl for the two years of the decade so far due to a successful reissues campaign.

david bowie
David Bowie playing keyboards, performing live onstage in Iggy Pop’s backing band during ‘The Idiot’ tour. Image: Ian Dickson / Redferns

Most recently, Bowie’s “lost” 2000 album Toy has landed in the UK Top 5 with strong physical sales (based on Official Charts Company data). Music Weeks adds that the sales revenue will be substantial as Rhino Entertainment moved almost 1,000 (989) copies of the six 10†vinyl box that retails at almost £120 on the official website.

Total week one sales for Toy were 7,400, including the vinyl sales, 5,851 CD box sets priced at £26 (currently sold out on the official store) as well as 240 downloads and 304 sales-equivalent streams.

Toy, released on January 7, a day before what would have been Bowie’s 75th birthday, was the week’s overall biggest seller on physical formats (based on substantial CD volume).

Another Bowie vinyl – one of three Top 40 entries – claimed the most vinyl sales of any album in the past week. Hunky Dory, which was released to mark its 50th anniversary at the end of 2021, made a re-entry at Number 31 – its highest position since 2017 (2,081 of its 2,550 sales in the week were vinyl).

The third album appearance in the latest chart is 2016 Bowie compilation Legacy, which jumped 38-19 (3,231 sales), reaching its highest chart position for exactly a year amid the Bowie75 campaign activity.

The news comes as the vinyl format has continued to enjoy consecutive years of growth for nearly 15 years. The BPI reported recently that UK vinyl sales in 2021 were the highest they’ve been in 30 years despite widely publicised issues with backlogs and delays.

In the US, vinyl has overtaken CD in unit sales for the first time in decades. According to data from the MRC and Billboard, 38.3 per cent of all album sales in the country last year were in vinyl format, while it accounted over 50 per cent of all physical album sales (41.72 million sales out of a total of 82.79 million).

Watch IDLES give CRAWLER songs their live debut as they kick off UK tour

Ali Shutler
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Watch IDLES give CRAWLER songs their live debut as they kick off UK tour
IDLES kicked off their headline tour of England and Scotland Sunday night (January 16) with the first of four shows at Brixton Academy, where they gave tracks from CRAWLER their live debut. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut READ MORE: Idles on Ultra Mono: â...

IDLES kicked off their headline tour of England and Scotland Sunday night (January 16) with the first of four shows at Brixton Academy, where they gave tracks from CRAWLER their live debut.

The tour was originally meant to take place last May but was rescheduled to January due to coronavirus. During that time, the band released fourth album CRAWLER.

On Sunday, IDLES opened with “MTT 420 RR” and played seven other songs from 2021’s CRAWLER during the 90-minute-set alongside a handful of cuts from 2018’s Joy As An Act Of Resistance, 2020’s Ultra Mono and 2017’s debut album Brutalism.

During the show, they also gave CRAWLER tracks “Crawl!” and “The End” their live debuts – check out footage below.

 

IDLES played:

“MTT 420 RR”
“The Wheel”
“Mr. Motivator”
“Grounds”
“Mother”
“When The Lights Come On”
“Samaritans”
“Divide And Conquer”
“The Beachland Ballroom”
“Never Fight A Man With A Perm”
“Crawl!”
“1049 Gotho”
“Progress”
“Colossus”
“I’m Scum”
“Reigns”
“Danny Nedelko”
“The End”

Before the tour kicked off, the band were forced to postpone shows in Ireland and Wales because of their stricter COVID restrictions. However, shows across England and Scotland are still going ahead. Check out the dates below.

JANUARY 2022
16 – London, O2 Academy Brixton
17 – London, O2 Academy Brixton
18 – London, O2 Academy Brixton
19 – London, O2 Academy Brixton
22 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
28 – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
29 – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
30 – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse

FEBRUARY 2022
1 – Sheffield, O2 Academy
2 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
3 – Glasgow, Barrowland
4 – Glasgow, Barrowland
5 – Glasgow, Barrowland

The Pretenders – Ultimate Music Guide

Uncut
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The Pretenders – Ultimate Music Guide
Celebrating the recent re-release of the band’s classic first two albums, the Ultimate Music Guide to the Pretenders. How Chrissie Hynde put together the first No 1 band of the 1980s, piloting them through drama and rebirth, with their attitude and their unique sound intact. “I got to have some ...

Celebrating the recent re-release of the band’s classic first two albums, the Ultimate Music Guide to the Pretenders. How Chrissie Hynde put together the first No 1 band of the 1980s, piloting them through drama and rebirth, with their attitude and their unique sound intact. “I got to have some of your attention…â€

Buy a copy here!

Introducing the Ultimate Music Guide to The Pretenders

John Robinson
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Introducing the Ultimate Music Guide to The Pretenders
BUY THE PRETENDERS ULTIMATE MUSIC GUIDE HERE It’s fitting in a way, for a boxing fan like Chrissie Hynde, that she should enjoy a reputation as a fighter: in fact, the ultimate comeback kid. More than once she’s had to take the knocks, but she returns undaunted. Maybe a bit bruised by the exp...

BUY THE PRETENDERS ULTIMATE MUSIC GUIDE HERE

It’s fitting in a way, for a boxing fan like Chrissie Hynde, that she should enjoy a reputation as a fighter: in fact, the ultimate comeback kid. More than once she’s had to take the knocks, but she returns undaunted. Maybe a bit bruised by the experience, but with her spirit as strong as ever.

It’s that spirit and resilience we celebrate in this latest Ultimate Music Guide, to her band: the Pretenders. If Chrissie was a nearly-was of punk rock – an employee of Malcolm McLaren’s shop Sex; in bands, however fleetingly with members of the Damned and the Clash – then she truly found her moment in the new wave of a couple of years later. Hip, determined, she had a vision for how things should be done, and went about finding people to help bring her songs to life.

As she tells us in her exclusive foreword for this new magazine, her idea was that “we were going to be like a motorcycle club but we had guitars. I thought I was this little badass because I liked bikers, not to my credit, that’s just where my head was at.â€

A true musician, Chrissie had travelled the world trying to get a band together, an experience which led her to recognise instantly when something magnificent had finally clicked into place. What followed straight away was a run of excellent singles and two dynamic, classic albums – the first hits of the 1980s, both in a chronological sense, and other more metaphorical ones besides.

“I didn’t know it was going to be so melodic until I met Jimmy [Honeyman-Scott, guitarist],†she writes. “He wasn’t interested in anger or punk, he liked Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds. We both had a lot in common too with the things we loved.â€

The original Pretenders were together for a tragically short time, both Honeyman-Scott and bass player Pete Farndon succumbing to drug habits that were already well established before they joined the band. Chrissie came back, however, with more great music, as she has done ever since.

Our celebration of the Pretenders arrives on the heels of a year which has seen reissues of those first albums, Chrissie’s solo album of Dylan covers, and work begun on a new album of duets.

“Fuck knows how The Pretenders works now,†she confesses. “As much as I’m loathe to admit it and having denied it for years, I guess I’m the common thread. I just keep doing what I’m doing. I’m not trying to increase my audience, I’m just trying to keep my thing alive a little bit…â€

Buy a copy of the magazine here. Missed one in the series? Bundles are available at the same location…

Michael Hurley: “I say ‘perfect’ is boring”

Stephen Deusner
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Michael Hurley: “I say ‘perfect’ is boring”
Michael Hurley was cutting back blackberry bushes in his front yard when inspiration struck. It’s hard, back-breaking work even for a young man, but even more taxing for an 80-year-old. Still, it’s absolutely necessary when you live deep in the Oregon wilderness. “It’s not something you can ...

Michael Hurley was cutting back blackberry bushes in his front yard when inspiration struck. It’s hard, back-breaking work even for a young man, but even more taxing for an 80-year-old. Still, it’s absolutely necessary when you live deep in the Oregon wilderness. “It’s not something you can do quickly because they’re very prickly and incredibly aggressive,†he explains.

“Their defences are good. They can loop a vine over the top of a tree, come down the other side and replant another bunch of bushes. If you let them, they’ll take over your house. It’s like an alien invasion.†A tasty alien invasion? “If I find a really good bunch that are really ripe, I’ll get distracted and just eat them on the spot. Sometimes you can find hundreds of them that are pretty delicious.â€

There’s very little that will take him away from this ongoing battle with the wild flora constantly threatening his domicile, but he’ll drop everything for a song. “One day a little something just floated into my head, a little music phrase connected to a few words. ‘Did you ever leave Nelsonville with a broken heart?’ I thought, ‘Well, if I don’t record it right now, I’ll forget it in an hour.’ I’ve got a little music room in my house, right off the kitchen. It’s got some microphones and a TEAC recorder from 1978. I use quarter-inch tape. It’ll take a 15-inch reel or a 7-inch reel. It’s got two speeds. I find it very satisfactory to my needs.â€

So Hurley dropped his tools and ran into the house, where he spent the next few hours writing “Are You Here For The Festival?†which has become the opening track of his new album, The Time Of The Foxgloves. It’s an affectionate ode to the fun of live performances and all the shenanigans you can get up to when you put a lot of musicians together in the same place. Nelsonville, he explains, is not just a small town in eastern Ohio, but also one of his favourite music festivals. “

I played there just about every year they had it. I was good friends with the promoter – I was the first person he ever arranged a gig for, back in ’98 or ’99 when I was living in Portsmouth. He’s very good at getting people to show up at things. He kept asking if I wanted to play the festival again and I always did. I don’t know if they’re going to have another one, but I’ll be there if they do, although I won’t be flying. I don’t fly on airplanes after the pandemonic. So I’ll have to drive that route, maybe set up some other shows around it so it’s not just 10 days on the road. I wrote the line about Woodstock so that people will get the idea, even if they don’t know anything about Nelsonville. Of course, I’ve never been to Woodstock. I wasn’t there for that particular festival…â€

PJ Harvey announces The Hope Six Demolition Project reissue with “The Wheel” demo

Will Richards
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PJ Harvey announces The Hope Six Demolition Project reissue with “The Wheel” demo
PJ Harvey has announced a forthcoming reissue of her most recent studio album, 2016's The Hope Six Demolition Project. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut READ MORE: Introducing the Deluxe Ultimate Music Guide to PJ Harvey The reissue, set to be released on...

PJ Harvey has announced a forthcoming reissue of her most recent studio album, 2016’s The Hope Six Demolition Project.

The reissue, set to be released on March 11, is the final entry in the singer-songwriter’s career-spanning reissue series, which has seen every album from her career reissued on vinyl.

To announce the reissue of The Hope Six Demolition Project, Harvey has shared a demo of “The Wheel”, which appears on a second disc featuring a demo version of every song on the original album.

Listen to the demo of “The Wheel” below.

Later this month (January 28), Harvey will reissue her classic album Let England Shake.

The record, which was originally released in 2011, will be reissued alongside a separate collection of unreleased demos which will be available on CD, vinyl and digital via UMC/Island, and last week shared a demo version of its single “The Words That Maketh Murder”.

The celebrated artist’s discography has been the subject of a comprehensive reissue campaign by UMC/Island and Beggars over the last two years, who are aiming to “celebrate every aspect of Harvey’s recording career and afford a comprehensive and exciting look at the evolution of one of the most singular and extraordinary artists of modern timesâ€.

Previous vinyl reissues from PJ Harvey have included Dry, Rid Of Me, To Bring Your Love, Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea and Is This Desire?.

Listen to Bright Eyes cover Thin Lizzy’s “Running Back”

Ali Shutler
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Listen to Bright Eyes cover Thin Lizzy’s “Running Back”
Bright Eyes have released their cover of Thin Lizzy’s "Running Back" as part of Secretly Canadian's 25th anniversary charity campaign - check it out below. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut READ MORE: Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst – My Life In Music Bri...

Bright Eyes have released their cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Running Back” as part of Secretly Canadian’s 25th anniversary charity campaign – check it out below.

Bright Eyes’ version of the 1976 hard rock track is a faithful reimagining, with Conor Oberst doing his best impression of late Thin Lizzy vocalist Phil Lynott.

Bright Eyes first aired the cover back in 2020 while appearing on US radio station SiriusXM but now it’s been given a proper release.

“Thin Lizzy is one of the finest rock n roll bands of all time,†Oberst said in a statement. “Phil Lynott’s vocal delivery and lyrics exemplify nonchalant cool. On top of that they gave the world a reason to invent the word guitarmonies. I think this is such a beautiful love song. It felt really good to sing.â€

The track has been released as part of record label Secretly Canadian’s 25th anniversary charity campaign. Download it here and check it out below:

Speaking about the project, Secretly Canadian said: “It’s a weird year to come-of-age, but as with any good coming-of-age story, the end is really the beginning, right? The movie ends and the whole next phase of life begins. We find new ideas and new purpose.”

The project will raise funds for New Hope For Families, an organisation that “provides housing and other services to families experiencing homelessness in our hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. There are a reported 334 unhoused people in Bloomington, including 81 children and 34 families”.

“When faced with what to do with this milestone, we could’ve thrown a big party but after 13 months of an imploded social life, what else do you do but re-entrench? Drill down to the hyper-local where you can make meaningful change? Keep your eye aimed toward a better future,” the label continued.

Arab Strap return with new song “Aphelion” from upcoming 7-inch

Will Richards
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Arab Strap return with new song “Aphelion” from upcoming 7-inch
Arab Strap have returned with a brand new song and announced details of a forthcoming 7-inch single – hear "Aphelion" below. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut The Scottish duo – Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton – returned in 2021 with their first alb...

Arab Strap have returned with a brand new song and announced details of a forthcoming 7-inch single – hear “Aphelion” below.

The Scottish duo – Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton – returned in 2021 with their first album as Arab Strap in 16 years. As Days Get Dark went on to be nominated for the SAY (Scottish Album Of The Year) Award.

“Aphelion” will appear on a new 7-inch single, due out on March 4 via Mogwai’s Rock Action label and also featuring another new track called “Flutter”.

“These two songs were written, recorded and mixed during the sessions for As Days Get Dark but as much we loved them, we couldn’t find a place for them on the final album,†Moffat explained in a statement.

“Maybe it’s because they seem to have their own distinct identities, but sometimes a song just sounds better on its own, when it’s not part of a crowd and vying for attention. So, to celebrate the anniversary of the album’s release, we present As Days Get Dark‘s two runaway loners; a couple of black sheep who might not click with the rest of the family but, even though they aren’t very happy, are still worth a cuddle.”

Listen to “Aphelion” below and pre-order the 7-inch single here.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis announce new film “This Much I Know To Be True”

Sam Moore
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Nick Cave and Warren Ellis announce new film “This Much I Know To Be True”
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have announced details of a new feature film titled This Much I Know To Be True. Billed as a companion piece to the 2016 music documentary One More Time With Feeling, the new film will see Cave and Ellis working once again with director Andrew Dominik. ORDER NOW: J...

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have announced details of a new feature film titled This Much I Know To Be True.

Billed as a companion piece to the 2016 music documentary One More Time With Feeling, the new film will see Cave and Ellis working once again with director Andrew Dominik.

This Much I Know To Be True will explore Cave and Ellis’ creative relationship and songs from their last two studio albums, 2019’s Ghosteen (by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds) and last year’s Carnage (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis).

As Deadline reports, the new film was shot on location in London and Brighton last year, and will “document the duo’s first performances of the albums and feature a special appearance by close friend and long-term collaborator, Marianne Faithfull“.

“Interstitial pieces between the songs,” meanwhile, “will ‘illuminate the cosmology and themes of the music'” that is heard, while Cave will delve into the process behind his fan Q&A website The Red Hand Files.

The film will also visit the workshop where Cave is “creating a series of sculptures depicting the life of the Devil”.

This Much I Know To Be True is set to be released later this year, with more details set to fellow.

Cave and Ellis are providing the score for Dominik’s forthcoming Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde. The trio previously worked together on the 2007 film The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.

Last year, The Bad Seeds pair supplied the original score to the film La Panthère Des Neiges (also known as The Velvet Queen).

Mary Wilson – The Motown Anthology

Terry Staunton
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Mary Wilson – The Motown Anthology
The writing was on the wall for Mary Wilson long before “Reflectionsâ€, The Supremes’ 1967 hit, and 13th consecutive million-seller. It may have been the first single where the name of the group on the label was prefaced by the words “Diana Ross And...â€, but lead vocal opportunities were al...

The writing was on the wall for Mary Wilson long before “Reflectionsâ€, The Supremes’ 1967 hit, and 13th consecutive million-seller. It may have been the first single where the name of the group on the label was prefaced by the words “Diana Ross And…â€, but lead vocal opportunities were already scarce – Wilson was afforded the middle-mic spotlight on just three tracks from the trio’s previous half-dozen albums.

Yet, even when Motown founder Berry Gordy stepped back from overseeing the trio three years later to focus on the departing Ross’ solo career, Wilson continued, to a degree, playing second fiddle to Ross’ replacement, Jean Terrell. She’s front and centre for two big-hitters from the post-Diana era, trading verses with Terrell on 1971’s “Floy Joy†and whisperingly seductive on the following year’s “Automatically Sunshineâ€, and this two-disc compilation sets out to retrieve less lauded performances that fell between the cracks.

The division of labour to come is absent on 1960’s soaring, Spector-like Motown prequel “Pretty Baby†when the group were still trading as The Primettes (a female counterpoint to the all-male Primes before they evolved into The Temptations). Not long after those teen beginnings, “Our Day Will Come†reveals Wilson to be developing the chops of a nuanced jazz balladeer in the mould of Nancy Wilson or Dinah Washington.

In some ways, however, her versatility had a tendency to backfire; “Son Of A Preacher Man†is a frustratingly rigid carbon copy of the vocal phrasing employed by Dusty Springfield on the hit version released just a few months earlier, and there’s similarly uninspired mimicry when Wilson’s solo cut of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River†adheres far too close to the Tina Turner playbook.

But on the occasions where Wilson’s own personality is given space to breathe the results can be powerfully affecting, dominant on the soulful grandeur of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil’s “You Turn Me Around†or the Philly-soaked splendour of Brian and Eddie Holland’s “Early Morning Loveâ€, both from 1975. It’s arguably the triumph of these tracks in particular that prompted her to take full solo flight two years later, after a spell touring as a Supremes nostalgia act following the group’s dissolution.

Motown kept her on the books for an eponymous long-playing solo debut (all seven tracks from which are included here), yet in its determination to ride the ubiquitous 1979 disco wave, its contents suffer from a disconcerting lack of light and shade. Producer Hal Davis (an 11th-hour replacement for Marvin Gaye who bowed out to focus on messy divorce proceedings) had played a significant role in the Jackson Five’s later releases for the label, but while he conjures a crisp sound delivered by top-drawer sessioneers, the songs of Frank Busey and John Duarte make little impression.

Only “You Make Me Feel So Goodâ€, with its lush string arrangement and punchy horns, comes close to recapturing the spirited joyousness of Wilson’s best Supremes outings, and the overall weaknesses of the album may have hastened the label’s decision to promote it by booking the singer onto the off-the-beaten-track cabaret circuit where she was obliged to revisit yesteryear hits more commonly associated with Ross’ voice.

It was on one such jaunt in the UK that she met Elton John’s producer of choice Gus Dudgeon, and while Motown green-lit the hiring of the Englishman to return Wilson to winning ways, they pulled the plug on the project after just a handful of tracks had been completed, before dropping her from the label. However, four recordings salvaged from the Dudgeon sessions and included here suggest a reversal of fortunes might have been just around the corner.

British songwriting duo Guy Fletcher and Doug Flett (authors of several early ’70s Cliff Richard hits) guided Wilson closer to the smoky jazz of her best Supremes work on “Love Talk†and attempted a crossover foothold in the country market with “Save Meâ€, but while playing to what they perceived as the singer’s strengths they seemed to alienate a Motown hierarchy nervous about abandoning disco entirely. The Dudgeon-produced “You Dance My Heart Around The Stars†did get a belated release in 2020 on California Feeling: Volume One, an album celebrating the career of its writer, American poet and sometime Beach Boys collaborator Stephen Kalinich.

Wilson wouldn’t release another album until 1992’s Walk The Line, filling the intervening years with activism and charity work, as well as authoring two volumes of autobiography. The first, 1986’s Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme, hit headlines by cataloguing the misery of working in the shadow of the increasingly diva-like Ross, and there was further friction when Wilson bailed on a proposed 2000 Supremes reunion tour after learning she and Cindy Birdsong would be paid a fraction of what Ross would earn from the dates.

Dignity intact, Wilson made intermittent returns to music up until her death from cardiovascular disease in February 2021, aged 76, yet her lasting legacy is as one-third of one of the world’s biggest-selling vocal groups. Songs sung by another may form the bulk of most compilations, but there’s plenty of vibrant, vital evidence here to dispel
any notions of her being just along for the ride.

Cat Power – Covers

Alastair McKay
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Cat Power – Covers
A cover can be a disguise or a source of warmth. Or it can be someone else’s song. For Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, all definitions apply. Ask her to explain the process of choosing which songs to record on her third album of covers and she will respond with a rush of consciousness that mirrors t...

A cover can be a disguise or a source of warmth. Or it can be someone else’s song. For Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, all definitions apply. Ask her to explain the process of choosing which songs to record on her third album of covers and she will respond with a rush of consciousness that mirrors the way the record was made.

Some of the songs evolved through live performance, sometimes as reactions to Marshall’s own compositions. She took to singing Frank Ocean’s “Bad Religion†as an antidote to performing “In Your Face†(from 2018’s Wanderer) on tour, seeing it as a way of not getting pulled down by the weight of her own composition. Clearly, the line between resilience and despair is drawn in chalk, because “Bad Religion†is a confessional about a long night of the soul, with a taxi driver in the role of therapist, or at least an empathetic pair of ears. In Ocean’s version, the religious imagery is foregrounded by the arrangement. Ocean’s driver is Muslim, and the cultural awkwardness he described prompted some wayward interpretations of the lyrics. Marshall swerves this by having her cabbie say “praise the Lord†rather than “Allahu akbarâ€, a tweak that rewires one of the song’s oscillations between self-pity and prejudice.

Then there is “Unhateâ€, a remodelling of Marshall’s own song, “Hateâ€, from her 2006 album, The Greatest. The original is a song about suicide, and it unfurls with such world-weariness that the singer barely remembers to add the veneer of poetry. “Unhate†is less barefaced and, though it could never be mistaken for a party anthem, the tune is infused with more electricity. The treatment of Marshall’s voice adds a spectral quality. She sounds less defeated. Marshall views the song as being akin to a phone call to a friend in need, and rings off saying “no – don’t even tryâ€. That intention colours much of her work, though the friend in need is often the singer herself.

If that sounds grim, it isn’t. Musically, The Greatest marked a musical reinvention for Cat Power. Al Green’s band offered a fresh context for Marshall’s voice, adding volume, giving strength to frailty. Marshall was revealed as an inverted soul singer. She looks in, rather than out. She goes down rather than up. She doesn’t explode. She implodes.

The sound has developed since, notably in the treatment of the voice. In Marshall’s early career, nakedness was a strength. The voice was intimate, confessional. Now, her vocals tend to arrive in a Cat-chorus of Auto-Tune, leaving the singer less alone, which offers some comfort. But Marshall’s introversion isn’t about certainty, and the competing voices – her own – sound like ambiguity, multiplied.

There is a dreamy, unconscious quality to the way Marshall inhabits a song. The Covers sessions were big on spontaneity. For the first five cuts the band got into a groove, and Marshall retreated into the vocal booth to wait for a song to arrive. It was, she says, about “the energy of not knowing what you’re doingâ€. The first song cued by the human jukebox was Bob Seger’s “Against The Windâ€, inspired by Marshall’s memory of being on a small boat with a friend. When he received bad news by text, Marshall commandeered the Bluetooth and played Seger’s anthem of romantic self-determination as they navigated the Mediterranean. Marshall, of course, plays it anti-clockwise, stripping out the cowboy imagery and the chest-puffing as Erik Paparozzi adds overlapping folds of minimal piano. An epic is transformed into a circle of numbed neurosis.

Next to emerge was Nick Cave’s “I Had A Dream, Joeâ€, prompted by Alianna Kalaba’s ominous drumming. Marshall had performed Cave’s “Into My Arms†live but her interpretation of “Joe†is itself dreamlike. She repeats the title as the tune rumbles on. Cave goes for demented jabbering; Marshall fixates on nightmarish fear.

Some of the choices are surprising. The Pogues’ “A Pair Of Brown Eyes†arrives like a transmission from a distant galaxy, halfway between Laurie Anderson and Shane MacGowan. Kitty Wells’ “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels†has steel, and a lot of #MeToo energy. The reboot of Nico’s arrangement of Jackson Browne’s “These Days†is sparse and – unusually for Marshall – warmer than the original, though it remains a song about a woman who is barely hanging on. Iggy Pop’s “Endless Sea†is dialled down, to be more about dissolving emotions than biblical alienation.

And so it goes, until you realise that, though they come from diverse musical traditions – the winding road between Billie Holiday and Lana Del Rey – the selections on this Cat Power mixtape carry a message of hope. For Marshall, every song is a torch, and there is none more illuminating than her hazy occupation of Paul Westerberg’s “Here Comes A Regularâ€. In Marshall’s reading, it’s a song about drinking alone, the lure of the dive bar, the salvation of the jukebox, the power of the song. There is a watery quality to the voice but Marshall swims directly towards the safe harbour of redemption. She does not wave, she does not drown.

BBC Four to air Ronnie Spector special on Friday

Will Lavin
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BBC Four to air Ronnie Spector special on Friday
BBC Four has announced it will air a TV special tonight (January 14) honouring the late Ronnie Spector. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut READ MORE: The making of The Ronettes’ “Be My Babyâ€: “It was pure everything†The '60s icon and leader of T...

BBC Four has announced it will air a TV special tonight (January 14) honouring the late Ronnie Spector.

The ’60s icon and leader of The Ronettes died on Wednesday (January 12) at the age of 78 “after a brief battle with cancer”, her family confirmed in a statement.

“She was with family and in the arms of her husband, Jonathan,” Spector’s family wrote. “Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humour and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude. Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her.”

BBC Four is paying tribute to Spector by changing its schedule on Friday to air a programme titled Ronnie Spector At The BBC.

According to a press release, the 30-minute special will dig through the BBC archives to look back at Spector’s landmark musical achievements.

The Ronettes 1964
Ronnie Spector (centre) with The Ronettes in 1964. Image: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

“This journey through the archives features Ronnie in her own words, discussing her life and career through the years,” the press release reads. “It also includes a selection of her incredible performances on BBC, including on Later… With Jools Holland, David Essex, The Old Grey Whistle Test and her most recent performance at Glastonbury Festival on the Park Stage in 2016.”

Ronnie Spector At The BBC airs on Friday (January 14) from 9pm to 9:30pm on BBC Four.

Tributes have poured in since news broke of Spector’s death. The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson wrote: “I just heard the news about Ronnie Spector and I don’t know what to say. I loved her voice so much and she was a very special person and a dear friend. This just breaks my heart. Ronnie’s music and spirit will live forever.”

Steve Van Zandt added: “RIP Ronnie Spector. It was an honour to Produce her and encourage her to get back on stage where she remained for the next 45 years. Her record with the E Street Band helped sustain us at a very precarious time (thanks to Steve Popovich). Condolences to her husband and family.â€

You can see more tributes to Spector here.

Mogwai reschedule UK and European tour dates to spring

Arusa Qureshi
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Mogwai reschedule UK and European tour dates to spring
Mogwai have announced they're moving their UK and European shows to spring. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut READ MORE: Mogwai: Album By Album The Glasgow band were due to start their tour on January 27 in Milan, with a date scheduled at London's Alexand...

Mogwai have announced they’re moving their UK and European shows to spring.

The Glasgow band were due to start their tour on January 27 in Milan, with a date scheduled at London’s Alexandra Palace on February 25. However, they have now pushed back the gigs to April and May due to the current surge in cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

The band will now start their tour in Copenhagen on April 30, heading to London’s Alexandra Palace on May 27. All original tickets will remain valid, however a new date for their Utrecht show is still to be confirmed. Find tickets here.

The upcoming tour will follow the band’s North American dates, which start on April 5 in Washington, DC, rolling through a further 13 US and two Canadian cities before wrapping up in San Diego on Sunday April 24.

The Scottish group released their 10th studio album As The Love Continues back in February 2021, going on to score their first-ever UK Number One with the project. In celebration of achieving the feat, they later confirmed a special homecoming show for November.

In October, they won the 2021 Scottish Album Of The Year award for As The Love Continues, beating out the likes of Biffy Clyro, Stanley Odd and The Snuts, and were also nominated for the 2021 Mercury Prize.

Mogwai’s 2022 UK and European tour dates:

APRIL
Saturday 30 – Copenhagen, Denmark, Grey Hall

MAY
Sunday 1 – Malmo, Sweden – Plan B
Monday 2 – Aarhus, Denmark – Voxhall
Saturday 7 – Paris, France – Salle Pleyel
Monday 9 – Rome, Italy – Atlantico
Tuesday 10 – Milan, Italy – Fabrique
Wednesday 11 – Moderna, Italy – Vox Club
Tuesday 17 – Cologne, Germany – Live Music Hall
Wednesday 18 – Brussels, Belgium – Anciennce Belgique
Saturday 21 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom
Sunday 22 – Munich, Germany – Muffathalle
Monday 23 – Heidelberg, Germany – Halle 02
Friday 27 – London, UK – Alexandra Palace

Hear Hurray For The Riff Raff’s new track, “PIERCED ARROWS”

Michael Bonner
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Hear Hurray For The Riff Raff’s new track, “PIERCED ARROWS”
Hurray For The Riff Raff (aka Alynda Segarra) have released a new track, “PIERCED ARROWSâ€. The track is taken from Segarra’s forthcoming album, LIFE ON EARTH, which is released by Nonesuch on February 18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBi7sQA3Nbs The song also appears on a special 5...

Hurray For The Riff Raff (aka Alynda Segarra) have released a new track, “PIERCED ARROWSâ€.

The track is taken from Segarra’s forthcoming album, LIFE ON EARTH, which is released by Nonesuch on February 18.

The song also appears on a special 5-track Hurray For The Riff Raff sampler CD available exclusively to subscribers with the March 2022 issue of Uncut.

You can also read an exclusive interview with Segarra in the latest issue of Uncut.

Segarra calls it “a heartbreak song, lost in the realm of memory. Being stuck in the past, and finding the rapidly changing world uncanny and bizarre. Trying to outrun trauma. Finding a meeting place between tough and tender. Memory replaying inside/beside you, triggering fight or flight responses.â€

Director Lucia Honey says of the video, “We took inspiration from arthouse cinema from the turn of the millennium. Run Lola Run, Requiem for a Dream, My Own Private Idaho. We wanted ‘Pierced Arrows’ to have a gritty narrative feel but that still indulged in a surrealist aesthetic. The song lends itself to a narrative climax. The first time I heard it, I felt like I was in the middle of a brewing storm. I couldn’t escape the reference to Hurricane Ida, which hit Southern Louisiana hard in late August. This blended well with themes from Alynda’s song which is largely about running from a past that always catches up to you. Hence physical running in industrial landscapes. Metal. Trainyards. Escapism. Cold anxiety. Being stuck in a trauma loop.â€

Sufjan Stevens, The Shins, Iron & Wine sing backing vocals on Rosie Thomas’ new Björk cover

Rhian Daly
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Sufjan Stevens, The Shins, Iron & Wine sing backing vocals on Rosie Thomas’ new Björk cover
Sufjan Stevens, The Shins and Iron & Wine all feature on Rosie Thomas’ new cover of Björk’s "All Is Full Of Love" – scroll down the page to listen to it now. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut READ MORE: Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension The...

Sufjan Stevens, The Shins and Iron & Wine all feature on Rosie Thomas’ new cover of Björk’s “All Is Full Of Love” – scroll down the page to listen to it now.

The track is part of Thomas’ Lullabies For Parents series, which collates multimedia including music, podcasts, videos, essays and more in “an attempt to reach out to parents and help them self-sootheâ€.

The indie all-stars recruited by the Nashville-based musician provide backing vocals on the new version of Björk’s 1997 track. The original was first released on the Icelandic star’s third album Homogenic before being released as a single in 1999.

Thomas’ version strips back the original song’s beats and harp ripples in favour of layering vocals and piano to create something tranquil and reassuring. Listen to it below now.

As well as Stevens, The Shins and Iron & Wine, the new take on “All Is Full Of Love” also features vocals from Alexi Murdoch, The Head And The Heart’s Charity Theilen, The Lone Bellow’s Kanene Pipkin, William Fitzsimmons, Dawn Landes, Audrey Assad, Leigh Nash, Denison Witmer, Josh Ottum, Beau Jennings, Kyshona Armstrong, Kevin Brace, Buster Shoop, Alvie Shoop and Jeff Shoop.

Lullabies For Parents will be released on April 4 and can be pre-ordered on Thomas’ Bandcamp page now. Watch a full trailer for the project below.

 

Aldous Harding announces new album Warm Chris and shares single “Lawn”

Sam Moore
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Aldous Harding announces new album Warm Chris and shares single “Lawn”
Aldous Harding has announced details of her new album Warm Chris - you can listen to her new single "Lawn" below. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut The New Zealand musician will release the follow-up to her April 2019 record Designer'on March 25 via 4AD. ...

Aldous Harding has announced details of her new album Warm Chris – you can listen to her new single “Lawn” below.

The New Zealand musician will release the follow-up to her April 2019 record Designer‘on March 25 via 4AD.

Warm Chris was produced by John Parish (who also produced Designer and Harding‘s 2017 LP Party), with all 10 tracks being recorded at Rockfield Studios. Harding‘s 2021 single “Old Peel” does not make the final cut, however.

The album includes contributions from Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson as well as H. Hawkline, Seb Rochford, Gavin Fitzjohn and John and Hopey Parish.

Warm Chris has been previewed with the single “Lawn”. The video for the track, directed by Harding and Martin Sagadin, can be seen above.

You can see the tracklist for Aldous Harding‘s Warm Chris below.

1. “Ennui”
2. “Tick Tock”
3. “Fever”
4. “Warm Chris”
5. “Lawn”
6. “Passion Babe”
7. “She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain”
8. “Staring At The Henry Moore”
9. “Bubbles”
10. “Leathery Whip”

Harding will tour in the UK, Ireland and across Europe from March to April – you can see details of her UK and Ireland tour dates below, and find tickets here.

MARCH 2022
30 – Barbican, London
31 – Barbican, London

APRIL 2022
1 – The Waterfront, Norwich
3 – City Halls, Glasgow
5 – National Concert Hall, Dublin
7 – Albert Hall, Manchester
8 – The Dome, Brighton
10 – The Tramshed, Cardiff
11 – Trinity, Bristol
12 – Trinity, Bristol

Ronnie Spector has died, aged 78

Rhian Daly
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Ronnie Spector has died, aged 78
Ronnie Spector, the leader of The Ronettes, has died at the age of 78, her family has confirmed in a statement. She died on January 12 “after a brief battle with cancerâ€, the statement – which was posted to her official website – read. “She was with family and in the arms of her husb...

Ronnie Spector, the leader of The Ronettes, has died at the age of 78, her family has confirmed in a statement.

She died on January 12 “after a brief battle with cancerâ€, the statement – which was posted to her official website – read.

“She was with family and in the arms of her husband, Jonathan,†Spector’s family wrote. “Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humour and a smile on her face.  She was filled with love and gratitude. Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her.

“In lieu of flowers, Ronnie requested that donations be made to your local women’s shelter or to the American Indian College Fund. A celebration of Ronnie’s life and music will be announced in the future. The family respectfully asks for privacy at this time.â€

Ronnie Spector
Ronnie Spector. Credit: Getty Images

Spector formed a group, originally known as The Darling Sisters, alongside her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley in New York in 1957. They released a handful of singles with Colpix under the moniker Ronnie And The Relatives from 1961 and later changed their name to The Ronettes after signing with Phil Spector’s Philles Records in 1963.

Their first release on Philles Records was the iconic track “Be My Baby”, which scored them their first Top 10 single on the Billboard Top 100 in 1963, peaking at Number Two. They followed it up with “Baby, I Love You”, while they also appeared on the label’s compilation album “A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector”.

The group only released one studio album in their career – 1964’s Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica. They continued to release singles sporadically until they broke up in 1967, following a tour supporting The Beatles.

Spector decided to reform the group in 1974 after divorcing her husband, replacing Bennett and Talley with Chip Fields and Denise Edwards. They released one single – 1974’s “I Wish I Never Saw The Sun Shine” – before the outfit folded once again.

The singer went on to launch her own solo career, releasing four solo albums between 1980 and 2016, plus three EPs. Prior to making full-length records, she also put out seven singles, including 1964’s So Young and 1976’s Paradise. On her 2006 solo record Last Of The Rock Stars she collaborated with the likes of Patti Smith, The Raconteurs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner and more, while in 2017, she shared a new track called “Love Power” under the name Ronnie Spector And The Ronettes.

With The Ronettes, Spector has been inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1999 for “Be My Baby”, the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame in 2004 and the People’s Hall Of Rock And Roll Legends in 2010.

The Ronettes 1964
Ronnie Spector (centre) with The Ronettes in 1964. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

In 2007, they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame by The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards. At the event, Spector and Talley performed “Baby, I Love You”, “Walking In The Rain” and “Be My Baby”.

Spector documented her life in the 1990 memoir Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts And Madness, Or, My Life As A Fabulous Ronette. The book is set to be adapted into a film, with Zendaya confirmed to play Spector.

Tributes have begun to pour in since news broke of Spector’s death. The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson wrote: “I just heard the news about Ronnie Spector and I don’t know what to say. I loved her voice so much and she was a very special person and a dear friend. This just breaks my heart. Ronnie’s music and spirit will live forever. Love & Mercy, Brian.â€

“Absolutely gutted to hear this news,†Garbage’s Shirley Manson tweeted. “Dear beautiful, talented , fierce Ronnie. I will love you eternally. But then again you knew that.â€

Stevie Van Zandt added: “RIP Ronnie Spector. It was an honor to Produce her and encourage her to get back on stage where she remained for the next 45 years. Her record with the E Street Band helped sustain us at a very precarious time (thanks to Steve Popovich). Condolences to her husband and family.”

See more tributes to Ronnie Spector below.

The new issue of Uncut comes with an exclusive Johnny Marr CD

Uncut
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The new issue of Uncut comes with an exclusive Johnny Marr CD
Johnny Marr has compiled a free, 12-track CD that is only available with the new issue of Uncut – which is on sale January 13 and also available to buy online. Marr has always been an avid music fan and this 12-track selection titled Fever Dreaming underscores his continuing passion and commitm...

Johnny Marr has compiled a free, 12-track CD that is only available with the new issue of Uncut – which is on sale January 13 and also available to buy online.

Marr has always been an avid music fan and this 12-track selection titled Fever Dreaming underscores his continuing passion and commitment. There are some old favourites here – as well as a trove of discoveries, including tracks from Broken Social Scene, Sparks, Khruangbin and more.

“I wanted to give people a taste of what I have been listening to over the last few years, whether I’m driving, setting up in the studio or at home,†Marr says. “I’m often asked whether I think guitar bands are a thing of the past – and this selection is one of the reasons I can give why the answer is no!â€

Fever Dreaming Johnny Marr free CD March 2022 issue

The new Uncut also features an exclusive interview with The Smiths guitarist to discuss his most ambitious album to date: his upcoming solo full-length release, Fever Dreams Pts. 1-4.

Also inside the latest issue, Carole King, Lou Reed, The Damned, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Black Country, New Road, Cate Le Bon and loads more.

Order the latest issue of Uncut now.

Listen to Cate Le Bon’s woozy new song “Remembering Me”

Charlotte Krol
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Listen to Cate Le Bon’s woozy new song “Remembering Me”
Cate Le Bon has shared the final preview of her new album Pompeii – watch the video for "Remembering Me" below. ORDER NOW: Paul Weller is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut READ MORE: Cate Le Bon: “I hate everything I do right after I’ve done it!†The Welsh musician/produc...

Cate Le Bon has shared the final preview of her new album Pompeii – watch the video for “Remembering Me” below.

The Welsh musician/producer will release the follow-up to 2019’s Reward on February 4, 2022 via Mexican Summer, which you can pre-order here.

“Remembering Me” follows the singles “Running Away” and “Moderation”.

Le Bon said of the song: ““Remembering Me” is a neurotic diary entry that questions notions of legacy and warped sentimentalism in the desperate need to self-mythologise.”

Its accompanying, sparse music video is directed by Juliana Giraffe and Nicola Giraffe of Giraffe Studios and features costumes by Monica Adriana Rowlands.

Of her sixth album, Le Bon said: “Pompeii was written and recorded in a quagmire of unease. Solo. In a time warp. In a house I had a life in 15 years ago. I grappled with existence, resignation and faith. I felt culpable for the mess but it smacked hard of the collective guilt imposed by religion and original sin.

“The subtitle is: You will be forever connected to everything. Which, depending on the time of day, is as comforting as it is terrifying. The sense of finality has always been here. It seems strangely hopeful. Someone is playing with the focus lens.”

She continued: “The world is on fire but the bins must go out on a Tuesday night. Political dissonance meets beauty regimes. I put a groove behind it for something to hold on to. The grief is in the saxophones.â€

Cate Le Bon also heads out on a UK and European tour later this year – see dates below.

MARCH
15 – London, UK @ Hackney Empire
16 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
17 – Glasgow, UK @ Queen Margaret Union
18 – Belfast, IE @ Empire Music Hall
19 – Dublin, IE @ The National Concert Hall
21 – Liverpool, UK @ Arts Club
22 – Leeds, UK @ Irish Centre
23 – Birmingham, UK @ The Mill
28 – Lille, FR @ L’Aeronef
29 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
31 – Lyon, FR @ Epicerie Moderne

APRIL
01 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F
02 – Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur
03 – Leipzig, DE @ UT Connewitz
05 – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club
06 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher
07 – Hus 7 / Slaktkyrkan @ Stockholm, SE
08 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatre
09 – Copenhagen, DK @ Small Vega
11 – Brussels, BE @ AB Box
12 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso

Jazz and funk musician James Mtume has died, aged 76

Sam Moore
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Jazz and funk musician James Mtume has died, aged 76
James Mtume, the influential jazz and funk musician who founded the band Mtume and worked with a host of music legends, has died at the age of 76. Mtume's family confirmed that he died on Sunday (January 9), with his granddaughter Yamani writing on Instagram: "Thank you for all your kind words. T...

James Mtume, the influential jazz and funk musician who founded the band Mtume and worked with a host of music legends, has died at the age of 76.

Mtume’s family confirmed that he died on Sunday (January 9), with his granddaughter Yamani writing on Instagram: “Thank you for all your kind words. The entire Mtume family is absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.

“We are so grateful to have shared him with you.”

Mtume was the biological son of jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath, and changed his name to Mtume (which is Swahili for “messengerâ€) during his time with the Cultural Nationalist Organization US in the late 1960s.

In the early 1970s he switched his focus to music, touring and recording as a percussionist with jazz legend Miles Davis, as well as the likes of Duke Ellington, McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard and Sonny Rollins.

In 1978 he released Kiss This World Goodbye, the debut album by his Mtume group. The band’s other records included 1983’s Juicy Fruit, with the title track becoming one of the band’s biggest hits (and was later sampled by The Notorious B.I.G. for his 1994 song “Juicy”).

Mtume also worked as a songwriter and producer, forming a productive partnership with Reggie Lucas which included Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’s “The Closer I Get To You”, Phyllis Hyman’s “You Know How To Love Me” and Stephanie Mills’ “Never Knew Love Like This Before”. The duo’s sound was described by Mtume as “sophistifunkâ€.

The late musician was also known for his score to the 1986 film Native Son, and later became a radio personality on New York City’s KISS 98.7 FM.

Tributes for Mtume have been shared on social media – you can see a selection of those below.

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