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Dexys: “Nowhere Is Home”, “Lost”, “Now”

John Mulvey
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Dexys: “Nowhere Is Home”, “Lost”, “Now”

Some stats: it has been 27 years since the last Dexys album, and nine since they released two new songs ("Manhood" and "My Life in England") on a compilation album that coincided with their reunion tour. “Manhood”, though, was the best part of a decade old even then, having been performed by a fleeting configuration of Dexys that involved leather chaps, Big Jimmy Paterson, some demos and a sensational appearance on Saturday Zoo (I’ve found the audio here; sadly I can’t locate the actual footage of Kevin Rowland dropping to his knees in soul supplication before Paterson). In the interim, of course, there was Rowland’s solo covers set, “My Beauty”. But the truth is that Rowland hasn’t released a full complement of original songs since his first solo album, “The Wanderer”, in 1988 (a record that deserves at least as much reciprocal love as that which is now routinely awarded to “My Beauty”, I’d say). All of which is a long way of justifying the anticipation which surrounds, for at least some of us, the new Dexys album, “One Day I’m Going To Soar”, due in June. In case you’ve missed the stories, the ‘Midnight Runners’ tag has been dropped, and the core of the band remains from the 2003 tour: Rowland, sometime old members Pete Williams and Mick Talbot (also ex-Style Council, of course), and Neil Hubbard, who played guitar in Roxy Music for a while. An unusual – unprecedented, perhaps – stability in Dexys affairs seems to underpin the protracted gestation of these songs. When you start hearing the new Dexys material, though, a different kind of consistency emerges: the realisation that, at 58, Kevin Rowland’s musical vision, his preoccupations, his restless and questing imperative, remain as striking as ever. For those who stayed around after “Come On Eileen”, who had at least a hunch that “Don’t Stand Me Down” was the best Dexys album (that maybe it might be one of their favourite albums full stop, in fact), who treasured the last Dexys single, “Because Of You”, even while they were recoiling from the fact that it soundtracked Brush Strokes, who got the point of “My Beauty” while the multitudes sneered… well, it looks like we’re going to love “One Day I’m Going To Soar”. Evidence in the public domain is, thus far, restricted to this tantalising two-minute clip of how the album begins. The song is called “Now”, and seems to begin more or less where “Don’t Stand Me Down” ended, with a lilting piano ballad about Rowland’s Irish ancestry (addressed to his mother, possibly), before it kicks off into a classically rousing Dexys celtic soul track which tackles Rowland’s previous erratic behaviour, his questing spirit and his “urge for flight” with a fresh dynamism and optimism. Hopefully it’ll roll on for another good few minutes in the style of “This Is What She’s Like”, though we’ll have to wait and see. I have, though, been sent a couple more tracks, both tremendous. One is called “Nowhere Is Home”, which juxtaposes those reassuring fiddles against a twanging country soul guitar line – played by Hubbard, presumably – that sounds like something from a Muscle Shoals session. Rowland, meanwhile, begins by trying out a new voice, chewing consonants in a curious and engaging manner (someone here mentioned latterday Dylan) before, at about the two minute mark, his voice suddenly soars into one of those righteous, ultra-melodic declamations of old. “I don’t know where I belong,” he sings, as moving as ever, and once again resisting over-simplified analysis. Rowland’s position remains complicated, as he talks about his Irish roots but asserts his independence from them, a rootlessness which can sometimes be isolating, and sometimes liberating. Mostly, here, he sounds empowered, but he can’t resist scratching itches that date back to the very first Dexys single, “Burn It Down” (“Dance Stance”) – to whit, “Take your Irish stereotype, and shove it up your arse.” If you’ve read all the way down to here, I think you’re going to like it. “Lost”, meanwhile, might be even better, again beginning with a reflective mellowness, childhood reminiscences and dreams, chamber strings, even a harp – “I dreamed about beauty” – before the whole track ramps up and Rowland starts analysing how he’s felt so lost inside, with a simultaneous anguish and swagger that ranks alongside his very best performances. There’s a spoken word interlude – from Pete Williams, possibly, though it could be Rowland himself – urging him on to face up to reality. And again, the richness of the sound is not much removed from “Don’t Stand Me Down”; the dinky synth backing of “Manhood” have been ditched for a much more organic feel. In three minutes, there’s the essence of what made – and makes, it seems – Dexys one of the very finest British bands: a gorgeous grasp of melody; an innate understanding of the possibilities of soul music when applied to different lives and contexts; astonishing performance; and a perisistent conflict between confidence and doubt, among multiple other dichotomies, that ensure Rowland’s music remains intensely personal, volatile and hearteningly, passionately human. Shaping up to be an auspicious comeback: give “Now” a listen and let me know what you think? Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey

Some stats: it has been 27 years since the last Dexys album, and nine since they released two new songs (“Manhood” and “My Life in England”) on a compilation album that coincided with their reunion tour.

“Manhood”, though, was the best part of a decade old even then, having been performed by a fleeting configuration of Dexys that involved leather chaps, Big Jimmy Paterson, some demos and a sensational appearance on Saturday Zoo (I’ve found the audio here; sadly I can’t locate the actual footage of Kevin Rowland dropping to his knees in soul supplication before Paterson). In the interim, of course, there was Rowland’s solo covers set, “My Beauty”. But the truth is that Rowland hasn’t released a full complement of original songs since his first solo album, “The Wanderer”, in 1988 (a record that deserves at least as much reciprocal love as that which is now routinely awarded to “My Beauty”, I’d say).

All of which is a long way of justifying the anticipation which surrounds, for at least some of us, the new Dexys album, “One Day I’m Going To Soar”, due in June. In case you’ve missed the stories, the ‘Midnight Runners’ tag has been dropped, and the core of the band remains from the 2003 tour: Rowland, sometime old members Pete Williams and Mick Talbot (also ex-Style Council, of course), and Neil Hubbard, who played guitar in Roxy Music for a while. An unusual – unprecedented, perhaps – stability in Dexys affairs seems to underpin the protracted gestation of these songs.

When you start hearing the new Dexys material, though, a different kind of consistency emerges: the realisation that, at 58, Kevin Rowland’s musical vision, his preoccupations, his restless and questing imperative, remain as striking as ever. For those who stayed around after “Come On Eileen”, who had at least a hunch that “Don’t Stand Me Down” was the best Dexys album (that maybe it might be one of their favourite albums full stop, in fact), who treasured the last Dexys single, “Because Of You”, even while they were recoiling from the fact that it soundtracked Brush Strokes, who got the point of “My Beauty” while the multitudes sneered… well, it looks like we’re going to love “One Day I’m Going To Soar”.

Evidence in the public domain is, thus far, restricted to this tantalising two-minute clip of how the album begins. The song is called “Now”, and seems to begin more or less where “Don’t Stand Me Down” ended, with a lilting piano ballad about Rowland’s Irish ancestry (addressed to his mother, possibly), before it kicks off into a classically rousing Dexys celtic soul track which tackles Rowland’s previous erratic behaviour, his questing spirit and his “urge for flight” with a fresh dynamism and optimism. Hopefully it’ll roll on for another good few minutes in the style of “This Is What She’s Like”, though we’ll have to wait and see.

I have, though, been sent a couple more tracks, both tremendous. One is called “Nowhere Is Home”, which juxtaposes those reassuring fiddles against a twanging country soul guitar line – played by Hubbard, presumably – that sounds like something from a Muscle Shoals session. Rowland, meanwhile, begins by trying out a new voice, chewing consonants in a curious and engaging manner (someone here mentioned latterday Dylan) before, at about the two minute mark, his voice suddenly soars into one of those righteous, ultra-melodic declamations of old. “I don’t know where I belong,” he sings, as moving as ever, and once again resisting over-simplified analysis.

Rowland’s position remains complicated, as he talks about his Irish roots but asserts his independence from them, a rootlessness which can sometimes be isolating, and sometimes liberating. Mostly, here, he sounds empowered, but he can’t resist scratching itches that date back to the very first Dexys single, “Burn It Down” (“Dance Stance”) – to whit, “Take your Irish stereotype, and shove it up your arse.” If you’ve read all the way down to here, I think you’re going to like it.

“Lost”, meanwhile, might be even better, again beginning with a reflective mellowness, childhood reminiscences and dreams, chamber strings, even a harp – “I dreamed about beauty” – before the whole track ramps up and Rowland starts analysing how he’s felt so lost inside, with a simultaneous anguish and swagger that ranks alongside his very best performances. There’s a spoken word interlude – from Pete Williams, possibly, though it could be Rowland himself – urging him on to face up to reality.

And again, the richness of the sound is not much removed from “Don’t Stand Me Down”; the dinky synth backing of “Manhood” have been ditched for a much more organic feel. In three minutes, there’s the essence of what made – and makes, it seems – Dexys one of the very finest British bands: a gorgeous grasp of melody; an innate understanding of the possibilities of soul music when applied to different lives and contexts; astonishing performance; and a perisistent conflict between confidence and doubt, among multiple other dichotomies, that ensure Rowland’s music remains intensely personal, volatile and hearteningly, passionately human.

Shaping up to be an auspicious comeback: give “Now” a listen and let me know what you think?

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey

Simple Minds 5 x 5

Michael Bonner
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0
Simple Minds 5 x 5

Their post-punk early years, boxed... There be gold in them stadium rock foothills. Before the superannuated MTV anthems, the spot lit spouses, the charity mega gigs, Simple Minds were the very opposite of boring. They made dark, dazzling, unconventional records whose influence would later echo through the music of U2, Primal Scream, Manic Street Preachers, The Horrors and Blur (speed up the carnival rhythms of “Life In A Day” and “Girls And Boys” drifts into view). A new box-set assiduously tracks this alternative narrative. It contains remastered versions of the band’s first five albums (though it lacks, sadly, any unreleased treasure) and begins with the callow charm of John Leckie-produced debut Life In A Day (1979). Although they’ve outgrown their early incarnation as Johnny & The Self Abusers, the spirited music remains highly derivative, a post-punk melange of Cockney Rebel, The Doors, Roxy Music, Bowie, Magazine and Neu!. Dodgy eight-minute dirge “Pleasantly Disturbed” is prog-rock-meets-the-Velvets. Significant progress is made on Real To Real Cacophony (1979). The work of a band in rapid transition, it features an ambitious, experimental concatenation of styles. “Naked Eye” and “Carnival” are nightmare vaudevilles, the aural equivalent of a hall of mirrors. “Veldt” is incipient world music, a post-colonial dream fever nodding to Peter Gabriel and Bowie’s Lodger. Elsewhere, the growing rhythmic interplay between bassist Derek Forbes and drummer Brian McGhee edges songs onto the dancefloor. “Premonition” is hard, futuristic Euro-funk; “Changeling” metallic post-punk overlaid with a sawing synth groove. Both are wonderful. On Empires And Dance (1980), Leckie’s final album with the band, they follow this path into the heart of disco-rock darkness. Jim Kerr’s agitated travelogue observes Old Europe decadence, pre-war “drug cabarets” and contemporary New European turmoil: Baader-Meinhof, bombs in Rome and Paris. It’s both disturbing and bleakly romantic. On the almost unbearably taut “Thirty Frames A Second” existential panic and the lure of the glitterball unite in perfect lockstep. “I Travel” is whirling dance-rock and the relentless “Celebrate” is a chain-gang electro-blues, a proto-“Personal Jesus”. Slow and monolithic, “Today I Died Again” and “This Fear Of Gods” are suffused with dread. You can certainly see why Empires And Dance might have made a profound impression on the Manic Street Preachers, whose The Holy Bible drew on everything from its cover art to its unsettling themes. The mood changes again on Sons And Fascination/Sister Feeling’s Call (1981). Recording with Gong-master Steve Hillage, the original intention was to make a double album and, although the two records were eventually released simultaneously but apart, they share the same thick, sinister, bass-heavy atmosphere. Smoky tribal rhythms and North African and Middle Eastern melodies snake through “League Of Nations”, “Boys From Brazil” and the title track, while Kerr’s clipped bark is now pitched so low he almost swallows his own words, which are generally disquieting: “Not just the boy who’s crying wolf now / Somebody’s screaming up at our door”. Yet at the same time something less ominous is emerging from the shadows, evident in almost-hits “Love Song” and “The American”, which expires in Charlie Burchill’s thrilling squall of wah-wah. The ability to shackle artfully alienated dance-rock to a warm, hummable chorus point towards New Gold Dream, which appeared in 1982 like a shimmering heat haze, lit up from within with an ambient, golden pop glow. Hits “Promised You A Miracle” and “Glittering Prize” may be persuasive, but it’s “Big Sleep” and Herbie Hancock’s sublime keyboard solo on the mesmerising “Hunter And The Hunted” which attain true transcendence. Sultry assassin’s song “King Is White And In The Crowd” reprises the old menace, but the dawning of a new age in which the cover of Smash Hits was as coveted as that of NME brought these perennial outsiders in from the cold. Simple Minds rapidly became a very different band, sucked into the rock slipstream. Anyone who knows only that part of the story is urged to immerse themselves in these albums which, though far from flawless, are fascinating, endlessly inventive and somewhat magical. Not only have they have never sounded better, they’ve rarely seemed so in tune with the times. Graeme Thomson Q&A Jim Kerr Why do 5 x 5 now? Over the past few tours we’ve been delving into more obscure early songs and finding that some of them had a contemporary vibe. They have a new context. A wealth of newer bands seem to be drawing on, not Simple Minds in particular, but that period in general. Did you want to set the record straight in some way? Nobody owes us anything, but the Simple Minds story has been too condensed. After Live Aid and “Don’t You Forget About Me” there hasn’t been quite the credit for those first few records. I think they contain some really special music. I can hear the flaws but there’s something about the spirit and imagination in them that feels good. They draw from such a wide range of influences. We’d go from really obscure krautrock to Chic and Sister Sledge to Beefheart to Bowie and Eno, but the spirit of it was always Simple Minds. There was no identity loss. Do you have a favourite? Empires And Dance, a travelogue with spiky dance music. We were young men travelling through classical Europe, reading Camus, and it was all feeding the machine. INTERVIEW: GRAEME THOMSON

Their post-punk early years, boxed…

There be gold in them stadium rock foothills. Before the superannuated MTV anthems, the spot lit spouses, the charity mega gigs, Simple Minds were the very opposite of boring. They made dark, dazzling, unconventional records whose influence would later echo through the music of U2, Primal Scream, Manic Street Preachers, The Horrors and Blur (speed up the carnival rhythms of “Life In A Day” and “Girls And Boys” drifts into view).

A new box-set assiduously tracks this alternative narrative. It contains remastered versions of the band’s first five albums (though it lacks, sadly, any unreleased treasure) and begins with the callow charm of John Leckie-produced debut Life In A Day (1979). Although they’ve outgrown their early incarnation as Johnny & The Self Abusers, the spirited music remains highly derivative, a post-punk melange of Cockney Rebel, The Doors, Roxy Music, Bowie, Magazine and Neu!. Dodgy eight-minute dirge “Pleasantly Disturbed” is prog-rock-meets-the-Velvets.

Significant progress is made on Real To Real Cacophony (1979). The work of a band in rapid transition, it features an ambitious, experimental concatenation of styles. “Naked Eye” and “Carnival” are nightmare vaudevilles, the aural equivalent of a hall of mirrors. “Veldt” is incipient world music, a post-colonial dream fever nodding to Peter Gabriel and Bowie’s Lodger. Elsewhere, the growing rhythmic interplay between bassist Derek Forbes and drummer Brian McGhee edges songs onto the dancefloor. “Premonition” is hard, futuristic Euro-funk; “Changeling” metallic post-punk overlaid with a sawing synth groove. Both are wonderful.

On Empires And Dance (1980), Leckie’s final album with the band, they follow this path into the heart of disco-rock darkness. Jim Kerr’s agitated travelogue observes Old Europe decadence, pre-war “drug cabarets” and contemporary New European turmoil: Baader-Meinhof, bombs in Rome and Paris. It’s both disturbing and bleakly romantic. On the almost unbearably taut “Thirty Frames A Second” existential panic and the lure of the glitterball unite in perfect lockstep. “I Travel” is whirling dance-rock and the relentless “Celebrate” is a chain-gang electro-blues, a proto-“Personal Jesus”. Slow and monolithic, “Today I Died Again” and “This Fear Of Gods” are suffused with dread. You can certainly see why Empires And Dance might have made a profound impression on the Manic Street Preachers, whose The Holy Bible drew on everything from its cover art to its unsettling themes.

The mood changes again on Sons And Fascination/Sister Feeling’s Call (1981). Recording with Gong-master Steve Hillage, the original intention was to make a double album and, although the two records were eventually released simultaneously but apart, they share the same thick, sinister, bass-heavy atmosphere. Smoky tribal rhythms and North African and Middle Eastern melodies snake through “League Of Nations”, “Boys From Brazil” and the title track, while Kerr’s clipped bark is now pitched so low he almost swallows his own words, which are generally disquieting: “Not just the boy who’s crying wolf now / Somebody’s screaming up at our door”.

Yet at the same time something less ominous is emerging from the shadows, evident in almost-hits “Love Song” and “The American”, which expires in Charlie Burchill’s thrilling squall of wah-wah. The ability to shackle artfully alienated dance-rock to a warm, hummable chorus point towards New Gold Dream, which appeared in 1982 like a shimmering heat haze, lit up from within with an ambient, golden pop glow. Hits “Promised You A Miracle” and “Glittering Prize” may be persuasive, but it’s “Big Sleep” and Herbie Hancock’s sublime keyboard solo on the mesmerising “Hunter And The Hunted” which attain true transcendence.

Sultry assassin’s song “King Is White And In The Crowd” reprises the old menace, but the dawning of a new age in which the cover of Smash Hits was as coveted as that of NME brought these perennial outsiders in from the cold. Simple Minds rapidly became a very different band, sucked into the rock slipstream. Anyone who knows only that part of the story is urged to immerse themselves in these albums which, though far from flawless, are fascinating, endlessly inventive and somewhat magical. Not only have they have never sounded better, they’ve rarely seemed so in tune with the times.

Graeme Thomson

Q&A

Jim Kerr

Why do 5 x 5 now?

Over the past few tours we’ve been delving into more obscure early songs and finding that some of them had a contemporary vibe. They have a new context. A wealth of newer bands seem to be drawing on, not Simple Minds in particular, but that period in general.

Did you want to set the record straight in some way?

Nobody owes us anything, but the Simple Minds story has been too condensed. After Live Aid and “Don’t You Forget About Me” there hasn’t been quite the credit for those first few records. I think they contain some really special music. I can hear the flaws but there’s something about the spirit and imagination in them that feels good. They draw from such a wide range of influences. We’d go from really obscure krautrock to Chic and Sister Sledge to Beefheart to Bowie and Eno, but the spirit of it was always Simple Minds. There was no identity loss.

Do you have a favourite?

Empires And Dance, a travelogue with spiky dance music. We were young men travelling through classical Europe, reading Camus, and it was all feeding the machine.

INTERVIEW: GRAEME THOMSON

Charlatans’ Tim Burgess teams up with Kellogg’s to launch his own cereal ‘Totes Amazeballs’

Benjamin Hewitt
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0
Charlatans’ Tim Burgess teams up with Kellogg’s to launch his own cereal ‘Totes Amazeballs’
The Charlatans' frontman Tim Burgess has revealed that he has teamed up with Kellogg's to launch his own breakfast cereal, which is called 'Totes Amazeballs'. Production of the cereal, which you can see by scrolling down to the bottom of the page, came about after Burgess tweeted a joke that he wa...

The Charlatans‘ frontman Tim Burgess has revealed that he has teamed up with Kellogg’s to launch his own breakfast cereal, which is called ‘Totes Amazeballs’.

Production of the cereal, which you can see by scrolling down to the bottom of the page, came about after Burgess tweeted a joke that he wanted to launch his own cereal. Bizarrely, Kellogg’s then got in touch with the singer and asked him if he wanted to produce the cereal.

Speaking to NME about how the production of ‘Totes Amazeballs’ came about, Burgess said: “They [Kellogg’s] picked up what I’d said. It was just something that was funny and it just kept moving.”

Asked how he came up with the name ‘Totes Amazeballs’, Burgess replied: “People have started to use that expression and it kind of gets up people’s noses, but it sounded to me like something Willy Wonka would come up with.”

He also described the cereal as tasting like ‘Rocky Road’ and promised that it would help people beat their hangovers during festival season.

Asked what it tasted like, he said: “It’s like Rocky Road – we were thinking of something you’d eat at a festival that’d get you back on your feet. Something when you wake up a bit hungover will get you out of your tent – it’d make sure you’re raring to go! It’s heavy duty and festival friendly. It’s the Jazz Odyssey of breakfasts.”

The singer added that you’ll be able to buy the cereal when he stages his ‘Tim Peaks’ café at this year’s Kendal Calling festival and that all the money he makes will go to David Lynch’s foundation, in honour of the Twin Peaks connection. The idea of a Tim Peaks cafe also started off as a joke suggestion on Twitter.

Replying to a question about where people could buy ‘Totes Amazeballs’, he said: “The people who put on Kendal Calling asked us to do Tim Peaks for real at their festival. It was a metaphorical diner until now but is going to be real. We’re going to serve Totes Amazeballs there – we didn’t want it to seem commercial and I’ve done work for The David Lynch Foundation. Seeing as we borrowed the Tim Peaks name heavily from him, we decided we’d give them all the money.”

Burgess also spoke about his new solo album, which he is currently mastering in the studio and added that he will be putting out something special as part of this year’s Record Store Day.

Asked what he was currently up to in the studio, he said: “Just going through my solo album – I recorded it in Nashville and it should be out pretty soon. Also we’re working on something pretty special for Record Store Day”.

Blur make live comeback and pick up Outstanding Contribution To Music gong at Brit Awards

Tom Goodwyn
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0
Blur make live comeback and pick up Outstanding Contribution To Music gong at Brit Awards
Blur closed the Brit Awards with a triumphant five-song set at London's O2 Arena last night (February 21). The Britpop legends picked up this year's Outstanding Contribution To Music award before kicking off their set - the longest show-closer in the history of the awards - with 'Girls & Boys...

Blur closed the Brit Awards with a triumphant five-song set at London’s O2 Arena last night (February 21).

The Britpop legends picked up this year’s Outstanding Contribution To Music award before kicking off their set – the longest show-closer in the history of the awards – with ‘Girls & Boys’.

After moving on to an energetic ‘Song 2’, they were then joined by comic Phil Daniels for ‘Parklife’, played ‘Tender’ with a 32-piece gospel choir and closed their set with ‘This Is A Low’

“The last time we were here was 17 years ago and what happened on that night had a very profound effect on our lives,” frontman Damon Albarn told the crowd after collecting their gong, before going on to thank a lengthy list of people from their label and management team. “Right that’s it. Thanks very much for putting up with this.”

Yesterday, the band announced they headline a special Olympic closing ceremony gig at Hyde Park on August 12.

Earlier in the evening, Adele proved the biggest winner, scooping the British Female Solo Artist and Mastercard Album Of The Year prizes, along with making her UK live return with a performance of ‘Rolling In The Deep’. “I’m so proud to be British,” she told the crowd after being presented with the latter award by George Michael. However, her acceptance speech was cut short by James Corden in to allow Blur to kick-off their show-closing set.

Ed Sheeran also bagged a brace of awards, walking away with British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act and also performed his track ‘Lego House’.

Lana Del Rey later made an emotional speech after accepting the International Breakthrough Act gong. “This award means much more to me than you know, without the support of everyone in this room and everyone in the UK I’d be lost, so thank you,” she said.

Elsewhere, One Direction won British Single for ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, while Rihanna (International Female Solo Artist), Foo Fighters (International Band) and Emeli Sande (Critics’ Choice Award) were also victorious.

Coldplay opened the show with a performance of ‘Charlie Brown’, before walking away with the British Group gong, their seventh career Brit. Their frontman Chris Martin later joined Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds as they performed ‘AKA… What A Life!’.

Other performers on the night included Florence And The Machine, who played ‘No Light, No Light’, Rihanna and Bruno Mars – recipient of the International Male Solo Artist award.

Meanwhile, there were also video tributes to Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston.

The full list of winners was as follows:

British Female Solo Artist

Adele

International Male Solo Artist

Bruno Mars

British Single

One Direction – ‘What Makes You Beautiful’

International Female Solo Artist

Rihanna

British Male Solo Artist

Ed Sheeran

British Group

Coldplay

International Group

Foo Fighters

British Breakthrough Act

Ed Sheeran

International Breakthrough Act

Lana Del Rey

Mastercard British Album Of The Year

Adele – ’21’

Critics’ Choice Award

Emeli Sande

British Producer

Paul Epworth

Outstanding Contribution To Music

Blur

Phil Spector’s murder conviction appeal rejected by US Supreme Court

Tom Goodwyn
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0
Phil Spector’s murder conviction appeal rejected by US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court have rejected Phil Spector's appeal against his 2009 murder conviction. The legendary producer, who was convicted of killing actress Lana Clarkson three years ago, wanted the court to review his sentence because he not initially given a fair trial, as Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler had offered his opinion on an expert witness' testimony. However, Rolling Stone reports that the court declined to review the conviction and have upheld the original verdict. Previously, the producer had been told last August by the California Supreme Court that could not launch another appeal against the conviction. He originally appealed against the decision in 2010, when his legal team argued that the testimonies of five women who said that he had threatened them in the past were improperly used during the trial, but these claims were also rejected. Earlier this month (February 6), meanwhile, it was reported that Spector had settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victim's mother, Donna Clarkson. He had originally tried to mount a defence against the legal action, but both he and Clarkson have since signed the settlement. Spector was sentenced to 19 years in prison after being found guilty of Clarkson's murder in 2009.

The US Supreme Court have rejected Phil Spector‘s appeal against his 2009 murder conviction.

The legendary producer, who was convicted of killing actress Lana Clarkson three years ago, wanted the court to review his sentence because he not initially given a fair trial, as Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler had offered his opinion on an expert witness’ testimony.

However, Rolling Stone reports that the court declined to review the conviction and have upheld the original verdict.

Previously, the producer had been told last August by the California Supreme Court that could not launch another appeal against the conviction.

He originally appealed against the decision in 2010, when his legal team argued that the testimonies of five women who said that he had threatened them in the past were improperly used during the trial, but these claims were also rejected.

Earlier this month (February 6), meanwhile, it was reported that Spector had settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victim’s mother, Donna Clarkson. He had originally tried to mount a defence against the legal action, but both he and Clarkson have since signed the settlement.

Spector was sentenced to 19 years in prison after being found guilty of Clarkson’s murder in 2009.

Unreleased demos collection from The Ramones’ Joey Ramone to come out in May

Tom Goodwyn
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0
Unreleased demos collection from The Ramones’ Joey Ramone to come out in May

A new collection of demos by the late Joey Ramone, written for seminal punk band the Ramones and also for his solo project are set to be released later this year. 'Ya Know?' will feature 17 tracks, including 'Rock & Roll Is the Answer', 'New York City' and 'Waiting for That Railroad', reports Rolling Stone. The album will be released on May 17 in the US and follows 2002's 'Don't Worry About Me, Joey', Joey Ramone's first posthumous collection of material. Ramone passed away in 2001 from lymphoma. The songs that make up the new album were recorded by Ramone as demos for the Ramones – who split in 1996 – and well as for solo material. New overdubs on the album have been provided by Joan Jett, Steven Van Zandt from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Richie Ramone, and members of Cheap Trick. "We got friends who were really friends of Joey," says album producer Ed Stasium of the overdubs, which were recorded in New York in 2010.

A new collection of demos by the late Joey Ramone, written for seminal punk band the Ramones and also for his solo project are set to be released later this year.

‘Ya Know?’ will feature 17 tracks, including ‘Rock & Roll Is the Answer’, ‘New York City’ and ‘Waiting for That Railroad’, reports Rolling Stone.

The album will be released on May 17 in the US and follows 2002’s ‘Don’t Worry About Me, Joey’, Joey Ramone’s first posthumous collection of material. Ramone passed away in 2001 from lymphoma. The songs that make up the new album were recorded by Ramone as demos for the Ramones – who split in 1996 – and well as for solo material.

New overdubs on the album have been provided by Joan Jett, Steven Van Zandt from Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band, Richie Ramone, and members of Cheap Trick. “We got friends who were really friends of Joey,” says album producer Ed Stasium of the overdubs, which were recorded in New York in 2010.

Simone Felice, Richmond Fontaine and Alejandro Escovedo Headline ‘The Uncut Sessions’

Uncut
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Simone Felice, Richmond Fontaine and Alejandro Escovedo Headline ‘The Uncut Sessions’

We've just finished work on the first issue of the new-look Uncut, which among other things new to the magazine features a widely re-worked reviews section, which without wanting to sound too smug, we're rather pleased with. I mentioned this in a recent newsletter and have had quite a number of emails from readers wondering what was in the works. A few of them sounded as if they were worried that we'd tampered for no reason with the look and content of Uncut in ways they might not be entirely happy with. Be assured, there's no need to fret. The changes we've made to Uncut have all been entirely to improve what was already there, rather than sweep away the stuff we know you like, so none of our popular regular features have been lost or unduly mucked about with, including An Audience With. . ., The Making Of, Album By Album and My Life In Music. Again, as previously reported, the main thing we've looked at is reviews, which has had a major re-vamp and is much expanded, with lots of extra layers of information, detail and data that are intended to add more reader value to an already hugely popular section, which for many of you is the reason you buy Uncut. Anyway, early next week you'll be able to see for yourselves what we've done and I'll be looking forward to hearing what you have to say about it. You can write to me at the usual address, as it appears at the end of this newsletter. In other news, regular readers of these missives may recall a couple of years ago I wrote about accepting an invitation to go down to Winchester for the day to see Richmond Fontaine at a funky little venue called The Railway, where promoter Oliver Grey regularly puts on terrific shows. Oliver had booked Richmond Fontaine basically on the strength of the Uncut review of the band's landmark album, Post To Wire, and they'd been back several times since. The Saturday I went down to Winchester to see them, they played two sets. The first, in the afternoon, featured Post To Wire in its entirety. The second turned into a four hour epic, during which the band, who'd had a few by then, played virtually every song they knew, and a few they didn't. They were back at the Railway last September, when Oliver launched the SXSEC festival at the venue, supported by Uncut. Willy Vlautin from Richmond Fontaine will be appearing there again on May 1, with RF guitarist Dan Eccles, playing a special acoustic set as part of a series of shows called the Uncut Sessions, the first of which, featuring the excellent Lucky Strikes, is tomorrow. The Lucky Strikes are followed by Peter Bruntnell (March 8) and Simone Felice (pictured) and band, with special guest Simi Stone from the Duke & The King (April 6), Chuck Prophet And The Mission Express (who'll be following Richmond Fontaine's earlier example and playing two sets, at 3.00pn and 8pm, on April 14) and Alejandro Escovedo And The Sensitive Boys (July 1). For more details you can go to www.sxsc.org and for general enquiries email info@railwaylive.co.uk. Tickets are also available at the venue or call 01962 867795. Have a good week. Allan allan_jones@ipcmedia.com

We’ve just finished work on the first issue of the new-look Uncut, which among other things new to the magazine features a widely re-worked reviews section, which without wanting to sound too smug, we’re rather pleased with.

I mentioned this in a recent newsletter and have had quite a number of emails from readers wondering what was in the works. A few of them sounded as if they were worried that we’d tampered for no reason with the look and content of Uncut in ways they might not be entirely happy with. Be assured, there’s no need to fret. The changes we’ve made to Uncut have all been entirely to improve what was already there, rather than sweep away the stuff we know you like, so none of our popular regular features have been lost or unduly mucked about with, including An Audience With. . ., The Making Of, Album By Album and My Life In Music.

Again, as previously reported, the main thing we’ve looked at is reviews, which has had a major re-vamp and is much expanded, with lots of extra layers of information, detail and data that are intended to add more reader value to an already hugely popular section, which for many of you is the reason you buy Uncut.

Anyway, early next week you’ll be able to see for yourselves what we’ve done and I’ll be looking forward to hearing what you have to say about it. You can write to me at the usual address, as it appears at the end of this newsletter.

In other news, regular readers of these missives may recall a couple of years ago I wrote about accepting an invitation to go down to Winchester for the day to see Richmond Fontaine at a funky little venue called The Railway, where promoter Oliver Grey regularly puts on terrific shows. Oliver had booked Richmond Fontaine basically on the strength of the Uncut review of the band’s landmark album, Post To Wire, and they’d been back several times since.

The Saturday I went down to Winchester to see them, they played two sets. The first, in the afternoon, featured Post To Wire in its entirety. The second turned into a four hour epic, during which the band, who’d had a few by then, played virtually every song they knew, and a few they didn’t. They were back at the Railway last September, when Oliver launched the SXSEC festival at the venue, supported by Uncut.

Willy Vlautin from Richmond Fontaine will be appearing there again on May 1, with RF guitarist Dan Eccles, playing a special acoustic set as part of a series of shows called the Uncut Sessions, the first of which, featuring the excellent Lucky Strikes, is tomorrow. The Lucky Strikes are followed by Peter Bruntnell (March 8) and Simone Felice (pictured) and band, with special guest Simi Stone from the Duke & The King (April 6), Chuck Prophet And The Mission Express (who’ll be following Richmond Fontaine’s earlier example and playing two sets, at 3.00pn and 8pm, on April 14) and Alejandro Escovedo And The Sensitive Boys (July 1).

For more details you can go to www.sxsc.org and for general enquiries email info@railwaylive.co.uk. Tickets are also available at the venue or call 01962 867795.

Have a good week.

Allan

allan_jones@ipcmedia.com

Motorhead say that their new boxset is too expensive

Tom Goodwyn
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Motorhead say that their new boxset is too expensive
Motorhead have told fans not to buy their new box set because it is too expensive. The limited edition version of the band's new compilation, 'The Complete Early Years', includes eight of the band's early albums and a collection of singles. It also comes housed in a fake skull with red light-up e...

Motorhead have told fans not to buy their new box set because it is too expensive.

The limited edition version of the band’s new compilation, ‘The Complete Early Years’, includes eight of the band’s early albums and a collection of singles. It also comes housed in a fake skull with red light-up eyes and also boasts extras including posters and a photo book, but is retailing at a princely $600 (£375).

The band have now released a statement distancing themselves from the collection and insisted it was released without their consent as they no longer own the recordings. They said: “Motorhead have no control over what’s done with these early songs, and don’t want fans to think that the band is involved in putting out such a costly boxset.”

Singer Lemmy, meanwhile, added: “Unfortunately greed once again rears its yapping head. I would advise against it even for the most rabid completists.”

In November last year, Elvis Costello was involved in a similar row when he told fans not to purchase his boxset ‘The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook’ because of its £212.99 price tag. He suggested that the price of the boxset, which included a CD, DVD, vinyl EP and book and was a limited edition of 1,500 copies, was “either a misprint or a satire”.

Motorhead released their 20th studio album ‘The World Is Yours’ in January last year, while Lemmy also released an LP titled ‘Walk The Walk… Talk The Talk’ with his side-project The Head Cat in June.

The Eighth Uncut Playlist Of 2012

John Mulvey
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The Eighth Uncut Playlist Of 2012

One of those mornings walking to work when, in spite of 18,000 or whatever songs on my iPod, I couldn’t figure out what to play. It’s at that point I realised Joni Mitchell’s “Hejira” had become my last resort record; not my favourite, exactly (although I could make a stern case for it, for sure), but the one I can always rely on, whatever my mood or the circumstances. Over on my Twitter feed - www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey - I asked for other #lastresortrecords (though I only remembered to use a hashtag second time; still learning, I guess) and got a load of great answers: someone reminded me to import “Either/Or” onto iTunes, for a start Please have a look and join in. Enough of that, anyhow. Here’s this week’s office playlist… 1 Steve Gunn & The Black Twig Pickers – Natch 1 (Natch) 2 Ty Segall & White Fence – Hair (Drag City) 3 The Pre New – Music For People Who Hate Themselves (Pre War Black Ghetto) 4 Nicolas Jaar Etc – Prism (Clown & Sunset) 5 The Men - Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones) 6 Trembling Bells & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – The Marble Downs (Honest Jon’s) 7 White Manna – White Manna (Holy Mountain) 8 Various Artists – Eight Trails, One Path (Three-Lobed) 9 Time & Space Machine – Taste The Lazer (Tirk) 10 Sandy Bull & The Rhythm Ace – Live 1976 (Drag City) 11 Bruce Langhorne – The Hired Hand (Richmoor) 12 Tom Jones – Evil/Jezebel (Third Man) 13 Dr John – Locked Down (Nonesuch) 14 Gravenhurst – The Ghost In Daylight (Warp) 15 Warm Digits – Keep Warm With The Warm Digits (Distraction) 16 Roxy Music – Avalon (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix) (?) 17 William Tyler – Ohaspe (Nashville Must Die) 18 Dexys – Lost/Nowhere Is Home (?) 19 Joni Mitchell – Hejira (Asylum) Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey

One of those mornings walking to work when, in spite of 18,000 or whatever songs on my iPod, I couldn’t figure out what to play. It’s at that point I realised Joni Mitchell’s “Hejira” had become my last resort record; not my favourite, exactly (although I could make a stern case for it, for sure), but the one I can always rely on, whatever my mood or the circumstances.

Over on my Twitter feed – www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey – I asked for other #lastresortrecords (though I only remembered to use a hashtag second time; still learning, I guess) and got a load of great answers: someone reminded me to import “Either/Or” onto iTunes, for a start Please have a look and join in.

Enough of that, anyhow. Here’s this week’s office playlist…

1 Steve Gunn & The Black Twig Pickers – Natch 1 (Natch)

2 Ty Segall & White Fence – Hair (Drag City)

3 The Pre New – Music For People Who Hate Themselves (Pre War Black Ghetto)

4 Nicolas Jaar Etc – Prism (Clown & Sunset)

5 The Men – Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones)

6 Trembling Bells & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – The Marble Downs (Honest Jon’s)

7 White Manna – White Manna (Holy Mountain)

8 Various Artists – Eight Trails, One Path (Three-Lobed)

9 Time & Space Machine – Taste The Lazer (Tirk)

10 Sandy Bull & The Rhythm Ace – Live 1976 (Drag City)

11 Bruce Langhorne – The Hired Hand (Richmoor)

12 Tom Jones – Evil/Jezebel (Third Man)

13 Dr John – Locked Down (Nonesuch)

14 Gravenhurst – The Ghost In Daylight (Warp)

15 Warm Digits – Keep Warm With The Warm Digits (Distraction)

16 Roxy Music – Avalon (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix) (?)

17 William Tyler – Ohaspe (Nashville Must Die)

18 Dexys – Lost/Nowhere Is Home (?)

19 Joni Mitchell – Hejira (Asylum)

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey

Jack White reveals ‘Blunderbuss’ tracklisting

Tom Goodwyn
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Jack White reveals ‘Blunderbuss’ tracklisting
Jack White has revealed the tracklisting for his debut solo album 'Blunderbuss'. Comprising 13 tracks, the album will be released on April 23 through Third Man Records/XL. The former White Stripes man will be appearing on US comedy show Saturday Night Live on March 3 to play tracks off the record. ...

Jack White has revealed the tracklisting for his debut solo album ‘Blunderbuss’.

Comprising 13 tracks, the album will be released on April 23 through Third Man Records/XL. The former White Stripes man will be appearing on US comedy show Saturday Night Live on March 3 to play tracks off the record.

Earlier this month Jack White revealed the video for his debut solo single ‘Love Interruption’ – scroll down to the bottom of the page and click to watch. White released the video, which he also directed, on St Valentine’s Day. The track sees him working with singer Ruby Amanfu, who provides backing vocals, and Emily Bowland on bass clarinet and Brooke Wagonner on Wurlitzer electric piano.

White has also announced plans for his debut solo live shows, which will take place in March in the United States. Prior to his show at Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend on June 23-24, alongside Lana Del Rey and The Maccabees, White will play a number of Stateside shows, appearing in Chattanooga, Birmingham, Memphis and Tulsa.

The ‘Blunderbuss’ tracklisting is:

‘Missing Pieces’

‘Sixteen Saltines’

‘Freedom At 21’

‘Love Interruption’

‘Blunderbuss’

‘Hypocritical Kiss’

‘Weep Themselves To Sleep’

‘I’m Shakin”

‘Trash Tongue Talker’

‘Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy’

‘I Guess I Should Go To Sleep’

‘On And On And On’

‘Take Me With You When You Go’

Saint Etienne reveal ‘Words And Music By Saint Etienne’ tracklisting

Tom Goodwyn
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Saint Etienne reveal ‘Words And Music By Saint Etienne’ tracklisting
Saint Etienne are to release their first studio album in seven years in May. 'Words And Music By Saint Etienne' is the band's first album since 2005's 'Tales From Turnpike House'. The album release will be preceded by the single 'Tonight', which is out on March 5, backed with remixes from Richard...

Saint Etienne are to release their first studio album in seven years in May.

‘Words And Music By Saint Etienne’ is the band’s first album since 2005’s ‘Tales From Turnpike House’. The album release will be preceded by the single ‘Tonight’, which is out on March 5, backed with remixes from Richard X and The 2 Bears. Scroll down to watch the video.

Bob Stanley of the band says the new album is about “how music affects your life. How it defines the way you see the world as a child, how it can get you through bad times in unexpected ways, and how songs you’ve known all your life can suddenly develop a new attachment, and hurt every time you hear them. More than how it affects and reflects your life though, the album is about believing in music, living your life by its rules.”

Saint Etienne will head out on tour this May. The band will begin their short UK run at Sheffield Leadmill on May 22 and will end it on May 28 with a show at London’s Palladium theatre. They will also play dates in Liverpool, Cardiff and Leamington Spa.

The ‘Words And Music By Saint Etienne’ tracklisting is:

‘Over the Border’

‘I’ve Got Your Music’

‘Heading For the Fair’

‘Last Days of Disco’

‘Tonight’

‘Answer Song’

‘Record Doctor’

‘Popular’

’25 Years’

‘DJ’

‘When I Was Seventeen’

‘I Threw it All Away’

‘Haunted Jukebox’

Saint Etienne play:

Sheffield Leadmill (May 22)

Liverpool Kazimier (24)

Cardiff Gate (25)

Leamington Spa Assembly (26)

London Palladium (28)

The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood: ‘We’re on the verge of touring’

Tom Goodwyn
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The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood: ‘We’re on the verge of touring’
The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood has hinted that the band are "on the verge" of touring this year. Rumours have long circulated that the legendary rock'n'roll band will play shows this year to mark their 50th anniversary, with drummer Charlie Watts the most recent member of the group to talk up t...

The Rolling Stones‘ Ronnie Wood has hinted that the band are “on the verge” of touring this year.

Rumours have long circulated that the legendary rock’n’roll band will play shows this year to mark their 50th anniversary, with drummer Charlie Watts the most recent member of the group to talk up the possibility of a half-centenary celebration.

Now, in an interview with the Radio Times, Wood has also said he wants the band to play together and, when asked if he and his bandmates would be hitting the road, he replied: “Be lovely, wouldn’t it? That’s what we’re on the verge of. I dunno what the hell is gonna happen yet but we all feel we owe it to ourselves and to the people to do something.”

He went on to add: “Basically, get the boys feeling comfortable with each other, ’cause we’re all ready to go individually. It’s just a matter of tying up loose ends and coming together as a unit.”

It was reported last November that singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards would meet to discuss how they should celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary. They are said to have fallen out when Richards mocked the size of the singer’s manhood in his million-selling autobiography Life.

The Rolling Stones played their first ever gig in London on July 12, 1962. They reissued their seminal 1978 album ‘Some Girls’ late last year.

Carnage

Michael Bonner
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Carnage

Roman Polanski's latest Roman Polanski is an expert in confinement. Whether Adrien Brody hiding in a bombed out house in The Piano or Catherine Deneuve confronting her demons in Repulsion, his films are full of people in cooped up spaces. (In his own life, he recently spent months under house arrest while fighting extradition to the US.) His new film Carnage, based on a play by Yasmina Reza, takes place almost entirely in a New York apartment where two couples are discussing an incident involving their young children at school. This is one of the few comedies that Polanski has made. It is very well performed by the leads – Jodie Foster as the mousey, well-meaning Penelope, John C. Reilly as her boorish husband, Christoph Walz as the businessman who clearly cherishes his Blackberry as much as he does his child and Kate Winslet as a career woman with a weak stomach. Polanski’s project here is akin to those carried out by Luis Bunuel in his searing dissections of bourgeois mores. Just occasionally, the pace drags but the film is only 80 minutes long and has a barbed and very vicious undertow. Geoffrey Macnab

Roman Polanski’s latest

Roman Polanski is an expert in confinement. Whether Adrien Brody hiding in a bombed out house in The Piano or Catherine Deneuve confronting her demons in Repulsion, his films are full of people in cooped up spaces. (In his own life, he recently spent months under house arrest while fighting extradition to the US.)

His new film Carnage, based on a play by Yasmina Reza, takes place almost entirely in a New York apartment where two couples are discussing an incident involving their young children at school.

This is one of the few comedies that Polanski has made. It is very well performed by the leads – Jodie Foster as the mousey, well-meaning Penelope, John C. Reilly as her boorish husband, Christoph Walz as the businessman who clearly cherishes his Blackberry as much as he does his child and Kate Winslet as a career woman with a weak stomach.

Polanski’s project here is akin to those carried out by Luis Bunuel in his searing dissections of bourgeois mores. Just occasionally, the pace drags but the film is only 80 minutes long and has a barbed and very vicious undertow.

Geoffrey Macnab

Paul McCartney announces Teenage Cancer Trust show

Tom Goodwyn
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Paul McCartney announces Teenage Cancer Trust show
Paul McCartney has been added to the line-up for this year's Concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust gigs. The 'Kisses On The Bottom' singer, who will play a show at London's Royal Albert Hall on March 29, joins other confirmed acts including Pulp, Florence And The Machine and Example for the charity g...

Paul McCartney has been added to the line-up for this year’s Concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust gigs.

The ‘Kisses On The Bottom’ singer, who will play a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 29, joins other confirmed acts including Pulp, Florence And The Machine and Example for the charity gigs, which are now in their 12th year. This year’s other headliners are Jessie J and a comedy evening with Jason Manford.

Paul McCartney will kick the shows off on March 29, with Example following on March 30.

Pulp will then play the London venue on March 31, with Jessie J’s performance set to take place on April 1 and a comedy evening hosted by 8 Out Of 10 Cats man Jason Manford on April 2. Florence And The Machine will then play the run’s final show on April 3. Support acts for the gigs will be announced soon.

See Teenagecancertrust.org for more information about the shows.

The line up for the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs is as follows:

Paul McCartney (March 29)

Example (30)

Pulp (31)

Jessie J (April 1)

Comedy evening with Jason Manford and special guests (2)

Florence And The Machine (3)

Justin Timberlake spoofs Bon Iver on Saturday Night Live

Tom Goodwyn
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Justin Timberlake spoofs Bon Iver on Saturday Night Live
Justin Timberlake dressed up as Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, to do an impression of the double Grammy-winning US indie rocker. In the skit – which saw host Maya Rudolph playing Beyonce and Jay Pharoah playing her husband Jay-Z – Justin Timberlake di...

Justin Timberlake dressed up as Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, to do an impression of the double Grammy-winning US indie rocker.

In the skit – which saw host Maya Rudolph playing Beyonce and Jay Pharoah playing her husband Jay-Z – Justin Timberlake did an impression of Vernon being welcomed into the hip-hop couple’s home to greet their newborn child Blue Ivy Carter.

The sketch saw Timberlake’s Vernon arrive after visits from cast members playing Prince, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj, reports CNN, and then proceed to serenade the baby. Timberlake said his character was late because he had been “wandering barefoot through the woods of Wisconsin” and making a “guitar out of a canoe”. He then put himself to sleep with his own performance.

After the skit, Vernon tweeted: “Holy shit, i was just watching SNL and JT did a Bon Iver hilarious thing! Also, Maya Rudolph saying “bon iver” is enough. I can die now!!!”

Queen’s Brian May: ‘Freddie Mercury would approve of Adam Lambert’

Tom Goodwyn
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Queen’s Brian May: ‘Freddie Mercury would approve of Adam Lambert’
Queen guitarist Brian May has said he is sure that the band's live plans with American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert would get Freddie Mercury's seal of approval. The band will headline this summer's Sonisphere festival with Lambert, topping a bill that includes Kiss, Faith No More, Evanescence, In...

Queen guitarist Brian May has said he is sure that the band’s live plans with American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert would get Freddie Mercury‘s seal of approval.

The band will headline this summer’s Sonisphere festival with Lambert, topping a bill that includes Kiss, Faith No More, Evanescence, Incubus, The Darkness, Mastodon and Refused.

Speaking about the band’s plan for the set and how he felt it would be received by the group’s fans, May said: “Judging by my incoming mail, this decision will make a lot of people very happy. It’s a worthy challenge for us, and I’m sure Adam would meet with Freddie’s approval! And what better place to revisit, and walk those emotional paths than Knebworth? It will be a rush.”

Lambert himself also spoke about the show and said he hoped to “pay respects to Freddie’s memory” as well as achieving a huge personal milestone.

He said of this: “I’m completely in awe of the Queen phenomenon. The thought of sharing the stage for a full set is so beautifully surreal. I’m honoured to be able to pay my respects to Freddie’s memory. He’s a personal hero of mine and I am deeply grateful for the chance to sing such powerful music for fans of this legendary band. I know the evening will be a huge milestone for me, and with the support of Brian, Roger and the rest of the band I know magic will be on display.”

Sonisphere takes place at Knebworth Park on July 6-8. See Sonispherefestivals.com for more information about the event.

Public Image Ltd announce new EP and album details

Tom Goodwyn
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Public Image Ltd announce new EP and album details
Public Image Ltd have announced details about their forthcoming new EP and studio album. John Lydon and co will release the four-track offering 'One Drop' on April 21 to coincide with this year's Record Store Day, with the LP 'This Is PiL' set to drop on May 28. Both releases are being put out by...

Public Image Ltd have announced details about their forthcoming new EP and studio album.

John Lydon and co will release the four-track offering ‘One Drop’ on April 21 to coincide with this year’s Record Store Day, with the LP ‘This Is PiL’ set to drop on May 28. Both releases are being put out by the band’s own label ‘Pil Official’.

Speaking about the track ‘One Drop’, Lydon said: “‘One Drop’ is a reflection of where I grew up in Finsbury Park, London. The area that shaped me, and influenced my culturally and musically, a place I will forever feel connected to.

“But within this I am also saying it doesn’t matter where you come from, we all go through the same emotions especially the disenchanted youth of today, yesterday and the future. Bearing in mind the Olympics are in London this year and who knows what that could bring for London and our country…”

In an interview with NME, meanwhile, Lydon likened the new LP as a whole to “folk music”, adding: “It comes from the heart and the soul. Whether that be electric, acoustic, digital or analogue, that’s still heart and soul. It’s not pop fodder and finely crafted pieces of fluff.”

Last month (January 4), the singer said that the reason the band had struggled to find a record label they wanted to work with was because of the popularity of shows such as The X Factor and the music industry’s unwillingness to take risks. Last week (February 13), meanwhile, Public Image Ltd announced plans for a one-off show at London’s Southbank Centre on March 16, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of BBC Radio 6 Music.

The tracklisting for ‘One Drop’ is:

‘One Drop’

‘I Must Be Dreaming’

‘The Room I Am In’

‘Lollipop Opera’

Blur to headline Olympics 2012 show in London’s Hyde Park this August

Tom Goodwyn
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Blur to headline Olympics 2012 show in London’s Hyde Park this August
Blur will headline a special one-off show in London's Hyde Park to celebrate the end of the Olympic Games this summer. The band, who will be honoured with the Outstanding Contribution To Music Award at tonight's Brit Awards (February 21), will play the outdoor show on August 12 to coincide with t...

Blur will headline a special one-off show in London’s Hyde Park to celebrate the end of the Olympic Games this summer.

The band, who will be honoured with the Outstanding Contribution To Music Award at tonight’s Brit Awards (February 21), will play the outdoor show on August 12 to coincide with the games’ closing ceremony.

The band wrote on their official Facebook page in announcing the show: “We’re rowing in, going for gold, grabbing the baton, for the high jump. No, hang on, is that right? Fact is, Blur have accepted the invite to headline the Olympics’ Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert in Hyde Park on 12th August.”

Blur will be joined by New Order and The Specials at the show, which is being billed as a ‘Best Of British’ event.

The show has been organised by BT London Live as part of a series of events to mark the Olympics. To pre-register for further ticket information, you need to register at BTLondonlive.com/tickets. Tickets will be made available on Friday (February 24) at 9am (GMT).

The Story Of Lovers Rock

Michael Bonner
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The Story Of Lovers Rock

Smart documentary unzips a hidden chapter of British reggae... The history of British reggae is customarily told through 1970s bands like Aswad and Steel Pulse, acts modelled on Marley’s Wailers but who gave Jamaica’s pulse an Anglo twist. Alongside them came the punky cross-pollinations of The Clash, The Police and The Slits, followed by the ska-pop of The Specials and Madness. Yet for the teens and twenties of black Britain in the late seventies and early eighties, the era’s defining sounds were found mostly in the sound system and blues dance. Here, cavernous dub and militancy had to share space with the more immediate demands of young love and the desire to be wrapped in a warm embrace. The crowded, darkened dancefloor was the spawning ground of Lovers Rock, whose slow, stickily sweet tunes became a genre as distinctly British as 2-Tone, albeit one less celebrated. Beginning with Louisa Mark’s 1975 hit “Caught You In A Lie”, homegrown romantic reggae grew into a mini-industry, with female singers (and fans) to the fore. The Lovers Rock label (the name came from an Augustus Pablo tune) sealed the generic title and with Matumbi’s Dennis Bovell masterminding, turned out a stream of hits. The singers’ youth was a characteristic; Brown Sugar’s Kofi recalls going to sixth form to be told by a friend that the trio’s “I’m In Love With The Dreadlocks” had topped the reggae charts. While such hits sold by the crate load, few Lover’s singles crossed over to the national charts, Janet Kay’s 1979 “Silly Games”, another Bovell production, being the exception. Mostly the music stayed within the black community, as important a part of its identity as the era’s more feted bands. “Lover’s gave a new generation a voice and an escape,” says author Neferatiti Ife, adding that the music’s sentimentality and obsession with two-timing and break-up had “a healing element – we could go through anger.” Meneleik Shabazz tells the Lovers story with pizazz, mixing archive footage with numerous interviews and footage from a recent revival concert. It’s an affectionate, insightful portrait of an era. Using an array of black comedians to comment on the genre’s conventions (amid recreations of the dancefloor and its fashions) proves inspired. The slow, grinding dance that accompanied Lover’s tunes is a source of special glee and send-up. As the 1980s progressed, sound systems specialising in Lovers Rock, notably Saxon, produced solo stars, among them Maxi Priest (still the only Brit reggae singer to top the US charts, with “Close To You”) and Levi Roots. The latter, now a noted foody, decribes Lover’s as “Britain’s special contribution to the recipe of reggae”. EXTRAS: Trailer. Neil Spencer

Smart documentary unzips a hidden chapter of British reggae…

The history of British reggae is customarily told through 1970s bands like Aswad and Steel Pulse, acts modelled on Marley’s Wailers but who gave Jamaica’s pulse an Anglo twist. Alongside them came the punky cross-pollinations of The Clash, The Police and The Slits, followed by the ska-pop of The Specials and Madness.

Yet for the teens and twenties of black Britain in the late seventies and early eighties, the era’s defining sounds were found mostly in the sound system and blues dance. Here, cavernous dub and militancy had to share space with the more immediate demands of young love and the desire to be wrapped in a warm embrace. The crowded, darkened dancefloor was the spawning ground of Lovers Rock, whose slow, stickily sweet tunes became a genre as distinctly British as 2-Tone, albeit one less celebrated.

Beginning with Louisa Mark’s 1975 hit “Caught You In A Lie”, homegrown romantic reggae grew into a mini-industry, with female singers (and fans) to the fore. The Lovers Rock label (the name came from an Augustus Pablo tune) sealed the generic title and with Matumbi’s Dennis Bovell masterminding, turned out a stream of hits. The singers’ youth was a characteristic; Brown Sugar’s Kofi recalls going to sixth form to be told by a friend that the trio’s “I’m In Love With The Dreadlocks” had topped the reggae charts.

While such hits sold by the crate load, few Lover’s singles crossed over to the national charts, Janet Kay’s 1979 “Silly Games”, another Bovell production, being the exception. Mostly the music stayed within the black community, as important a part of its identity as the era’s more feted bands. “Lover’s gave a new generation a voice and an escape,” says author Neferatiti Ife, adding that the music’s sentimentality and obsession with two-timing and break-up had “a healing element – we could go through anger.”

Meneleik Shabazz tells the Lovers story with pizazz, mixing archive footage with numerous interviews and footage from a recent revival concert. It’s an affectionate, insightful portrait of an era. Using an array of black comedians to comment on the genre’s conventions (amid recreations of the dancefloor and its fashions) proves inspired. The slow, grinding dance that accompanied Lover’s tunes is a source of special glee and send-up.

As the 1980s progressed, sound systems specialising in Lovers Rock, notably Saxon, produced solo stars, among them Maxi Priest (still the only Brit reggae singer to top the US charts, with “Close To You”) and Levi Roots. The latter, now a noted foody, decribes Lover’s as “Britain’s special contribution to the recipe of reggae”.

EXTRAS: Trailer.

Neil Spencer

Bruce Springsteen: ”Wrecking Ball’ is an angrily patriotic album’

Tom Goodwyn
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Bruce Springsteen: ”Wrecking Ball’ is an angrily patriotic album’
Bruce Springsteen has revealed that his new album 'Wrecking Ball' is inspired by a "critical, questioning and often angry patriotism". The veteran singer held a press conference at Theatre Marigny in Paris earlier this week to unveil material from the album, which is set for release on March 5. ...

Bruce Springsteen has revealed that his new album ‘Wrecking Ball’ is inspired by a “critical, questioning and often angry patriotism”.

The veteran singer held a press conference at Theatre Marigny in Paris earlier this week to unveil material from the album, which is set for release on March 5.

He explained that the songs were inspired by the economic troubles the US is facing and the issue that “no one has been held to account”.

Speaking to The Guardian, Springsteen said: “What was done to our country was wrong and unpatriotic and un-American and nobody has been held to account. There is a real patriotism underneath the best of my music but it is a critical, questioning and often angry patriotism.”

He told the conference: “I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream.”

The album, which follows 2009’s ‘Working On A Dream’ and 2010’s outtakes collection ‘The Promise’, features an appearance from Rage Against The Machine‘s Tom Morello.

Springsteen is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 15, before kicking off his US tour three days later in Atlanta.

The jaunt will visit the UK in the summer, beginning at Sunderland Stadium of Light on June 21 before moving on to Manchester Etihad Stadium (22), Isle Of Wight Festival (24) and London Hard Rock Calling (July 14).

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