"45 45's until I'm 45" (#43/45)

Good morning friends,

admittedly I stole the following from somewhere else, but I think it describes today's record perfectly well:

'We Hate The Kids’ is The Indelicates’ attempt to write no less than an anthem for our times. They cast their eyes over the state of popular music and find it sadly lacking. It’s a song for a time where Simon Cowell unashamedly reduces Pop to a pure commodity, a time where things like passion, depth and integrity are entirely expendable. It slowly builds to the point of bursting while Simon and Julia spit out lines steeped in venom. I would say they have succeeded, this is the definition of an anthem.

Well, I'm all for that, I must say. This is a song which needs to be listened closely to, therefore this time I'll add the lyrics to what is your number forty-three, friends. Turn this up good and loud and enjoy:

 

The Indelicates - 'We Hate The Kids' (mp3)

Sad Gnome Records - SG0601 (2006)

 

Every generation gets fooled again
And every generation is to blame
And its no good saying its not in your name
'cause it is in your name
And this generation is the same
And this generation is to blame
And I'm sorry that I can't join in any more
But I've been let down too many times before
Oh yeah we mean it
We hate the kids
So dance dance dance to the radio tonight

I wanted to believe in rock'n'roll stars
I wanted to believe in contemporary art
I wanted to aspire to a higher path
But there's no higher path
It was ever thus, and it was ever you
And it's ever us because we'll do it too
And we're sorry to the all the disinherited meek, and
We're sorry for this con-trick that we play on the people
Oh yeah we mean it
We hate the kids
So dance dance dance to the radio tonight

And nobody ever comes alive
And the journalists clamour round glamour like flies
And boys who should know better grin and get high
With fat men who once met the MC5
And no one discusses what they don't understand
And no one does anything to harm the brand
And this gift is an illusion, this isn't hard
Absolutely anyone can play the fucking guitar
Oh yeah we mean it
We hate the kids
Useless children genuflecting
To the idols who exploit them
Open mouthed and arsed expecting
Some god to anoint them
Dance Dance Dance to this radio tonight

And there's always a monk to get set on fire
And there's always a crackhead charismatic liar
And there's always a depth to which you can aspire
And there's always a teenager due to expire
Pop had a beginning, it grew and was tended
Now it is rotten. Let it be ended.
Let every hopeless case that every drummer befriended,
Every seven-inch that every student intended
Every groupie and ligger and identity seeker
Every druggy and drinker and every loudspeaker
Be done with, be piled up, tossed, set alight
No more music, thank you, goodnight.

 

 

What a masterpiece. Oh god, I do love this song!!

 

Take care,

 

Dirk

 

 

 

 

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#42/45)

Good morning loveys,

another classic for you today, which, I'm sure, you all know by heart and love without reservation.

There ain't many songs whith lyrics as disturbing and frightening as this one, I always thought. What I didn't know so far is that I'm not alone in thinking so, in fact there are people who are even more disturbed than I am ....as this thread shows:

I heard 'Down In The Tube Station At Midnight' by The Jam for the first time in years the other day, and was horrified to find that I could sing along to all the lyrics. It also occured to me for the first time ever that if our narrator IS down in the tube station at midnight, isn't it a bit strange for his wife to be "lining up the cutlery, polishing the glasses and pulling out the cork" at that late hour?
-- Andrew L (andrewlittlefiel...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.Also why on earth has he decided to go to a pub a half hour away from the tube? -- Tom (ebro...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.Also why on earth has he decided to go to a pub a half hour away from the tube? Not really, he could have been meeting friends in south east London. -- N. (nickdastoo...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.Also why on earth has he decided to go to a pub a half hour away from the tube? Because he is Paul Weller = because he is a thicko. -- Nicole (ndwillet...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.Is it possible he is at the destination station, rather than the embarking one, as Tom assumes? The only thing that makes me think not is that he's faffing around buying plums in vending machines, which he surely wouldn't be doing if he was almost home and worrried about his curry going cold. -- N. (nickdastoo...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM. Did tube stations at any point have plum vending machines? -- Tom (ebro...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.I don't know. This part puzzles me. -- N. (nickdastoo...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.it would have been even longer than half an hour too. back in the day were not last orders EVEN EARLIER! -- Alan Trewartha (alantrewarth...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.Maybe he did that thing where you fall asleep on the tube and end up going all the way to the end of the line and then have to come back again? I of course have never done this but know people who have snoozed past Finsbury Park, ended up in Walthamstow and gone bouncing backwards and forwards on the Victoria line for much of the night. -- Emma (emmaluvscak...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.Hang on a minute. I've just realised that at no point in the song does he even say he has been to the pub. Tom has just projected his own life onto Weller's protagonist. He's probably just been working really late at the office. No, hang on, this is the 1970s and that kind of thing didn't happen. OK, he's been shagging his secretary in some grotty hotel room. -- N. (nickdastoo...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.Now you are projecting YOUR life onto the song, N.. -- Edna Welthorpe, Mrs (edna_welthorp...), February 1st, 2002 1:00 AM.

isn't it a bit strange for his wife to be "lining up the cutlery, polishing the glasses and pulling out the cork" at that late hour?

The only plausible reason I can think of for this is that the narrator is an observant Jew and he's heading home for Shabbat dinner (which doesn't start until after sundown, which would place this scenario around early summer). That would explain the wine as well...but still, that would place dinner no later than 9:30 pm or so. (It would have to be Kosher curry takeaway in this scenario.)― mike a, Thursday, 2 September 2004 19:25 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

Also, the lyrics never say it's bubbly. The wife could be pulling the cork off some cheap jug for all we know. Maybe that works better with the curry, I'm no culinary expert.― ccconor, Thursday, 2 September 2004 19:25 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

It could be fizzy wine? Perhaps a sparkiling shiraz?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 2 September 2004 20:15 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

Mike - microwave?? This is the 70s. They were largely the preserve of the catering industry at that time, in the UK at least. Also, the lyrics never say it's bubbly. One would assume it was once from the line "The wine will be flat and the curry's gone cold". I suppose he could just be generally moaning that his wife will have bought unsparkling wine again.― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 20:39 (8 years ago) Permalink
and cold curries. That would be a raita and... what other cold curries are there?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 2 September 2004 20:43 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

the curry's cold because it's been lying next to his unconscious body since midnight.― sexyDancer, Thursday, 2 September 2004 20:50 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

It's a fucking riduculous idea to be taking home curries on the Tube anyway. Hasn't he seen those signs about no smelly food?― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 20:57 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

Maybe that's why he got beat down.― sexyDancer, Thursday, 2 September 2004 20:57 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

Hang on - I suddenly understand the whole thing! He hasn't been on a tube at all - he's just popped out for a take away and used the underground station subway as a short cut. That's why it's only a distant echo of trains. ― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 20:59 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

Maybe the plum is on a fruit machine. But then what tube stations have fruit machines?― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 2 September 2004 21:00 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

OK, that explains everything except the plum vending mystery.― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 21:00 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

I don't know. It was the 70s. Things were weird.― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 21:01 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

The curry would've got cold long before he arrived home. This is midnight in London! I hope they have a microwave. Not that it matters now.― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 2 September 2004 21:06 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

There's no sodding microwave. Why won't you listen to me? I'm bored with this whole stupid thing.― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 21:07 (8 years ago) Permalink
 

Could have been worse - he could have been attempting to unobtrusively chaperone a fish supper onto the night bus.
― Neil Willett (Neil Willett), Thursday, 2 September 2004 21:12 (8 years ago) Permalink

The above are just excerpts, reading the whole thread made my day, believe me!

But enough of that, here's one of the finest songs of our time, your number forty-two, friends. Enjoy:

 

The Jam - 'Down In The Tube Station At Midnight' (mp3)

Polydor - POSP 8 (1978)

Cheers,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#41/45)

Good morning friends,

yes, you finally made it all the way through, because today's the start of your Top Five in our nice little rundown. 'Thank God this nonsense is over soon', I hear you say .... but do I care? No, not at all!

Again a record which doesn't need much of an explanation, for a very long time it was my all time favourite. This has changed by now, then again it still is a total classic and every song on the (four track) single is a winner.

Your number forty-one, you lot: enjoy!

 

The Undertones - 'Teenage Kicks' (mp3)

Good Vibrations Records - GOT 4 (1978)

 

White wraparound sleeve and by and large still in pristine condition: a much treasured item, as I say, and I can well imagine that it might be worth a few quid these days ....

 

Have fun,

 

Dirk

 

PS: Would be interesting to know whether you prefer the original above or the cover version we had @ #25 .... comments anyone?

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#40/45)

Good morning my lovelies,

another killer tune for you today, this time from Wales. You might not know the band, which is a real shame, because they are extraordinarily good, at least on this single. You might know the outfit though they turned into after they quit: The International Karate Plus.

But before that they were Mo-Ho-Bish-O-Pi, "as eclectic as their name is confusing" the NME once said. And I won't argue, because their fourth single is one of my most treasured items: an outstanding record indeed which makes me shout along with it every time I hear it at immense volume.

Your number forty, darlings. Enjoy:

Mo-Ho-Bish-O-Pi - 'Hear The Air' (mp3)

V2 - WR5013517 (2000)

Now, wasn't that simply awesome??!!

Mo-Ho-Bish-O-Pi, by the way, included Martin Bimrose on guitar, Richard Arnold on drums and Mike Carter on bass. The band's name is derived from Moho bishopi, the scientific name of the Moloka‘i ‘Ō‘ō, an extinct bird known to have lived in Hawaii. Martin Bimrose saw an article about the bird in the Readers Digest whilst waiting at the dentists. He thought that with some imaginative punctuation, "the name could be as mad as he is".

As well it might be ...

Ta,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#39/45)

Good morning dearest friends,

and especially a very good morning to the thousands of you who send in mails every day pointing out that we don't have enough skiffle here on Sexyloser: be relieved to hear that today's your day!

Alas I don't know all too much about Birmingham's finest band, Terry & Gerry, apart from what Wikipedia has to say:

"Unusually for the time the band was based on a skiffle sound making use of a washboard for percussion instead of a drum kit. Terry Lilley played double bass. Gerry Colvin sang lead vocals and played acoustic guitar.

Terry and Gerry took their style from nineteen fifties pop artists – they wore black evening suits and ribbon ties in the style of the Everly Brothers while sounding more akin to Britain’s Lonnie Donegan.
The songs written by Colvin/Lilley were remarkable for their brevity with the three songs on the first side of their debut EP 'Butter’s On the Bread' totalling just four minutes and five seconds. 'Butter’s On The Bread' referred to the miners’ strike of 1984.

'Butter’s On the Bread' appeared on Robert Lloyd’s Vindaloo records but subsequent records were released on the In Tape record label run by Marc Riley (ex The Fall).

BBC disc jockey and Donegan fan John Peel promoted the band when apparently by chance he picked out their demonstration tape because his wife’s best friends were also known as Terry and Gerry. He thought the coincidence was too great to ignore. The band recorded three sessions for the John Peel programme."

Your number thirty-nine, friends, so please enjoy:

Terry And Gerry - 'Wait Until You're Older' (mp3)

from the 'Butter's On The Bread' 7" EP - Vindaloo Records - UGH 7 (1984)

 

This really is a fantastic tune, people, so please please please download it and listen closely to the outstanding lyrics: those will make your day, promised!

 

Have fun,

 

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#38/45)

Good morning friends,

something for those of you with an appetite for the bizarre today, at least in one form or another. I think it is a brilliant tune, albeit perhaps of some obscurity, then again - as I pointed out before - there is no reason to withdraw from it just because it is not commonly known amongst you youngsters out there.

The Pete Best Beatles were an eccentric Melbourne/Australia pub rock comedy act from the early 80's and no, I don't have the slightest idea whatever became of them. In my book they should rule the world, simply because of what is your number thirty-eight, people, so please enjoy:

The Pete Best Beatles - 'Alamein Train' (mp3)

from the '"Sounds" For The Sophisticated Cabaret Music Lover' - 7" EP, Strine Music - SM 001 (1984)

 

Now, wasn't this neat? I know you all like it when a good story is being told in a song, right? And so do I .... also there is a fantastic video of a live performance of that on Youtube, highly recommended, so have a look there as well!

 

I really would like to know whether this stroke a chord with you or not, so please leave a comment, okay? Thanks ...

 

See you soon/take care,

 

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#37/45)

Good morning my beauties,

there might be some of you who'll think that today's choice must have been a hard one for me, but let me assure you that this was not the case. Even if I owned all of the singles New Order ever released, I wouldn't have contemplated for a second which one to choose. Okay, I would have had some difficulties if  'Blue Monday' hadn't come out as a 12" only. But as this was not the case, I went for their first and, at least in my humble opinion, their very best release.

Your number thirty-seven, folks. Enjoy:

New Order - 'Ceremony' (mp3)

Factory - FAC 33 (1981)

As you might know this song is one of the very last ones Joy Division wrote. Personally, I never saw much of a Joy Division - influence in the New Order release above, not in comparison to the version on 'Still' at least ... to me this always was the start of a superb new band, one to watch out for.

Which one would you have chosen?

Drive friendly,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#36/45)

Good morning dearest friends,

something more contemporary for a change today, that's if you consider a five year old record to be contemporary, of course. In my age I easily do this, in fact everything released after 1990 or thereabouts is new to me, I'm afraid.

Today's single was critically acclaimed, but commercially unsuccessful, don't ask me why. It never charted anywhere, which I don't understand at all. Perhaps because it was the closer of a very fine debut album and the last one of quite a few singles released off said album ... perhaps people got a bit fed up with this, I dunno.

For me it is the perfect start of what might easily be your "Top Ten" in our little series ... although, as I pointed out before, there is no real Top Ten. This one here plus the next nine singles are as good as number 4 was, for example. Perhaps a little bit better, but I'm not absolutely certain about this either. But that's not important anyway, right? The main thing is: another nine belters are waiting to be introduced until mid-June and I do hope that you stand to attention until the last one has been featured!

Here's your number thirty-six, people, enjoy:

Vampire Weekend - 'The Kids Don't Stand A Chance' (mp3)

XL Recordings - XLS 399 (2008)

 

 

Great stuff, and on white vinyl as well. I do like that. Indeed.

 

Hope you too,

 

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#35/45)

Good morning friends,

okay, quite some time since we last had something of a certain obscurity here, this will change today though.

A little chunk of plastic left by a band no-one ever heard of, no-one ever saw and who never went anywhere but still theres a couple of minutes of magic that captures a feeling/time/emotion eternally for the people who connect with it, although the Joy Division influence is still apparent, then again: is this a bad thing?

What makes this tune so mighty to me is the big build up until the lyrics come in, this alone surely makes it a masterpiece of its time. Your number thirty-five, folks, enjoy:

The Luddites - 'Doppleganger' (mp3)

(from the 'The Strength Of Your Cry' - 7"-EP) - Xcentric Noise Records - Second 1 (1983)

 

And, should you have been wondering, yes, I do know how to spell 'Doppelgaenger'. The Luddites, apparently, didn't.

 

Then again: who cares anyway?

 

Cheers,

 

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#34/45)

Hello friends,

another oldie but goodie today, then again ... what did you expect: last week's number one in the charts? Not really, right?

Your number thirty-four, please enjoy:

 

The Only Ones - 'Another Girl, Another Planet' (mp3)

CBS - S CBS 6228 (1978)

"Another Girl, Another Planet" is by far The Only Ones' best remembered song and has become something of a standard.

The Only Ones are often considered a one-hit wonder due to the popularity of "Another Girl, Another Planet" although the song was not actually a chart hit upon initial release in 1978. The track's first chart appearance was in July 1981, when it appeared at #44 for one week on the New Zealand charts, before dropping out of the top 50. More than a decade later, "Another Girl, Another Planet" appeared in the UK charts for two weeks in January 1992, peaking at #57.

The record is distinguished by soaring guitars, wounded vocals and Peter Perrett's elliptical lyrics framing a blasé, weary take on love and romance.

Allmusic calls it "Arguably, the greatest rock single ever recorded".

And me, I won't dare to disagree to that.

Peace,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#33/45)

Good morning my beauties,

we had The Raymen (led by Link Wray) on Monday and we'll have The Raymen (led by Hank Ray)again today: I know you're all shouting "what a segue!!" at this very moment, but you don't have to thank me, no, I'm only here to please you with such extraordinary flashes of genius!

I stole the below from their website and I think it says it all:

"Since 1983 the Raymen have been spearing the essence of Bo Diddley, Hank Williams, Link Wray and Howlin Wolf in the guise of Punk-a-billy / Rock-a-billy – na-na in a way that taps directly into every boo-hoo rebel dream crying out in the night.

Total reverb-drenched echo-max land with a fist in the history of R’n’R pulling out the heart of American music in every warped take, beating rhythm-off Catholic sex and using it to put nitro-overdrive and vision into our collective psyche. This isn’t pretend scary Rock-a-Billy style crap all duded up. This is the rhythm and blast that made every over-powered, over-sexed run from confusion in the American juvenile delinquent hormonal nightscape that originally found voice in Punk and Rock’n’Roll."

This tune is good throughout, friends, a real killer .... and you shouldn't miss it, so download it NOW! Your number thirty-three, enjoy:

The Raymen - 'Buzzsaw Baby Of The Hollywood Hills' (mp3)

Giant Claw - GCS-004 (1992)

 

Limited edition of 1000 copies, nice green vinyl and on an Australian label: what more can you possibly ask for?

 

Take care,

 

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#32/45)

Good morning friends,

an instrumental (well, 99% of it anyway) for you today for a change and ain't that nice?

The tune was originally composed my Neil Hefti back in 1966 and the cover version I have for you today comes from the same year, from a 7" on the Swan Label in fact.

A great piece of music and I'm sure despite of its age everyone of you youngsters will be able to hum along to it. Your number thirty-two, people. Enjoy:

Link Wray & The Raymen - 'Batman Theme' (mp3)

Norton Records - 810 (1995)

Needless to say that I don't have the original Swan single in my collection, so this comes from a 1995 re-release on Norton Records from their Juke Box Series. Now, I don't have a Juke Box, nevertheless this doesn't spoil my enjoyment: hope this applies to you too.

Cheerio,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#31/45)

Hello folks,

see, I hate to say this, but it is a good thing, at least for this nice little "45 45's" - rundown, that I don't have all that many 7" singles by The Jam and The Clash in my collection. Otherwise the series would have shown a serious lack of variety ("It does that already!", I hear you cry ...), because most probably 50% would have consisted of just those two bands.

Two Jam - singles will be featured, here's the first one, your number thirty-one. Enjoy:

 

The Jam - 'Town Called Malice' (mp3)

Polydor - POSP 400 (1982)

Of course this record doesn't need any explanation. Sheer brilliance, as far as I'm concerned. Their 15th single and - quite rightly so - another number one.

I do honestly think the day on which I get tired to listening to this record will never come.

Take good care,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#30/45)

Good morning friends,

and yes, the hits keep happening here on Sexyloser: another one you know/should know/will know if you download it right now.

For a change this is a record that made it into the (UK-) charts, all the way up to No. 53 in fact. Should have been much much higher in my humble opinion ... obviously.

Without further ado, here's your number thirty, people. Enjoy!

 

Leyton Buzzards - 'Saturday Night Beneath The Plastic Palm Trees' (mp3)

Chrysalis - CHS 2288 (1979)

A great tune with great lyrics, especially this bit

"I was cool drinking rum and black
And then felt sick on the journey back
I got soaked right thru in the pouring rain
But next week I'm going back again"

often remembers me of when I was younger and still pretty as a picture. Okay, I admit I didn't yet drink back in 1969, but the attitude didn't change much until 1983.

It never will, I suppose.

Ah well ...

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#29/45)

Good morning friends,

a well known song for you today again and - in my humble opinion - t.h.e. definitive reading of the old Elvis - favourite. Of course the truth of the matter is that the tune is not by Elvis at all (then again: what was back then? Nothing much, ey?), but by a chap called Mac Davis. So there you are ...

Hearing this one still sends shivers down my spine after all those years. Your number twenty-nine, people ... enjoy:

 

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - 'In The Ghetto' (mp3)

MUTE Records - MUTE 032 (1984)

 

See you soon,

 

Dirk

 

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#28/45)

Hello my lovelies,

today something with a bit of recognition value for - I suppose - most of you, and why not? One should offer these things from time to time, keeps the customer happy and satisfied, right?

The Quads came from Birmingham, released four perfect pop singles, reached no. 66 in the charts with this record, then were gone. The melody is great, the guitar clean but aggressive at the same time - in fact its' sound is hard to compare indeed, bloody brilliant - plus distinct vocals: T.H.E. PERFECT Powerpop/New Wave/Mod (you name it, I can't) - tune as far as I'm concerned.

Your number twenty-eight, people, turn this up good and loud ... and enjoy:

The Quads - 'There Must Be Thousands' (mp3)

Big Bear Records - BB 23 (1979)

Why did ‘Teenage Kicks’ become known to everyone, but ‘There Must be Thousands’ lies virtually forgotten? I can't think of many other record that so powerfully expresses the delight in singing your heart out!

PS: when you turn the record over, you'll find that the B-side ('You Gotta Jive') is every bit as good as the A-side. What were they doing putting this on the B-side? It’s just as great a pop song, with a unique guitar riff, irresistible drive, and a sly stop-start surprise towards the end.

Have a sunny day,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#27/45)

Good morning dear readers,

alright, as you might already have gathered, it only was a question of time when something by The Smiths would come along in this rundown. Let me point out - again - that the sequence by and large does not reflect my estimation for the chosen tunes. This might change a bit when it comes to the last ten singles or so: all of them are top notch in my book and this will never change.

The Smiths. Well, I must admit I never really understood the fuzz that was made about them (and still is) in fact. Yes, they were fresh, they were new, they were brilliant. But there is an enormous amount of people who say that they are the best thing since sliced bread .... I never really could share this opinion. Still can't.

The first I heard by them was - immediately upon its release - the debut album, which I still regard as being an absolute masterpiece. Only quite some time after that (well ahead into 1984, if memory serves correctly) I got to listen to their second single, 'This Charming Man', which was released 5 months before the LP). To be absolutely frank to you: I didn't like it very much. At least not in comparison to most of the songs on the album. And you know what: this attitude hasn't changed much in the last 29 years. I carefully watched what they did until their end, but they never matched the debut album, as far as I'm concerned. As it so often is the case with other bands as well, it must be said.

But there is one non-debut album - song which I always adored, funnily enough one you don't hear all that often: your number twenty-six, friends. Enjoy:

The Smiths - 'Jeane' (mp3)

from 'This Charming Man' - Rough Trade - RT 136 (1983)

A serious proportion of their singles weren't lifted from albums, and they came with B-sides and extra tracks that were not only exclusive to the singles, but were frankly as good as the A-sides.

Such a prolific output led to several compilations sweeping up those non-album tracks ('Hatful Of Hollow', 'Louder Than Bombs', 'The World Won't Listen'), yet somehow 'Jeane' slipped through the net and appears never to have been issued anywhere but on the B-side of the 'This Charming Man' 7".

 

At least as far as I know.

 

Take good care,

 

Dirk

 

 

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#26/45)

Hello my beauties,

believe it or not, but after having survived months of months of freezing cold weather, now - as an improvement doesn't look at all impossible - I have got the flu and I feel like shit. So bear with me, please, if today's post is even shorter than usual. The again there ain't that much to say/to find in the www about the tune anyway, but - and that's for sure - it is a great great record. Magic, in fact.

Your number twenty-six, folks, please enjoy:

 

I'm Spartacus - 'Donna Is Distressed' (mp3)
Decade Records - DECK 01 (1983)

A bit of a collector's item these days and I remember that even back then I had quite some trouble in getting hold of a copy. Australia's I'm Spartacus were Nick Cecire on drums, Gino Palmieri on guitar and John Marr on bass and vocals. And no, it's not that John Marr ... at least I don't think it is ...

Ta,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#25/45)

Good morning to you,

I know this will sound like a most lame excuse for my laziness, but - believe it or not - today there is a reason for my unability to tell you something interesting about the choice of the day, and a good one at that:

Mostly I write my little essays when being at work, no problem with that, but earlier on I constantly failed to ascertain any background information to today's pick whatsoever, because some stupid internet filter screamed "ALARM!" whenever I googled for either 'Tits', 'Stiff' or 'Teenage'! Pornography rules this world, I tell you!

So, as I don't want to see the head of our IT Department appearing behind me in a few minutes in order to ask  - quite rightly so - what is wrong with me, and thus finding myself on the dole tomorrow, I thought I'd better just give you the record without further ado: your number twenty-five, friends, enjoy:

 

Dawn Chorus & The Bluetits - 'Teenage Kicks' (mp3)

Stiff Records - DAWN 1 (1985)

If memory serves Dawn Chorus were Liz Kershaw and Carole Vorderman ...  well known names to the Brits amongst you, I suppose, they don't mean that much to us over here in real Europe.

Remarkably, David Bowie is credited with playing bass guitar, while the Undertones’ Damian O’Neill is listed as guitarist. Then again, over the years, I never really believed Bowie to have participated here. 

Would you?

Cheerz,

Dirk

 

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#24/45)

Hello dear friends,

for a change something from a different part of the world, but nonetheless well worth downloading and listening to at stupendous volume.

The artist behind today's choice isn't easy to describe, or better: what he did and achieved for his country in his lifetime is hard to believe. Therefore I will just copy/paste a little something from "Caribarena Antigua - The Best Caribbean News Portal", dated May 5th 2012, which, I think, by and large says it all:

Antigua St John's - As part of the ongoing 50th Anniversary Celebrations for Sir McLean “King Short Shirt” Emanuel, the 50th Anniversary Committee on Saturday, June 16, 2012, under the theme, “WE ARE THE ONES…” will host a “Black-tie” gala at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa.
Sir McLean’s peers will gather to pay tribute to him, for his tremendous contribution to Antigua and Barbuda’s development, particularly in the Tourism and Entertainment industries.

On said night, four individuals will receive the Sir McLean “King Short Shirt” Emanuel’s “Lifetime Achievement Award,” and three others will receive the “Peoples’ Award.”

Here's your number twenty-four, friends. Please enjoy:

King Short Shirt - 'Nobody Go Run Me' (mp3)

Weed Beat - WB 031 (1976)

A mighty record, friends. Again: do yourself a favour and listen to this!

And leave comments if it meets with your approval, will you?

Cheers,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#23/45)

Good morning friends,

there is not a lot I can say that hasn't already been said about this song: its truly a classic and thus surely Buzzcocks' greatest hit. Nevertheless I don't get tired to listening to it every once in a while ... dunno why, perhaps it's because I've always been a sucker for neat tunes broaching the issue of unfulfilled love. The Undertones' 'Teenage Kicks' comes to mind here as well ... and whenever I find the time I will try to make t.h.e. definitive mixtape of songs about this subject, you'll wait and see! In the meantime, here's to you your number twenty-three in my little list. Enjoy:

Buzzcocks - 'Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)' (mp3)

United Artists Records - UP 36455 (1978)

Some excerpts from Wikipedia:

Sometime during November 1977, the band watched the musical Guys & Dolls in the TV lounge of a guesthouse in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the dialogue "Have you ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have" from the film which inspired the song. The following day Shelley wrote the lyrics of the song, in a van outside a post office, with the music following soon after.

Critic Ned Raggett describes the song as a "deservedly well-known masterpiece." Mark Deming notes, "Pete Shelley's basic formula in the Buzzcocks was to marry the speed and emotional urgency of punk with the hooky melodies and boy/girl thematics of classic pop/rock. When he applied this thinking to that most classic of pop themes, unrequited teenage love, he crafted one of his most indelible songs, 'Ever Fallen in Love?'".

Well described and there ain't much to add to that.

Have fun and enjoy your Easter bank holidays,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#22/45)

Hello nice people,

as usual today - again - a record by a band not commonly known to a lot of you out there, at least I suspect this is the case: Flophouse.

And again it was rather difficult to ascertain any information about Flophouse whatsoever. I found this though, not describing slagging off today's choice, but their s/t debut album from 1990:

"Produced by Peter Case, this mild-mannered San Francisco quartet's uneventful debut proffers nicely played folk-rock (genus Californius), alternately sung by bassist Kim Osterwalder and guitarist J.C. Hopkins. Cello, violin, piano, mandolin, harmonica and trombone help color the tunes, but Hopkins' material (and voice; hers is much better) lacks character, and the band doesn't do anything special that would make up for it."

Great stuff, especially if you consider that I also found out that these days "(...) JC Hopkins is a bandleader, songwriter and producer. His exuberant music is influenced by many genres and he's described as a modern day Hoagy Carmichael, acclaimed singers such as Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, and Victoria Williams have covered his songs. As a bandleader, his 12-piece group, the JC Hopkins Biggish Band, has worked with a wide range of innovative vocalists including Elvis Costello, Justin Bond, Madeleine Peyroux and Martha Wainwright.

 
Hopkins has twice been nominated for a Grammy. He was nominated for his song “Dreams Come True”, recorded by Willie Nelson and Norah Jones, and also for his production of John Lithgow’s children’s album of Tin Pan Alley songs, The Sunny Side of the Street.

Aside from his work in music, Hopkins is also a filmmaker. His films delicately combine comedy and drama and are largely influenced by the likes of John Cassavetes, Woody Allen, and Charlie Chaplin. His short film, “The Goldberg Variations” and his webisode, “The Continuing and Seemingly Endless Courtship of Waldo Malone”, have been screened throughout New York City and explore themes of pathos and passion."

Now, that's how I'd describe career, I must say. Nevertheless I'm more fond of today's choice, a brilliant single which shows us Flophouse's original rawness. Be relieved to hear that this ain't got nothing to do with 'Sunny Side Of The Street' at all, here's your number twenty-two, friends. Enjoy:

 

Flophouse - 'Right Now' (mp3)

Harp Records - Harp 002 (1991)

 

 

Have a nice day,

 

Dirk

 

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#21/45)

Good morning friends,

again - should I feel sorry about this at all? Don't think I should - an oldie but goodie, one you already know, and, so I hope, still love. For me it has stood the test of time, that's for sure.

I didn't know anything at all about the artist, so I had a look at Wikepedia earlier on and was astonished to see that the bloke behind this record - and the record itself - seem to be not totally unknown within the UK.  Some excerpts from the article:

"Graham David Fellows (born 22 May 1959, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England) is an English comedy actor and musician, best known for creating the characters of John Shuttleworth and Jilted John.

Fellows first came to prominence as Jilted John, a character who had a hit single in 1978 that was named after his own alter ego. The single was performed in the aggressive, minimalist style of the then-prevailing punk genre, but with poppier influences, somewhat akin to the Buzzcocks and "Up the Junction", a docupop song by Difford and Tilbrook of Squeeze written around the same time. The novelty hit was most memorable for its humorous lyrics, a first-person narrative of a bitter teenager named John whose girlfriend Julie had left him for another man named Gordon, "just 'cause he's better lookin' than me/just 'cause he's cool and trendy". John wails that "Gordon is a moron", a phrase that became briefly famous in Britain, along with "I was so upset that I cried all the way to the chipshop".

Produced by Martin Hannett for his Rabid Records label, the song was first played on national radio by John Peel who commented that if the single was promoted by a major record label he could see its being a huge hit. This proved to be the case when it was picked up by EMI International. The song was introduced by David Jensen on Top of the Pops as "one of the most bizarre singles of the decade", and the song reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart."

So there you are, your number twenty-one, friends. Enjoy:

Jilted John - 'Jilted John' (mp3)

EMI International - INT 567 (1978)

"Two more recent Fellows creations followed, firstly Brian Appleton, a rock musicologist and media studies lecturer from a college of further education in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area although originally he hails from Selly Oak in Birmingham. His girlfriend Wendy is an aromatherapist, but unfortunately upon qualifying she became allergic to the essential oils she uses. He is convinced that he has been instrumental in helping many rock acts to achieve megastardom and yet received no credit for his efforts, such as being the cause for the gap in "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)" by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, inadvertently launching the vocal career of Phil Collins at a failed audition for the lead singer of Genesis after the departure of Peter Gabriel and giving Howard Jones the idea for using a mime artist in the hit "New Song" while working opposite him at a Clingfilm factory in High Wycombe. Brian also claimed to have a significant bearing on the career of the Thompson Twins (for example he inspired the hit 'Love On Your Side' while directing Alannah Currie towards her hat which he accidentally knocked off her head)."

Dead funny, I must say ... exactly my kind of humour!

Cheerio,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#20/45)

Good day to you, my beauties,

the Marabar Caves are fictional caves in the novel 'A Passage to India' and the film of the same name. The caves are based on the real life Barabar Caves located in the Jehanabad District of Bihar, India. They serve as an important plot location and motif in the novel.

Above information is of course absolutely essential for the millions of fine art connaisseurs amongst you, those who visit Sexyloser just for the top notch lyrical and/or cinematic recensions which appear here frequently.

For the rest of you, i.e. for all the other five readers, the Marabar Caves might be interesting in a different context, at least they should, because they're my choice for today and a fine one at that. Your number twenty, friends, so please enjoy a bit of psychedelic 60's garage revival:

 

The Marabar Caves - 'Seeds That Never Grew' (mp3)

TIKI Records - MBAR 1 (1984)

Again, a band I can't tell you anything about at all. As far as I know they're British and the track above is just the 7"'s B-Side .... in comparison you can easily forget about the A- Side ('Sally's Place') though.

I must admit I am by now myself really fed up with my unability to provide you with at least a bit of information about the records I chose or the bands that made them, but the thing is you see, most of them I heard on Peel, bought them and then by and large none of them turned out to be pretty successful .... and that obviously results in a significant lack of information in the internet these days.

Perhaps I should go for something more frequently known for the rest of this rundown, something easy, you know .... The Beatles 'Help' for example .... I'm sure I could find tons of information for you about that!

Whaddayathink?

Cheerio,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#19/45)

Hello folks,

it should be obvious by now, but if you want to sell me your record, couple it with some chiming chords, a memorable lyric and a catchy hook, and I’m all yours for the next three to four minutes.

Today's pick creates a chilling landscape, blanketing the song in a reverberating wall of sound, making you feel like you’re there, sheltering from the storm, while an arctic wind whips outside. The songs setting, the frozen surroundings of the “polar zone” is the complete antithesis of the tropical warmth of Brisbane, Australia — where both the band and this single originated. Your number nineteen, friends, so please enjoy:

The Screaming Tribesmen - 'Igloo' (mp3)

Citadel Records - CIT 004 (1983)

I never had the benefit of a lyric sheet with this record and for years and years it drove me nuts not to be able to find out what exactly the singer wants to tell us when he sings: “I felt so lonely when my ?????? died/I felt my tears freeze when I finally cried”

Again the internet proved itself to be mankind's greatest invention with this: how many of you know what a Samoyed is? I surely didn’t. A Samoyed is a breed of dog that is suited for colder climbs, originating from North-West Siberia. Find a picture and you’ll see one of the happiest looking dogs ever. I was instantly humbled. If this dog died, I’d cry too.

Also I found out that the refrain “listen to the shoeshine boys” refers to a black 50s doo-wop band from Alabama.

Attention to detail should never go unrewarded, you see, and neither should this song.

Take good care,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#18/45)

Good morning nice people,

an oldie but goodie again today, you'll know it by heart, I'm sure. But that's no reason not to offer it here again ... as your number eighteen. Enjoy ...

The Rezillos - 'I Can't Stand My Baby' (mp3)

Sensible Records - FAB 1 (1977)

The Rezillos have always been one of my top favourite bands from the punk era and even these days, some 35 years later, I still love to listen to what they did back then. Perhaps this is because after all they weren't only 'punk', in fact they managed to merge punk with glam, new wave and pop.

A few weeks ago I even enjoyed their debut LP, 'Can't Stand The Rezillos' in its entirety with me headphones on at immense volume ... twice! A record which I cannot recommend enough to you: shouldn't you already have it in your possession, get your hands on it now! Some nice cover versions on it as well, their turn at Fleetwood Mac's 'Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight' is particularily perfect!

I think if I ever get me hands on their second Peel Session, my life is complete!

Have fun,

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#17/45)

Good morning people,

I'm willing to have a small bet that today's choice is totally unknown to 99% of you freaks out there. Nevertheless it is a record that grows on you and I really do think you should give it a chance. Mind you, it comes to you all the way from Japan and that's quite a distance, right?

Again a band I can't tell you anything about at all, nor do I have the slightest idea whether they ever did anything else in addition to this single. I don't even know whether the band are at all Japanese or not, the label is though, that's for sure.

Here's your number seventeen, friends, so please enjoy:

Princess Kaiulani - 'Alamoana Fade Away' (mp3)

Motorway Records - MOTOR 035 (1999)

As you can tell it's not the stuff I would usually listen to: I mean, it somehow sounds like Fantastic Plastic Machine playing a song based on a Hawaiian version of the 'E-I-E-I-O' at the end of "Old McDonald's Farm", with a touch of Trio's 'Da Da Da' ... but, most importantly, it works: at least in my humble opinion.

Whaddayouthink?

Cheerio,

Dirk

 

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#16/45)

Good morning my beauties,

the sun is shining this morning plus it is snowing a little bit ... and my colleague is back to work after weeks and weeks of absence: which gives me the time and opportunity to  present to you the next one in my little series.

Again a song which I think needs no further explanation as it is groundbreaking stuff again. Then again, as I never get tired to point out, contrary to the 97% of middle-aged men (yes, those with a bit of a belly (although we all know this is just a visual illusion and the truth of the matter is that the stupid wife will never learn to wash and dry our shirts in a proper way so that they won't shrink every freaking time) and diminishing hair (although I'm willing to have a small bet that this has got something to do with the horsemeat which these days seems to be in nearly everything we like to eat)), there might also be one or two young folks who simply weren't born when this came out but have a good taste in music nevertheless, so the chance exists that they might never have heard this. No question their life will never be the same after this has been achieved!

So this is for you, you two, your number sixteen. Enjoy:

The Normal - 'Warm Leatherette' (mp3)

Mute - MUTE 001 (1978)

 

 

The first record to be issued on the Mute label and what a gem it is, isn't it? I chose the B-Side, the A-Side being 'T.V.O.D.' ('Television Overdose', should you've been wondering for the last 35 years), which is not too shabby either, but doesn't match the sheer brilliance 'Warm Leatherette' offers. Also, funnily enough, this is just another song about car accidents which I really adore: the Room's 'Jackpot Jack' comes to mind here too and it would have hit the list as well, but I only have it on a 12".

 

What can it mean, I wonder?

 

Drive friendly,

 

Dirk

"45 45's until I'm 45" (#15/45)

Good morning y'all,

another one today I heard on Peel when I was much younger and still pretty as a picture and another one I immediately fell in love with and thus had to get me hands on. Which I managed to do, luckily enough.

Then again also it's one I cannot tell you anything at all about, but I found a little piece on the internet which describes today's choice perfectly well, I would think. Copyright by Spin Magazine. Sue me if you want to:

"John Wayne had a horse to kiss, but Terry Bradford has a lover neither Wayne nor his horse could beat. Over brashly strummed acoustic guitar that starts at barely a crawl but picks up to polka pace, Bradford, vocalist with the band July 14th tells about his lover in intimate detail. He met her in an old pawnshop, wrapped her and took her home, caressed her when he was alone and took her out on Saturday nights. With a soft sane voice punctuated by gnarly electric guitar twangs borrowed from a boogiefried American South, the story of 'me And My Gun', unfolds."

Wise words indeed. Here's your number fifteen, friends:

July 14th - 'Me And My Gun' (mp3)

Greasy Pop Records - GPR 110 (1984)

 

 

See you soon, all the best/take good care,

 

Dirk