Sammy's Tunes: July 2009

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

Cracked Melodies

Cave - Encino Men
Crystal Method - High Roller
Yeasayer - Wait For The Summer
Fraternity Of Man - Wispy Paisley Sky
The Junipers - Fly The Yellow Kite
The Blow Pops - Spin Spin 45
Irving - Lovely, Just Like Her
The Veils - The Leavers Dance
The Shortwave Set - Harmonia
Special Pillow - Sixteen Worlds Away
The Doleful Lions - The Luminous Sons Of The Manvantaric Dawn
Reefus Moons - Strange Horses
The Pillbugs - Girl On A Laser Beam
Ivy - Corners Of Your Mind
Flipron - Gravity Calling
Capt Groovy & His Bubblegum Army - Capt Groovy
The Time & Space Machine - Zeitghost
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Super Fucked

A second collaboration between myself & Cliff ( Frenchy ) see also Rock A Bye Babies.

We didn't set out to make a psychedelic mix once again, but inevitably it ended up that way. And I for one am glad.

And for a change, this mix doesn't try to fit as much music into 80 mins as possible. A choice was taken to finish with the fantastic BJM track. Making this just 1:02:36. No excuses then, for not listening to this in one sitting..

Listen

70s AM Radio Revival

Marmaduke Duke - Rubber Lover
Heavy Blinkers - Maplewood
Orwell - Everywhere
Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better
The Feeling - Never Be Lonely
The High Llamas - Peppy
The Simple Carnival - Really Really Weird
Coconut Records - Minding My Own Business
Young and Sexy - Herculean Bellboy
Mover - We Got It Going On (Feat. Ruby Turner)
Papas Fritas - Questions
Calvin Harris - Ready For The Weekend
Belle Who - Coke & Brandy
Hopeful Monster - Daily Electric
Tahiti 80 - Matter Of Time
The Aluminum Group - The World Doesn't Spin On Us
The Rosewood Thieves - She Don't Mind The Rain
Broadfield Marchers - Amazing Wheels
Rooney - When Did your Heart Go Missing
The Flower Machine - Instant Cathedral
Sweet Apple Pie - Between The Lines
Ivy - Undertow

I've been meaning to make this mix for a while now. It finally come to fruit last week and finished late last night. The premise is simple - modern day bands making the kind of music that owes more than a little debt to the acts that dominated AM Radio in the 70s. Bands like Supertramp, Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, America. Bands that aren't quite as hip as they should be. But my word could they make a great pop tune. Great harmonies, beautiful melodies, luscious strings. Yum!

Enjoy

Monday, 20 July 2009

The Forgotten Art of the B Side Disc Two

Them - Gloria [c/w Baby Please Don't Go 1965]
Badfinger - Sweet Tuesday Morning [c/w Day After Day 1972]
Sonny & Cher - It's Gonna Rain [c/w I Got You babe 1965]
David Bowie - The Gospel According To Tony Day [c/w The Laughing Gnome 1967]
Ian Dury & The Blockheads - There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards [c/w Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick 1978]
A-ha - Maybe Maybe [c/w Cry Wolf 1986]
Prince - Erotic City [c/w Let's Go Grazy 1984]
Saint Etienne - Filthy [c/w Only LOve Can Break Your Heart 1991]
Ash - Gimme Some Truth [c/w Angel Interceptor 1995]
R.E.M. - Crazy [c/w Driver 8 1985]
Specials - Friday Night, Saturday Morning [c/w Ghost Town 1981]
Tom Tom Club - On On On On [c/w Under The Boardwalk 1982]
Blur - Theme From An Imaginary Film [c/w Parklife 1994]
Aztec Camera - Jump [c/w All I Need Is Everything 1984]
Echo & the Bunnymen - Angels and Devils [c/w Silver 1984]
The Teardrop Explodes - Suffocate [c/w You Disappear From View 1983]
XTC - The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul [c/w Dear God 1986]
Supergrass - Melanie Davis [c/w Going Out 1996]
Prefab Sprout - Diana [c/w When Love Breaks Down 1984]
Elvis Costello - Girls Talk [c/w I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down 1980]
Jane Birkin - Jane B [c/w Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus 1969]
Patrick Macnee & Honor Blackman - Let's Keep It Friendly [c/w Kinky Boots 1963]
Tracey Ullman - The B-Side [c/w They Don't Know 1983]

Link

The Forgotten Art of the B Side Disc One

Donovan - Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness) [c/w Turqouise 1965]
The Clash - Pressure Drop [c/w English Civil War 1979]
The Beatles - She's a Woman [c/w I Feel Fine 1964]
The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby [c/w I Get Around 1964]
Monkees - Take A Giant Step [c/w Last Train To Clarksville 1966]
T. Rex - Life's A Gas [c/w Jeepster 1971]
The Jam - Smithers-Jones [c/w When You're Yoing 1979]
The Who - Instant Party [c/w A Legal Matter 1966]
Marvin Gaye - At Last (I Found A Love) [c/w Chained 1968]
Sly & the Family Stone - Everybody Is A Star [c/w Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf Again 1969]
Pink Floyd - Scarecrow [c/w See Emily Play 1967]
Manfred Mann - John Hardy [c/w Sha La La 1964]
Led Zeppelin - Hey Hey What Can I Do [c/w Immigrant Song 1970]
The Small Faces - Grow Your Own [c/w Sha La La Lee 1966]
The Rolling Stones - Stupid Girl [c/w Paint It Black 1966]
The Smiths - How Soon Is Now [c/w William It Was Really Nothing 1984]
Joy Division - These Days [c/w Love Will Tear Us Apart 1980]
The Fall - Blood Outta Stone [c/w White Lightning 1990]
The The - Three Orange Kisses From Kazan [c/w Uncertain Smile 1983]
Oasis - Half the World Away [c/w Whatever 1994]
Tears for Fears - Ideas As Opiates [c/w Mad World 1982]
New Order - 1963 [c/w True Faith 1987]
Pet shop boys - Paninaro [c/w Suburbia 1986]

In the U.K charts this week only one song sold more than 500 physical copies - the Number One single 'Beat Again' by JLS. The week's number 16 song, Rabbit Heart by Florence & The Machine did very well on downloads, but physical copies? CD Singles and 7"s - 64 copies. Across the whole country.

As more and more people download music onto their computers and mobile phones it's become apparent. The physical single is dead.

The great tragedy here, of course, is the loss of the great art form - the B Side. Far from being an unwanted studio off-cut, sometimes the B Side was a vehicle for an artist to relax and experiment, free from the pressures of having to deliver a hit.

Some bands in particular took the B Side very seriously. Some of Oasis and Suede's finest songs can be found hidden away on their B Sides or their subsequent compilation albums. The Beatles and Smiths have a back-catalogue of flip sides that would put many bands greatest hits to shame.

All these acts are featured here, alongside many classic flipsides of yesteryear. 2 Cds 46 tracks. Every track a gem. Some of these eventually made it onto the artists full albums. Others appeared on odds and sods compilations. Some, only ever on the B-side, maybe that gone unplayed by many many owners of the single.

All have one thing in common though. They're all crackers. One day I'll compile a mix of exclusive B-sides. But for now...

Link