ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter C, Part 2)

You get two of my heroes in one post today. I hope they are favorites of yours, too. You'll read more about Ian Broudie and Paul Simpson later in this series. For now, let's concentrate on the brief history of their time together as Care. There were three singles between the spring of '83 and early '84, and all of them were perfect pieces of pop. Broudie's new-wave synth and jangly guitars meshed so well with Simpson's distinctive croon. "Flaming Sword" came closest to breaking through, peaking at an anemic No. 48 on the UK Singles Chart, but "Whatever Possessed You" has always been the one for me. It was a leftover from Simpson's early days in Wild Swans. Care assembled a proper album, 'Love Crowns and Crucifies,' but it was shelved after the singles failed to garner buzz. There would be many more bright moments for Broudie and Simpson, some even together, but not as Care. So here's another band in a long line on my shelf that make me scratch my head as I wonder how they missed fortune and fame.

Incidentally, Care (and Simpson in particular), have quite a following in Japan and the Philippines. So much so that it prompted Camden Records to release a CD compilation of the duo's work in 1997. 'Diamonds & Emeralds' is no longer in print, but you can find it used in the usual places. Although the packaging is underwhelming, if you don't have the singles, it's worth seeking out. All of the following songs with the exception of the 12" version of "Whatever Possessed You" can be found there, and you can probably live without the additional 75 seconds. Other than length, the two takes are almost identical.

"Flaming Sword" (12")
"My Boyish Days (Drink to Me)" (12")
"Whatever Possessed You" (7")
"Whatever Possessed You" (12")

Seven-Year Itch

You turn 7 today, dear blog. There have been many ups... and some downs too. In darker moments there have been thoughts of chucking the whole relationship and just walking. Things have gotten heated, and I'm not proud that I have raised my voice to you a few times. There may have even been a monitor shake or two, but I get so frustrated with you. Oh, the technical glitches! Yes, I admit my eyes have wandered to other blogs, but it's OK if I just look, right? I suppose I do leave comments occasionally, but it's nothing too suggestive. Uh, I guess that's not true. I recommend records at other places all of the time. And there was that guest post at JC's place, but I only did it once. I swear.

I know. We used to be together almost every day. Now I only pay attention to you a few times a week. You didn't really think I could keep up that passion, did you? I have read these feelings crop up around the seven-year mark. It's normal. I have a mess of new music to write about this week, and that will help. You know how that always gets the blood pumpin'. You know what you need? We'll reminisce about the good times. Let's listen to one of our favorite songs from each year we've been together. Don't worry. We'll get through this. Just so long as your know-it-all parent stays out of our business. Damn that Google!

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter C, Part 1)

There aren't many albums on my shelf that have meant more to me than NME's 'C86.' I can't claim to have ever owned the original mail-order cassette. Fortunately, there was such a buzz that Rough Trade issued it on vinyl in the fall of that year. I special ordered it through a shop located near a college campus about 40 mintues from my home town. I recall it taking months to come in, but maybe it just felt that way. As you can see from the photo above, the price was less than five pounds in the UK, but I believe I paid $18 for this exotic import. Worth every penny. The cover has seen better days. Thirty years on, the copper color has begun to oxidize on the edges, turning it a rather unattractive brown. There is the obligatory ring made by the vinyl. Very few of us knew to keep the vinyl outside of the cover back then. The vinyl, although played to death, is still pretty good. Cherry Red reissued the vinyl as a double album just this year for Record Store Day. Not a bad idea putting it on two LPs given that 22 songs were crammed on the original. I bet it sounds great.

Like any compilation worth its salt, I would go on to buy many pieces of plastic from the mysterious new bands that were featured, especially Close Lobsters, Shop Assistants and the Bodines. To a lesser extent, though, the Mighty Lemon Drops, Mighty Mighty, McCarthy, the Pastels and the Wolfhounds would also find a home under the roof of my childhood home. It's funny, but to this day I'm still buying the work of bands from this album. During the blogging years I have discovered I really missed out on the Servants and the Wedding Present. Don't worry. Those issues have been rectified. There are some out there that think the 'C86' scene was an amateurish joke. If you're judging solely on the success of the bands that graced this set, you are correct. Only the Soup Dragons and Primal Scream went on to be big commercially... and with a sound that couldn't have been much different than what they displayed here. That type of success was never the point. As Andrew Collins of the NME once said, 'C86' was "the most indie thing to have ever existed." I hear the influence of this collection in the music I listen to almost every day and by many artists that weren't even born when the tape was released. To me, that's the very definition of success.

Twelve of the 22 bands on 'C86' will get there own days during this series. So, if I didn't choose the act you wanted to hear today, I apologize and offer the consolation that your day is more than likely coming soon.

Primal Scream - "Velocity Girl"
Close Lobsters - "Firestation Towers"
Miaow - "Sport Most Royal"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter B, Part 28)

Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the end of the letter B. Perhaps the best has been saved for last. 'Singles Going Steady' might very well be my favorite band compilation in the collection and just about the most listened to album in my middle teen years. That's the perfect time of your life to discover Buzzcocks. It felt like I was flipping the bird to the world right along with Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle as I sang along in my room all those years ago. Last year on Black Friday the 1978 album 'Another Music in a Different Kitchen' was reissued on vinyl. Since the copy from my youth was worn to nothing, I couldn't resist.

The vinyl is thick and heavy, and the color is a lovely opaque orange that perfectly matches the lettering and trim on the front cover. The cover itself is crisp and of a heavy stock. The sound is pristine. It's all so beautiful... and that's the problem. My Buzzcocks aren't supposed to look and sound this good. I don't like it. I miss the pops and cracks, and I anticipate them because after decades of listening I know exactly where they are supposed to be in each song. Unfortunately, I didn't keep my ragged copy, and I regret it. I'm sure you all know the singles and B-sides from Buzzcocks. So, today, I'm going deep for a favorite from the second side of the "new" album.

"I Need"

You know how on some restaurant menus an entrée description will say something like "perfect when paired with a Sam Adams lager." Well, to keep me interested in this series, from time to time, I think I'll add a bonus song to accompany the featured one. I used to make quite a few mix tapes. I bet you did too. There were certain songs I would always put together back to back. The reason could be as simple as similar lyrical themes or as complex as a story from my life that would only make sense to me. This song from the Pastels, circa 1986, would always follow "I Need" because the background vocals were so alike... and, oh, how I love those "ahs!" Buzzcocks should have trademarked that.

"Truck Train Tractor"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter B, Part 27)

Kate Bush takes up very little space on the shelf. I didn't really know of her work before the 1985 single "Running Up That Hill." That might be surprising to European readers, but she didn't have all that much success here in America. Bush has had 25 singles crack the top 40 in the UK, while today's pick remains the only one to do that over here. In fact, in the mid-80s, I knew her more for her work with Michael Kamen on the soundtrack to Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil,' the duet with Peter Gabriel on his song "Don't Give Up" or even her appearance on the title track to Big Country's 'The Seer' than just about any of her own material. I liked "Running Up That Hill" enough to get the album 'Hounds of Love,' and I still enjoy that one from beginning to end. Yet, other than a used copy of the compilation 'The Whole Story' bought around 1989, I never acquired anything else by Bush until 2014.

Why 2014? That's when Bush announced her big London residency at the Hammersmith Apollo. I seem to recall my blogging peers being split on her discography at the time, but what I remember for sure is that seemingly everyone was reading, writing or talking about her for a while there. On this side of the world, I'm guessing I wasn't alone in scratching my head at the level of excitement surrounding her return to the stage, but I tried to get into the spirit of the spectacle. I bought my first Bush album in 25 years when I picked up 'The Dreaming.' I found it to be pretty out there and certainly not as accessible as 'Hounds of Love.' After that I came to the conclusion I respect her art much more than I actually like listening to it. Weird, I know. I'll never tire of "Running Up That Hill," though. Let's listen to the 12". This was the first record I bought by her.

"Running Up That Hill" (Extended Version)

Plan B

I'm on a real Dexys Midnight Runners kick right now (Expect a week of them when I get to the letter D!), and because I have been ripping so much vinyl from the letter B, that includes splinter groups the Bureau and the Blue Ox Babes.

A few weeks ago I posted "There's No Deceiving You," the first of a mere three singles issued from the latter band. I didn't get many takers, and the few that did listen felt it was like Dexys but with weaker songs and vocals. I more or less concurred, but it left me feeling sad. I think it's because the whole Babes v. Dexys rivalry was so lopsided and so unfair. Although Kevin Rowland has come clean about Kevin Archer honing that "Celtic soul" sound first and, further, that he lifted ideas from the Blue Ox Babes for his band's "Emerald Express" period, Archer still had to watch his talented fiddle player change teams and listen to his excruciatingly similar riffs saturate the airwaves as 'Too-Rye-Ay' became a smash. In 1997, Rowland said that "the breakdown and build-up section of the song ['Come on Eileen'] was heavily influenced by a section of one of Kevin Archer's songs." Imagine the whirlwind of emotions Archer must have felt upon hearing those words so many years later.

That's why I'm here giving this another go. It's true "There's No Deceiving You" was the closest the Blue Ox Babes would come to a hit, but I'm not sure this was the best choice to convince you of the band's charms. So, today, I give you all three A-sides from the above singles, plus "What Does Anybody Ever Think About?" I'm including the B-side because that's the song most think Rowland was referring to when he spoke of the breakdown and buildup of strings that heavily influenced "Come on Eileen." This is one of the Blue Ox Babes' earliest songs and undoubtedly one of the demos Rowland heard prior to the 'Too-Rye-Ay' era. If you're in a rush, go to about the 2:55 mark of the song. OK, I'm letting it go now.

"There's No Deceiving You"
"Apples and Oranges (The International Hope Campaign)"
"Walking on the Line"
"What Does Anybody Ever Think About?"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter B, Part 26)

On the heels of the less-than-triumphant Blue Ox Babes comes the second band featured on these pages that formed when the first incarnation of Dexys Midnight Runners split in late 1980. Ex-Dexys members Pete Williams on bass, Geoff Blythe on tenor sax, Steve Spooner on alto sax, Stoker on drums and Mick Talbot on keyboards (yes, that Mick Talbot!) were joined by new recruits Rob Jones on guitar and trumpet and Archie Brown on lead vocals. Both were from the Upset, a band that had opened for Dexys Midnight Runners. The lineup was finalized when Paul Taylor was added on trombone. The Bureau was ready to take on the world, but was the world ready for the Bureau?

Sadly, no. There were two singles and then a self-titled album. Debut single "Only For Sheep" was a big hit in Australia, but failed to chart anywhere else. Follow up "Let Him Have It" didn't do anything either. The band had quite a following in Ireland, but the real death blow came when the long player was only released in Canada and Australia. What, no Ireland or UK?!? Ridiculous. It was all over by the end of 1981. The Bureau is one of the biggest head scratchers in my vinyl collection. As you will hear in a moment, these songs should have been monumental. They picked up where 'Searching For the Young Soul Rebels' left off...

"Only For Sheep"
"Let Him Have It"

The Bureau is actually somewhat new to my collection. Some of you may remember the story of how I ended up with the above three pieces of vinyl, but here is a quick recap. As a huge fan of Dexys and the Style Council, the Bureau had been on my list of wants for many many years, but their work has always been a tough find. When I say "list," I literally mean it. Mrs. LTL found my list a couple of years ago and took it with her on a business trip to Chicago. She stopped by my old haunt Vintage Vinyl in Evanston and managed to get the lot. She placed them under the tissue paper inside of a box that seemed to have nothing but pajamas when I opened it on Christmas morning in 2014. I felt the kind of excitement usually reserved for only the little ones on that holiday.

Two more from the letter B to come, but tomorrow I'm going to try and convince you one more time that Dexy splitters the Blue Ox Babes were quite good as well. I failed miserably a few weeks ago.

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter B, Part 25)

This is going to be short because, frankly, there isn't much history to rehash when it comes to Bubblegum Splash. The Salisbury band was only together for a year, and their entire discography was seven songs. Although seemingly a mere footnote, however, they were on the Subway Organisation, and that means Bubblegum Splash had to be something special. Label founder Martin Whitehead knew how to pick 'em, and I hope by the end of this series you agree. Bubblegum Splash is the first of at least seven Subway bands I plan to feature.

Bubblegum Splash can be described as lo-fi garage... really lo-fi... and that's the charm. Nikki, the lead singer, joined Bubblegum Splash when the lads spotted her at a pub in a Jesus and Mary Chain T-shirt. Hardly a resume for fronting a band, but that's mid-'80s indie for you. Nikki wasn't exactly brimming with confidence, and she often sang behind a curtain during practice and turned her back on the audience at gigs. There were shows with the Pastels, Talulah Gosh, Vaselines, Darling Buds and Flatmates. Greats, one and all, and Bubblegum Splash fits in well with this lot.

Today's pick is Subway 13, the "Splashdown" EP from 1987. You'll hear some Shop Assistants and Swell Maps in these four very very quick songs. Marty, credited as the tambourine player on the 7", recalls this set being recorded the day Andy Warhol died. This turned out to be Bubblegum Splash's 15 minutes of fame. "Splashdown" peaked at No. 15 on the indie chart.

"Plastic Smile"
"Just Walked Away"
"Fast of Friends"
"One of Those Things"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter B, Part 24)

I had planned on going all indie pop this week. Today was to be the Broken West, but I should have checked the shelf first. I thought I had debut 'I Can't Go On, I'll Go On," and I do, but on CD. Further research shows it was never released on vinyl. My memory isn't what it used to be, but when it comes to my records, I'm usually a savant. Disturbing. Anyway, in it's place, I give you Bronski Beat, a band I was going to skip but am now quite happy to include. The timing is perfect since I just saw 'Pride,' the 2014 film depicting the 1984 Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners campaign to which Bronski Beat headlined the legendary "Pits and Perverts" fundraising concert.

The band may be named for John Bronski, but Bronski Beat will always be identified by the falsetto vocals of Jimmy Somerville. To my surprise, then, today I'm choosing the first single post Somerville. Bronski Beat will be remembered and revered for "Why?" and "Smalltown Boy," and rightly so. Their messages make them among the most important songs of the era. You'll find none of that with "Hit That Perfect Beat." "Jon Jon" Foster's debut as lead singer is all about having a good time under the disco ball, and it was a massive hit. The extended 12" version featured here is about twice as long as the 7" because, well, your feet would have barely found that beat in three-and-a-half minutes. I only stuck with Bronski Beat for one more single. "C'Mon! C'Mon!" was more good-time fun but too many miles from the days of "Smalltown Boy" for these ears.

"Hit That Perfect Beat" (Extended Version)

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter B, Part 23)

I liked just about everything Bristol's the Brilliant Corners put out from 1985 through 1988, and why not? Some have argued the music didn't live up to the fantastic covers and other art work. You can decide that for yourself, but I vehemently disagree. Ah, the jangle, the hooks, the trumpet! The string of consecutive singles that included "Brian Rix," Delilah Sands" and "Teenage" were their peak, and the 1988 album 'Somebody Up There Likes Me' should be on the shelf of every UK indie-pop fan.

Today's pick was the single that succeeded the three above and the song that was a walk up to 1989 long player 'Joy Ride.' There was an ever so slight change in sound that would become even more apparent with the 1990 album 'Hooked.' It happened to many jangle bands about that time. I didn't come along for the band's shift to what some have described as shoegaze. In fact, this 7" of "Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him When You Could Go Out With Me" is as far as I went. There are several reasons for choosing this one:

1. I have already featured "Brian Rix," Delilah Sands" and "Teenage" in the past.
2. This is my favorite cover, barely beating out "Delilah Sands."
3. There is a killer fuzzy guitar solo that reminds me of Another Sunny Day's "You Should All Be Murdered."
4. That beautiful voice you hear harmonizing with David Woodward is the one and only Amelia Fletcher.
5. The length of the 7" is perfect. The version on 'Joy Ride" goes on just a bit.

I hope you like it. Yes, this is the longest title to ever appear on this blog.

"Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him When You Could Go Out With Me"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter B, Part 22)

Got a plethora of indie pop coming up the rest of the week. Let's begin with a band straight outta Deutschland but with a sound that seems to come from the UK in '86 and Sweden in '96. Brideshead has had two lives. There were a handful of brilliant singles and two albums on a trio of labels between 1995 and 2002... then an eight-year silence. Due to a similar aesthetic, that bleak period without Brideshead was tempered slightly for me by the emergence of Finnish band Cats on Fire, but Brideshead was welcomed back into the fold in 2010 on two of my favorite labels, Shelflife and Dufflecoat, where they have resided ever since. It's rare to return after such a long layoff and actually better earlier efforts, but Brideshead succeeded where so many others failed. Do yourself a favor and pick up their 2015 long player 'Never Grow Up.' It landed at No. 4 on my best of 2015, and I probably sold them short.

Today I have chosen two songs with contrasting tempos from 1998 debut album 'Some People Have All the Fun.' This is a tough one to find on vinyl. It was only available in that format on Japanese label Quince Records, but it's still a fairly easy get on CD via German label Marsh-Marigold. I think you'll hear many bands you know in these songs, such as June Brides and Brilliant Corners, and Martin Nelte's vocals have always reminded me of David Schelzel from the Ocean Blue, especially on the slower numbers.

Off topic a bit, but putting this one together made me think of it. What has happened to Cats on Fire?

"Life Without a Thrill"
"Descartes"

A Benevolent Prince

The general consensus in our little corner of the blogosphere seems to be we all like Prince well enough but not in a fanatical way. The word "genius" has been bandied about quite a bit too, but most lost track of his music... some a few years ago and others a few decades. To make this a good story, I would separate myself from the pack and go on and on about how I have all 39 of his studio albums and a shelf of rarities to boot. Unfortunately, I'm like most of you. On vinyl I have the double-LP '1999', 'Purple Rain' and two 12" singles from the same era. The last thing I bought by him was the three-disc 'Hits' collection. Seems like only yesterday, but that was 23 years ago! In other words, I'm no authority on Prince. All I can say is I pulled out everything I had by him this weekend, listened to it all, and came away wishing I had done a better job keeping up with his work. I have a feeling I'm not alone in this sentiment.

Here are a few 12" versions of songs Prince had a hand in... one way or another. Sheila E. and Prince wrote and produced the duet "A Love Bizarre" in 1985. It wasn't quite as big as "The Glamorous Life", but it still managed to peak at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Chaka Khan's cover of "I Feel For You" needs very little introduction. Melle Mel rapping her name over and over has been burned into our brains forever. This would be her biggest hit in a legendary 30-year career and one of the most memorable songs of 1984. Prince gave "Manic Monday" to the Bangles, and the ladies certainly made it sound like one of their own. A lovely piece of pop that went top 5 all around the world in 1986. Many are giving thanks to Prince right now, and I'm betting the following artists are at the head of the line.

Sheila E. - "A Love Bizarre" (Parts I and II)
Chaka Khan - "I Feel For You" (12")
The Bangles - "Manic Monday" (Extended)