Versions Galore

Side 1 of a cover versions cassette compilation, recorded 26th November 1999.

Preparing for the end of the millennium party with a mixtape of songs transformed or tortured by (then) contemporary. Who would have thought a quarter of a century on, many of these artists would still be recording and touring?

I recorded a trio of CD-Rs titled Hokey Karaoke for my friend Stuart in 2008 and posted the first of these on here in 2022. Only two duplications with this track list, one of them being the closer to this side by My Bloody Valentine which,, coincidentally, opens up the companion collection.

Great to be reminded of these songs, especially that superb O.M.D. bassline, Republica's OTT take on Gary Numan and what an awesome live act Senser were.

 

1) Waiting For The Man (Single Version): O.M.D. vs. The Velvet Underground (1980)

2) Stepping Stone (Ghost Dance Mix By Terry Farley & Mr. Suggs): The Farm vs. The Monkees (1991)

3) (Don't Fear) The Reaper (Single Version): Apollo 440 vs. Blue Öyster Cult (1995)

4) Children Of The Revolution (7" Mix): Baby Ford vs. T. Rex (1989)

5) Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun (Live @ Reading Festival): Senser vs. Beastie Boys (1993)

6) Hanging Around (Album Version By Tony Visconti): Hazel O'Connor vs. The Stranglers (1981)

7) Sexual Healing: Anita Lane ft. Mick Harvey & Barry Adamson vs. Marvin Gaye (1993)

8) Jacky (7" Version By Trevor Horn & Brian Malouf): Marc Almond vs. Jacques Brel / Scott Walker (1991)

9) Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds vs. Gene Pitney (1986)

10) Are 'Friends' Electric?: Republica vs. Tubeway Army (1997)

11) We Have All The Time In The World: My Bloody Valentine vs. Louis Armstrong (1993)

1980: Messages EP: 1

1981: Cover Plus: 6

1986: Kicking Against The Pricks: 9

1989: Children Of The Revolution EP: 4

1991: Stepping Stone EP: 2

1991: Tenement Symphony: 8

1993: Dirty Pearl: 7

1993: Peace Together: 11

1994: Age Of Panic EP: 5

1995: (Don't Fear) The Reaper EP: 3

1997: Random: 10

 

Side One (47:20) (GD) (M)

You can find Hokey Karaoke (Volume One) here

A Baby From Bolton

Born Peter Frank Adshead in Bolton but better known as Baby Ford.

 

Purveyor of English Acid House music in the late 80s, Baby Ford enjoyed a string of club hits that also troubled the UK singles charts between September 1988 and February 1990, namely Oochy Koochy (F.U. Baby Yeh Yeh), Chikki Chikki Ahh Ahh and Beach Bump.

Oh, and a cover of Children Of The Revolution by T. Rex...

But then I happened across BFORD9, Baby Ford's third (if you count EP collection Ford Trax as his debut) album from 1992, which was a game changer for me. Quite simply one of the greatest techno albums ever made, with a slew of great singles not least the nosebleed-inducing Fetish.

 

BFORD9 contains twin takes on a few songs, essential inclusions in all cases. Here's a 2022 "Spintext Reformat" re-edit by Tony Fairchild of the alt. mix of Move On, a crucial album cut.

 

 

1997 follow up Headphoneasy Rider saw Baby Ford's first steps into a genre that's subsequently seen him labelled as the "elder statesman of classical Minimal-Techno". 2003's Basking In The Brakelights - as far as I can tell, Baby Ford's last full album release to date - continued to explore the form, as evidenced by this remix of Satellite Stroll.

  

Standalone single Messenger, also from 2003, is another deep cut especially this 11-minute Vox version.

  

Bandcamp has proved to be a veritable smorgasbord of Baby Ford tracks and remixes from the past decade, a welcome discovery that the journey continues. Here's a few choice selections: the lead track from the One For Sorrow EP (2015), plus remixes of Brainstew by Tom Ellis (2020), Lovin' Space by Le Loup aka Léonard Perret (also 2020) and Praise by Leigh Dickson (2023).

  

 

 

 

  

Note: not to be confused with this Baby Ford, who is Real 4Eva and really should come with a health warning.

The One You Won't Regret

Today's selection started out with the intention of being a relaxed, laidback affair, triggered by a week revisiting Baby Ford's brilliant 1992 album Bford 9. I think somewhere along the line it morphed into a late night/headphones kind of vibe...

The nine tracks are all drawn from albums I've been listening to this week, several purchased last year, some having been in my possession for many years and one picked up one of two compulsory Sahel Sounds purchases last Bandcamp Friday. An eclectic bunch, it has to be said, but I think they make good partners.

I'll revisit Bford 9 again in the future but suffice to say my previous preconceptions about Baby Ford were completely upended by this album. I bought it on spec for £7.99 from a record shop in Yate (#45 in 2003's Top 50 Crap Towns) a couple of years after it's release and it's remained one of my favourite electronica/dance albums. There's a vocal version of 20, Park Drive; I've opted for the instrumental version to open this selection, to set the (languid) pace.

Happy Ending by Hifi Sean and David McAlmont was officially released in February this year. To say I love it is an understatement. In fact, I love it so much that when I got the double vinyl last December as a Last Night From Glasgow subscriber, I made it my 2022 album of the year. Transatlantic is a beautiful, downtempo moment, sweeping strings and shiver-inducing vocals.

Electribe 101's contribution dates from 1992 though didn't see an official release for three decades due to the record label dropping them midway through recording their second album. I wrote about it last January in anticipation of the album's long awaited release (thanks to Billie Ray Martin) and it didn't disappoint. Conquering Tomorrow is a bonus track on the CD, a brief instrumental that segues neatly into the next song on this selection.

My sideways step into the world of New York indie pop trio Au Revoir Simone came via their appearance on Paris by Friendly Fires. I picked up a few freebie sample songs via the now-defunct RCRD LBL website and then bought 2009 album Still Night, Still Light, followed by 2010 remix companion Night Light. The version of Take Me As I Am featured here is from the latter, London-based DJ Max Cooper delivering a shimmering version with hushed vocals coming in quite late.

 

Telefís was an inspired meeting of minds between Cathal Coughlan and Garret 'Jacknife' Lee. Debut album a hAon was released in 2022 and whilst the equally excellent follow up a Dó came in October the same year, it sadly proved to be a posthumous release, due to Cathal's untimely passing in May. Picadors is taken from a hAon and an example of a duo at the top of their game, lyrically and sonically. A tragic loss.

I featured a System 7 selection at the end of April and they've continued to be on my playlist since. The Abyss is the penultimate track on 2001 album Seventh Wave, seven and a half minutes of ambient waves which Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy do so well.

 

From there and another of my favourite albums of 2022, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow by Weyes Blood. Another spine-tinglingly beautiful vocal, this isn't really ambient at all, more 1970s West Coast vibe yet it was an obvious next step from the System 7 song. The build towards the end is just wonderful.

 

Whilst I have a few Wau Wau Collectif songs from previous Sahel Sounds compilations, Friday saw my first purchase of a full length album by them, their second as it transpires. The Senegalese musicians collaborate again with Sweden’s Karl Jonas Winqvist, a name I only recognise from his work with James Yorkston & The Secondhand Orchestra. Again, Mariage Forcé is not a song that would be described as 'chill out' but I was struck by the tone of the two-second intro nearly matching that of the closing seconds of the Weyes Blood song, which made for a serendipitous pairing.

On more familiar territory for the closer, with William Orbit. Strange Cargo was the title of his second album in 1987, with volumes II and III following in the 1990s. The next volume in 1995 was confusingly credited to Strange Cargo and titled Hinterland. Business as usual belatedly resumed (and reverted to a William Orbit release) in 2014 with Strange Cargo 5. Kiss Of The Bee appears on the standalone Strange Cargo release in 1995, featuring Beth Orton and Christine Leach. Beth was about to release her second solo album, to great acclaim, whilst Christine fronted Baby Fox, who were unfairly lumped in with the mid-90s trip hop set.

 

1) 20, Park Drive (Inst): Baby Ford (1992)

2) Transatlantic: Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (2022)

3) Conquering Tomorrow: Electribe 101 (1992)

4) Take Me As I Am (Max Cooper Remix): Au Revoir Simone (2010)

5) Picadors (Album Version): Telefís (2022)

6) The Abyss: System 7 (2001)

7) God Turn Me Into A Flower: Weyes Blood (2022)

8) Mariage Forcé: Wau Wau Collectif (2022)

9) Kiss Of The Bee: Strange Cargo ft. Beth Orton & Christine Leach (1995) 

 

1992: Bford 9: 1

1995: Hinterland: 9

2001: Seventh Wave: 6

2010: Night Light: 4

2022: a hAon: 5 

2022: And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow: 7

2022: Electribal Soul: 3

2022: Happy Ending: 2 

2022: Mariage: 8

 

The One You Won't Regret (47:34) (Box) (Mega)