War! What Is It Good For? Two Sides Of A C60 Cassette!

Sides 1 and 2 of a C60 cassette, collating classic live compilation Urgh! A Music War, created 14th July 1992.

When I used to visit my brother's bedsit on the edge of St. Paul's in Bristol city centre, I would always try to get this album on the turntable. I was a little obsessed with it, to be honest. 

The sleeve itself was fascinating: text-heavy with a camouflage background and the illustration of a dodgy loooking character pulling a vinyl record from within his long overcoat.

My brother's copy also had, stamped firmly in embossed gold lettering, the notice that this was a promo, not for resale. For years, I mistakenly thought this meant that the album had never been officially released, let alone that it was the soundtrack to the 1981 film of the same name by Derek Burbidge.

Two slabs of vinyl squeezed into a slightly oversized sleeve (no gatefold), twenty-seven songs packed into the grooves, six on Side 1, seven on Sides 2, 3 and 4. As advertised, all previously unreleased live performances by bands that I knew and many that I didn't.

As my music obsession grew during my teens, so did my DIY cassette compilation, which continued through my twenties. I'd seize opportunities to rip my brother's vinyl to cassette and I nabbed Urgh! A Music War when circumstances meant that we were both back living with our parents, our music collections in adjoining rooms.

I'm pretty sure I could have fit most if not all of the album onto a C90 cassette, so I don't recall why I instead ended up with a cut down 17-track version on a C60 instead. Maybe there was only a limited window to get the album recorded and I didn't have a 90-min tape available. 

As such, today's selection is missing Au Pairs, The Cramps, Pere Ubu and Gang Of Four, although back in 1992 I would have been less bothered at leaving off Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, John Otway or Jools Holland.

Side 1 of the mixtape literally copies and pastes the entirety of the vinyl's first side, in order, finishing off with Side 4's opener and the closing song of Side 2.

The flip side of the C60 bounces from Side 3 to four straight songs from Side 2 to two from Side 4, before returning to Side 3 for the epic closer.

By the 2000s, and access to the internet, I had acquired not only a vinyl rip of the album - the source of today's selection - but also the ten 'bonus' performances from the film, lifted from its DVD release in the 1990s.

There are a few gems, with John Cooper Clarke, Dead Kennedys, Pere Ubu and UB40 with a great performance of Madam Medusa and, but I think the 1981 vinyl track list pretty much got it right first time.

Side One

1) Driven To Tears (Live @ The Frejus Amphitheater, Paris, 28 August 1980): The Police

2) Back In Flesh (Live @ The Santa Monica Civic, Santa Monica, 16 August 1980): Wall Of Voodoo

3) Dance (Live @ The ICA, London, 05 September 1980): Toyah

4) Enola Gay (Live @ Guild Hall, Portsmouth, 19 September 1980): O.M.D.

5) Ain't This The Life (Live @ The Whisky, Hollywood, California, 17 August 1980): Oingo Boingo

6) Respectable Street (Live @ The Frejus Amphitheater, Paris, 28 August 1980): XTC

7) Shadow-Line (Live @ CBGB's, New York, 21 August 1980): The Fleshtones

8) Ku Klux Klan (Live @ The Rainbow Theatre, London, 18 September 1980): Steel Pulse

Side Two

1) Uncontrollable Urge (Live @ The California Theater, San Diego, 20 August 1980): Devo

2) The Puppet (Live @ The Lyceum Ballroom, London, 07 September 1980): Echo & The Bunnymen

3) We Got The Beat (Live @ The Whisky, Hollywood, California, 17 August 1980): Go-Go's

4) Total Eclipse (Live @ The Ritz, New York, 22 August 1980): Klaus Nomi

5) Where's Captain Kirk (Live @ The Lyceum Ballroom, London, 17 September 1980): Athletico Spizz 80

6) Nothing Means Nothing Anymore (Live @ The Whisky, Hollywood, California, 17 August 1980): Alley Cats

7) Beyond And Back (Live @ The Santa Monica Civic, Santa Monica, 15 August 1980): X

8) Model Worker (Live @ The Santa Monica Civic, Santa Monica, 16 August 1980): Magazine

9) Down In The Park (Live @ The Hammersmith Odeon, London, 16 September 1980): Gary Numan

Side One (29:42) (GD) (M)

Side Two (30:06) (GD) (M)

If you have a couple of hours to spare, then treat yourself to the movie, available in full online. 

It's a thrill to see O.M.D., Echo & The Bunnymen, XTC, Steel Pulse and Magazine. The sight of Gary Numan tootling about on stage in his precursor to the Sinclair C5 is perhaps unintentionally amusing in 2026, whilst Klaus Nomi is a fantastical being that perhaps would only be imagined via CGI these days. Tragically, Klaus died barely two years after the release of Urgh! A Music War, one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS.

If you've never seen Urgh! A Music War, or haven't for a long while, give it a go. I suspect that there's nothing better on TV this Sunday (especially if you're in the UK)>

Dub '85

In a very belated follow up to Dub '83, which I posted in September 2023, today's selection is a dozen songs from - you guessed it, 1985 - given a dub overhaul. 

 

John Robie is the only producer from the previous selection appearing here, but he's joined by more heavyweights of 80s remix culture, including Shep Pettibone, Ivan Ivan aka Ivan Baker, Joseph Watt, Rusty Egan, Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero, Mark Berry and The Latin Rascals aka Albert Cabrera and Tony Moran.

 

It's all about the beats and the edits, with varying degrees of vocals. Not for everyone, but I loved them. It wasn't unusual for me to opt for the 12" B-side over the main mix when compiling mixtapes in the 1980s and 1990s.

 

I think I may have set a precedent with the previous post, of homaging / ripping off (delete as applicable) another, far superior Saturday morning quiz. In for a penny, in for a pound I say, so I've invented five more brain teasers. An hors d'oeuvre, if you will, before the more satisfying meal over at Rol's place.

1) The Vinyl Villain blog covered the Pet Shop Boys singles in 36 parts from January to October 2023. In which part did today's featured dub first appear?

2) Which band features the offspring of legendary TV presenter Bob Holness?

3) What is Bad Manners' front person Buster Bloodvessel's birth name?

4) Which of these songs is a cover version of a flop single from 1983?

5) What do red hat obsessives Devo, singer songwriter Hugh Cornwell, avant garde drummer Robert Williams and 1990s animated TV show Rugrats have in common?

Answers will be posted in the comments later today.

1) I Like You (Dub) (Remix By Shep Pettibone): Phyllis Nelson

2) Here To Go (Here To Dub Version By Ivan Ivan): Devo

3) Sweet Murder (The Smile On Her Face) (Murderess Dub Version By Michael Baker & Axel Kröll / Edited By The Latin Rascals): The Blow Monkeys

4) Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money) (Dub For Money) (Remix By The Latin Rascals): Pet Shop Boys

5) It's Called A Heart (Emotion Dub) (Remix By Joseph Watt): Depeche Mode

6) Girls Night Out (Dub) (Remix By Nigel Wright & Robin Sellars): Toto Coelo

7) Living On Video (Dub Mix By Claude Allard & Pascal Languirand): Trans-X

8) Dub-Vulture (Remixed By John Robie) (12"): New Order

9) Blue Summer (Dub) (Remix By Steve Thompson & Michael Barbiero): Bad Manners

10) Kings And Queens (Geordie's Dub Mix By Geordie Walker): Killing Joke

11) Come Back (Dub) (Remix By Rusty Egan): Spear Of Destiny

12) Obsession (Dub) (Remix By Mark Berry): Animotion

Dub '85 (1:11:20) (KF) (Mega)

You can find Dub '83 here.

I will get around to Dub '84 at some point, I'm sure.

Remixamatosis

A (very) occasional dip back into my previous blogging life and music reviews that I used to post under the "Jukebox Juicebox" heading. Here's a quartet of remix compilations from December 2006, the original text 'as is' and very much of it's time. To (kind of) update things, I've added a YouTube link to one of the tracks and trawled Bandcamp for an additional sampler from each of the remix artists featured. Enjoy!

 

Various Artists “Future Retro” (2006)

 

I forget who coined the phrase ‘repetition celebrates and devalues’, but this is aptly applied to the music industry. Artists and songs are resurrected, repackaged, rereleased, reworked and remixed ad nauseum, The Beatles mash-up/megamix Love being one of the most recent examples. With downloads of all stripes likely to be eligible for the ‘singles’ chart in the near future, U2, Oasis, Westshite and McFly will likely be jostling for pole positions with the Fab Four, Elvis, Abba and Michael Jackson. 

 

The 1980s, which seems to have enjoyed a continual revival since, er, the 1990s will probably figure strongly in this. The fascination with the decade that taste arguably overlooked has resulted in countless contemporary updates of it’s memorable – and not so memorable – musical moments, the latest being the Future Retro compilation. Currently available in the UK on import only, the project is a labour of love for compiler Craig DeGraff who commissioned all of the remixers on this album. 

 

On the whole, it’s a pretty consistent collection though inevitably there are a few tracks that miss the mark. Tiga’s mix of Depeche Mode’s Shake The Disease is halfway through before it starts to make an impression, whilst Jaded Alliance’s take on Erasure’s A Little Respect sounds like an ill-matched mash-up. Surprisingly, several tracks remain faithful to their origins: The Crystal Method speed up New Order’s Bizarre Love Triangle, losing some of the key hooks in the process, but without undermining the main melody; Infusion’s similar handling of The Walk by The Cure is even more effective. 

 

The latter part of the album contains some real gems. Devo’s Girl U Want is roughened up by Black Light Odyssey whilst obscurity Boy by Book Of Love (which I admit I’ve never heard of) benefits from a beefy “rockstar mix” by the equally unknown DJ Irene (presumably not the Home And Away character moonlighting on the wheels of steel). Adam Freeland transforms B-Movie’s Nowhere Girl into a guitar dub dirge that echoes U.N.K.L.E.’s Unreal, but the best is saved for last with the unexpected yet obvious pairing of Morrissey and Sparks. Moz’s debut solo single Suedehead gains an epic stature, with chopped up vocals laid over sweeping strings. A perfect close to an imperfect but worthwhile compilation.

 

 

Craig DeGraff is one half of LA-based duo Black Light Odyssey. Here's an intriguing cover of Sex Gang Children's Deiche, released in 2021.

 

Shirley Bassey “Diamonds Are Forever…The Remix Album” (2000)

 

On the surface, a project that seems completely unnecessary. That is, until you realise that this album followed hot on the heels of the Welsh diva’s collaboration with Propellerheads on History Repeating, which became both a theme tune (Channel 4’s So Graham Norton) and a chart hit. 

 

Unsurprisingly, Propellerheads reappear here, with Goldfinger repeating their then-successful formula of funky beats and wah-wah guitar. Groove Armada and Nightmares On Wax also play to type, the latter to particularly good effect on Easy Thing To Do. 

 

Some tracks miss the point entirely, notably the dreadful comedy cut-up of Big Spender, but Kenny Dope’s drum-driven reworking of The Doors’ Light My Fire perfectly complements Bassey’s belting vocals. Given it’s inconsistency, it’s advisable to either pick this up cheaply as I did or download key tracks. Either way, don’t overlook it altogether.

 

Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez needs no introduction, a formidable reputation with 'Little' Louie Vega as Masters At Work and a vast body of work as a solo artist, producer and DJ. This track is from 2016's 25-track behemoth Dopewax Approved: Kenny Dope & Friends Vol.1

 

   

Carl Douglas “Kung Fu Fighting Remixes (Dub Drenched Soundscapes)” (2003)

 

…And if the Shirley Bassey remix album seemed unnecessary, then what the heck does one make of this? 

 

Carl Douglas’ early 1970s disco track is not one that immediately suggests a relationship to dub and in truth, not all of the artists involved strictly adhere to that principle. The frankly bizarre concept of stretching this single track over 16 remixes (17, counting the hidden a capella track) and 80 minutes also means that it’s nigh on impossible to listen to the end result as an album in it’s own right. Anyone who has previously bought dub remix compilations on the Select Cuts or Echo Beach labels will find the usual suspects here: Rob Smith, Dreadzone, Don Letts/Dan Donovan, Kid Loco; however, it’s the lesser known acts that impress, notably G-rizo, Pole and Dubbelstandart.  

 

The Ruts’ Andy Gill delivers a funked up but essentially unchanged version of the original whilst Audio Active take the track to it’s logical (ludicrous?) extreme. It’d be nice to think that the songwriters – Carl Douglas and kitsch producer Biddu – will benefit from further royalties as a result of this album. However, given it’s limited appeal, I wouldn’t recommend that they break out the bubbly just yet.

 

Bristol legend Rob Smith is frequently featured here, whether for his work with Ray Mighty as Smith & Mighty or his own impressive and sweeping catalogue of releases and remixes under his own name or various aliases. Not Easy (Motherless Child) is a beautiful track by RSD from the 15-track collection Decades, released in November.  

 

 

Visit Venus “The Endless Bummer Rmx Appendix” (1999)

 

One of the consequences of a ubiquitous remix culture is that it’s possible to own tracks but have no idea what the original version sounded like. This is a case in point, the result of a trawl through the ‘5 for £16’ shelf at Plastic Wax Records in Bristol. I have no idea who Visit Venus are, or what they sound like but, looking at the artists involved, figured it was worth shelling out a few quid for. As it happens, it turned out to be another one of those serendipitous musical purchases.  

 

Rae & Christian kick off proceedings with a typical funky breakbeat mix of the charmingly titled Space Nazis Must Die. The opening bars of For A Few Euros More are reminiscent of Adam & The Ants’ similarly Western-inspired The Magnificent Five, before Carsten Meyer aka Erobique takes it back to late 80s Chicago house.  

 

There are three remixes of Planet of the Breaks: Matthew Herbert’s mix actually sounds a bit like Slam in places, whilst Jazzanova’s ‘mix of two halves’ with languid lounge beats during the former, welded to an uptempo jazzy latter more characteristic; my favourite of the three is Omar Santana’s electro edit, with hip hop beats, computer game vocals and ominous synth strings. 

 

Another highlight is Jimpster’s Hurt Of A Nerd, a funky, bass-driven number with some 1970s inspired flute and strings. Closing track Kinski Disko Fox Machine starts off like a Transglobal Underground track, with Eastern beats and driving bassline, before reverting to the more typical Groove Armada sound. 

 

And, just when you think it’s all over, there’s an extra tucked away at the end. Leading off with some hilariously inept rapping, there is a brief acoustic/vocal reprise of For A Few Euros More, with sci-fi samples from The Big Tilt thrown in for good measure. An hour or so’s worth of great tunes, with several surprises, make this a great album to hunt down on eBay or, better, in your local secondhand record store. And maybe I’ll get around to checking out Visit Venus one day too…

 

A quick scan of my digital music collection reveals nothing from Visit Venus. I'm pretty sure I haven't ditched the CD so I must dig it out and rip it. I'm also pretty sure that I didn't get around to checking out anything else by them. Maybe in 2024... In the meantime, this is Groove Armada with the title track of a 6-track 'cassette' that they posted on Bandcamp in 2014. And very good it is, too.