And So The Feeling Grows

R.E.M. performing a cover of The Troggs' classic Love Is All Around at Rockline Studios in Los Angeles, California on Monday 1st April 1991, as part of the promo tour for the Out Of Time album.

This version appeared on the B-side of Radio Song, released as a single on Monday 4th November 1991.

On Thursday 15th May 2025, a special posting for a very special person.

This one's for you, Mrs. K

R.F.E.R.E.M.

Five versions of Radio Free Europe by R.E.M., plus an unearthed rarity, to enliven your weekend.

Racing ahead at the top is the most familiar, the Don Dixon & Mitch Easter produced version opening R.E.M.'s debut album Murmur in 1983, with video approved by I.R.S. (the label that is, not the Internal Revenue Service).

Close behind is the original video by Arthur Pierson, who provides this fascinating back story

"I "directed" this video for Michael and the band. 

Really he was in charge. 

The president of the label, said that 

it would be on MTV over his dead body 

and we were forced to recut it 

together with some crap video from a county fair or something. 

When the band released their "Succumbs" collection, 

much to my gratification, 

they included this original version. 

Saw Michael years later 

and he greeted me like an old friend. 

True artists."

Next up is R.E.M.'s debut UK TV appearance, performing on Channel 4's The Tube. Radio Free Europe was one of three songs played live, the others being Talk About The Passion and So. Central Rain. 

All of this preamble leads to Friday's release of Radio Free Europe 2025, a 5-track EP "honoring Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty [...] with proceeds from the vinyl pressing to benefit RFE/RL on its 75th anniversary & World Press Freedom Day".

The lead track is a brand new remix by Garret 'Jacknife' Lee, who previously co-produced R.E.M.'s final two studio albums, Accelerate (2008) and Collapse Into Now (2011). Lee also has a CV of artists he's worked with that would take several posts just to list. 

To be honest, Radio Free Europe 2025 (Jacknife Lee Remix) is the least exciting version on the EP. He ramps up the bass, tones down the rest and plays around with the intro a bit. For all that, it sounds more like a studio soundcheck, Mike Mills hogging the mike (excuse the pun) whilst the others play away in the background.

You also get both sides of the original HIb-Tone single (Sitting Still being the B-side), which are far more satisfying propositions. I've owned both of these since I bought the 2CD collection And I Feel Fine...The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 back in 2006, so I'm pleased that these are available again on this new EP.

Of the greatest interest is Radio Free Dub, a remix by Mitch Easter dating from 1981. Nothing can surpass the single or album versions, but this is a lot of fun. Still very demo sounding, though hearing Stipe's vocals occasionally put through the effects blender is a hoot. 

Closing out is Wh. Tornado, a 1981 demo of instrumental song White Tornado, which popped up half a decade later on the B-side of Superman, though I first heard it on the Dead Letter Office compilation a few years after that. 

Decadance V: 1999

After five week(end)s and ten posts, the Decadance series ends inevitably with 1999. 

Unlike my previous look at the 1980s, which largely recreated existing mixtapes, each one of these posts started completely from scratch and tried to imagine what my 20-something self would have tried to cram onto each side of a C90.

It's been a lot of fun, but a lot more time consuming. Even compared to my usual posts containing a Dubhed selection, each one has taken about three times longer to complete, sometimes at the expense of other planned posts (like gig reviews, with apologies to Mike...it's coming!)

I'm really glad I did it though, not least because it's enabled to me to revisit lots of artists and tunes that I haven't heard in ages. I also had the impression going into this that, unlike the Decade series, this one would be largely comprised of outlier music that only rarely troubled the UK singles charts. 

I decided to track the highest chart placings for each post and it turns out that my latter assumption was way off. Despite being subjected to some of the most dire, bland, identikit pop pap throughout the 90s, the decade also delivered some great music that made more of an impression (however briefly) with the record buying public. There are way more Top 10 hits than non-charting singles throughout, for example.

Decadance has delivered 120 songs by 110 individual artists, meaning that some - but not many - appeared more than once.  No surprise perhaps to find that Julian Cope and Massive Attack were the only to have three bites of the cherry, though the revelation that the former had at least 3 hits in the 1990s may.

Honorable mentions for those who managed two appearances: Fluke, Lionrock, The Sabres Of Paradise, Saint Etienne, Suede and, just under the wire with today's selection, The Chemical Brothers. Likewise, Dot Allison, by dint of her previous outing with One Dove.

So, let's have a look at who made the final dozen of the millennium.

1999 starts off with The Chemical Brothers and Hey Boy Hey Girl. I had assumed that like Block Rockin' Beats before it, this song had gone straight in at #1, but no. Keeping Ed and Tom off the top spot were Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann and the previous week's #1, Sweet Like Chocolate by Shanks & Bigfoot (more of which later).

As with most singles at this time, it was all about first week sales, usually bolstered by multiple formats offering slightly different B-sides and versions. Unfortunately, the following week Hey Boy Hey Girl dropped to #6 and it was downhill from there.

A song that deserved far better than its peak of #54 was Honey by Billie Ray Martin. A great pop song, produced by Dave Ball, remixed by Chicane and Deep Dish, it didn't get the love (or radio play) that it deserved. Time to address that injustice here.

It's hard to comprehend that it's been more than a quarter of a century since Dot Allison released her debut solo single (Mo' Pop) and album (Afterglow). Again, how was Mo' Pop not at least Top 40, higher even? Thankfully, Dot has continued to record and release wonderful music ever since.

I know, I know, there are many other and arguably better James songs that should have seen them appear earlier in the series. That said, I have a real soft spot for I Know What I'm Here For. I didn't buy the single or album but obtained it via Q magazine's 'best albums of 1999' freebie CD at the end of the year and it's remained a much-loved song since.

The Stone Roses made their sole appearance in my Decade mixtape series in 1989, with Fool's Gold. It seems fitting therefore that Ian Brown should make a solo appearance in 1999 with Love Like A Fountain. Never one for modesty, this song was a precursor to Ian's second album, titled Golden Greats. 

Great is a word I'd use to describe GusGus, the unlikely 4AD signing from Iceland, who brought a glacial cool to the dancefloor. Again, many other worthy contenders throughout the mid- to late-90s, but the opening seconds of Starlovers make me want to move every time. And Daníel Ágúst's voice is just sublime.

Lovefool did nothing for me, if I'm honest, and I figured The Cardigans to be just another band that were quickly in and out of favour. Then I heard Your Favourite Game and Erase/Rewind and really liked them both. By sheer coincidence, I'd placed the latter at track 7 in this selection before discovering it's peak UK singles chart placing was...7. 

I remember Sweet Like Chocolate by Shanks & Bigfoot as much for it's crap video, which I haven't seen since but which probably looks even more horribly dated now. Nothing to detract from what was quite a clever dance/pop crossover hit (it was #1 in May 1999). I normally avoided generically titled CD compilations like the plague, but I succumbed to the appeal of The Best Ibiza Anthems...Ever!, which included the Ruff Driverz remix of Sweet Like Chocolate featured here. It remains the only version of the song in my music collection.

Beck was back in 1999, although he'd never really been away, having released his previous album the year before. Sexx Laws was a bit different though, offering up a (retro)poppier take that I found quite appealing, as I did the rest of the Midnite Vultures album. I've know idea what esteem or place in the canon this holds with Beck fans. For me, it was the right music at the right time. Did it appear in the soundtrack to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me? If it didn't, it could have.

The final Mandatory Andrew Weatherall (MAW) appearance didn't present the same challenges as 1998. Another Two Lone Swordsmen remix, though this time included on the official CD single release with full vocals and a smidge under five minutes. That the song happens to be Swansong by Rae & Christian featuring the wonderful vocals of Veba aka Beverley Green is just icing on the cake. Andrew and Keith Tenniswood excelled themselves with this one.

Despite being their most commercially successful decade, R.E.M. make their one and only appearance as the penultimate song in the very last post of the series. What a song, though. At My Most Beautiful is a thing of, well, beauty although the jingle bell backing always had me thinking that it must have been released in time to exploit the Christmas market. Not so, it was March! 

I bought the CD single in the bargain bins, many moons later. I'd not heard the lead song at this point and got it solely for the bonus live versions of Country Feedback and The Passenger (Iggy Pop), performed on Later...With Jools Holland. At My Most Beautiful has since become a personal favourite.

How to follow that and close out the series and the decade? By going back to January 1999 and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp by Mercury Rev, that's how. The album edit here comes in at just over 3 minutes, stretching my imaginary C90 tape to almost breaking point, though there was no question of ending this selection in any other way. Just a joy from start to finish, which then inspired me to dig out the full length version and remix by The Chemical Brothers to keep it going on and on.

Thank you for sticking with me for the last few weekends. I hope that, as it did for me, these weekly trips have been a reminder of some great music and artists, many of whom are still going in some shape or form today, continuing to add to their rich and varied history.

I suspect that when I get around to a series on the Noughties, the gulf between my singles selections and the UK charts will be vast, yet I know that like Decadance and Decade, there will be many gems to be uncovered and shared. I'm not planning on doing it any time soon, possibly not even this year, though I have come up with the series name. 

Decayed. 

1) Hey Boy Hey Girl (Radio Edit): The Chemical Brothers

2) Honey (Chicane Radio Edit): Billie Ray Martin

3) Mo' Pop (Album Version): Dot Allison

4) I Know What I'm Here For (Album Version): James

5) Love Like A Fountain (Radio Version): Ian Brown

6) Starlovers (Edit): GusGus

7) Erase/Rewind (Cut La Roc Vocal Mix): The Cardigans

8) Sweet Like Chocolate (Ruff Driverz Vocal): Shanks & Bigfoot ft. Sharon Woolf

9) Sexx Laws (Album Version): Beck

10) Swansong (Two Lone Swordsmen Vocal): Rae & Christian ft. Veba

11) At My Most Beautiful (Radio Remix): R.E.M.

12) Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp (Album Version Edit): Mercury Rev

31st January 1999: Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp EP (#26): 12

28th February 1999: Erase/Rewind EP (#7): 7

14th March 1999: At My Most Beautiful EP (#10): 11

28th March 1999: Afterglow (#81): 3

18th April 1999: Starlovers EP (#62): 6

23rd May 1999: Sweet Like Chocolate EP (#1): 8

6th June 1999: Hey Boy Hey Girl EP (#3): 1

13th June 1999: Swansong EP (#17): 10

25th July 1999: Millionaires (#22): 4

15th August 1999: Honey EP (#54): 2

31st October 1999: Love Like A Fountain EP (#23): 5

14th November 1999: Midnite Vultures (#27): 9

Side Two (47:01) (KF) (Mega)

Blue, Gene

Remembering Gene Hackman, 30th January 1930 to 26th February 2025.

Ernie Goggins at 27 Leggies posted Too Many RIPs on Thursday, noting the recent losses of Jerry Butler, Gwen McCrae, Ken Parker, Bill Fay and Roberta Flack (with Rick Buckler from The Jam also noted). "This has got to stop", pleaded Ernie.

Sadly, later the same day, news emerged that Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and one of the family dogs had all been discovered dead at the home on the Old Sunset Trail in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. 

I will add some words to this post at a later date, as there is a greater understanding of the tragic circumstances that led to this discovery, and to reflect on the impact of Gene's immense and varied acting career.

In the meantime, in time-honoured knee jerk tradition, I've responded by collating an hour-long Dubhed selection, all song titles drawn from Gene's film and TV career. With over 100 credits, there were no shortage of quality contenders, but I think the final 14 hit the spot.

No apologies for tracks 11 and 14, which shoehorn in the film via the subtitle, they were too good to ignore. Likewise, who will argue that the opening song drops the definite article when it's Joni Mitchell?

Farewell, Gene and Betsy.

1) Conversation: Joni Mitchell (1970)

2) Route 66 (Single Version) (Cover of Nat King Cole & The King Cole Trio): Depeche Mode (1987)

3) Bonnie And Clyde (Cover of Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot): Mick Harvey ft. Anita Lane (1995)

4) Misunderstood (Album Version): Leila ft. Donna Paul (1998)

5) Two Of A Kind: Superstar (1998)

6) The Mexican (Short Version): Jellybean ft. Jenny Haan (1987)

7) Downhill Racer (Kenny Dope Remix): Everything But The Girl (2004)

8) The Quick & The Dead: Ladyhawke (2012)

9) Twilight (Album Version): Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (2025)

10) Superman (Album Version) (Cover of The Clique): R.E.M. (1986)

11) Wish You Were Here... (Postcards From The Edge) (Remix By Ashley Beedle): The Aloof (1996)

12) Another Woman (Album Version): Moby ft. Barbara Lynn (2000)

13) Crimson Tide: Destroyer (2020)

14) Plug Me In (The French Connection) (Remix By Rick Phylip-Jones): Scarlet Fantastic (1987)

Blue, Gene (1:01:08) (KF) (Mega)

They Could Have Been Contenders

I'm having a lot of fun compiling the Decadance series and revisiting tunes from the 1990s. 

Making the cut for the final dozen can be a challenge though, and many excellent, or memorable, or both, songs get discarded along the way (and not just Pop Will Eat Itself, I mean).

I've rescued a couple from each year that I've covered so far, not least because most of them were accompanied by hugely enjoyable videos, albeit each for different videos. Step up (or step on) Pet Shop Boys, The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, R.E.M., Siouxsie & The Banshees, Depeche Mode and Happy Mondays.

There was no video for Her Jazz by Huggy Bear, but they did make an unforgettable appearance on Channel 4's The Word, not least for their post-performance diss of Terry Christian and subsequent removal from the studio. 

Likewise, no pricey promo for Middle Of The Road by Denim. What you get instead is a video filmed specially for ITV's graveyard shift music programme The Beat in 1993. With an intro by presenter Gary Crowley and Lawrence and co. squashed into the back of a stretch limo, of course it's brilliant.

1) I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing: Pet Shop Boys (1993)
2) Her Jazz (Live @ The Word): Huggy Bear (1993)

3) Television, The Drug Of The Nation: The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy (1992)

4) Middle Of The Road: Denim (1992)

5) Losing My Religion: R.E.M. (1991)

6) Kiss Them For Me: Siouxsie & The Banshees (1991)

7) Enjoy The Silence: Depeche Mode (1990)

8) Step On: Happy Mondays (1990)

 

 

 

 

 

 

#SpookyTunesSeason, Volume One

Jumping on the Hallowe'en bandwagon, this is the first half of a month-long bit of fun over on Twitter. I've literally been making it up as I go along, so it's a surprisingly coherent Dubhed selection, all things considered.

Expect some wild swerves from indie to reggae to rap to disco to bubblegum pop to contemporary breakbeats. I've copied and pasted my 'sleevenotes' directly from Musk's manky bird. 

I Walked With A Zombie: R.E.M.

I was going to ‘rest’ for a month, but there’s clearly no rest for the undead… Starting big with this great cover from R.E.M.

 

Ghouls: Wooden Shjips

Ripley Johnson, Dusty Jermier, Nash Whalen & Omar Ahsanuddin R.O.C.K. out!

 

My Beloved Monster: Eels

I suspect this song may have been posted lots already, so here’s a lovely version from the 2 Meter Sessions in 1997.

 

Vampire: Sinéad O'Connor

Cover of the Devon Irons & Dr. Alimantado/Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry classic from 1977. Sinéad produced by Sly & Robbie and absolutely smashing it.  

 

Devil Is A Liar: Kode9 & The Spaceape

Astonishing music and video, sadly released posthumously as The Space Ape aka Stephen Gordon passed far too soon on 2nd Oct 2014.  

 

Horrorworld: Momus

I nearly picked The Hairstyle Of The Devil, but this more recent offering from Mr. Currie also has a suitably creepy video.

Werewolves On Wheels: Don Gere

Forget the "first ever motorcycle horror film", it's the soundtrack & especially the main theme that you need to hunt down. Just remember to bring the silver bullets.

Terror In The Canyons (The Wounded Master): Phosphorescent

Lots of great live performances out there, including this one atop the Studio Brussel tower in Belgium, on 26 May 2013 (like today, also a Tuesday)

I Don't Want To Be A Freak (But I Can't Help Myself): Dynasty

Just a music love affair...  

 

Garghouls (Richard Sen Remix): Funboys

Head straight for the Sen. Old school video, new school vibes courtesy of this Norwegian-Australian-Belgian-Anglo collab.

 

Munster Creep: The Munsters

A cash-in single and album on the classic TV show that's actually pretty good. The real musicians apparently include Glen Campbell on guitar and Leon Russell on keys. Spooky! (#1)

 

These Are The Ghosts: The Bees

Their harmonies are the bees' knees, as this 2011 live version amply demonstrates.

 

Plastic Man, You're The Devil: Pink Mountaintops

From The Bees to McBean. Stephen McBean, that is, with a lovely live version from Vienna in 2009. 

 

She's Got A New Spell: Billy Bragg

I'd already chosen the song before fact checking and I have just discovered this was released as a single in the UK on 14th November 1988. Spooky! (#2)

 

Dirty Creature: Split Enz

The video is online but I've gone for this performance on short-lived Australian daytime music show WROK. Health warning: hairy chests from the start.

Skeletons: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Lots of YYY contenders, but I don't think this has made an appearance so far. Great song from a great album.  

 

With Volume Two landing tomorrow, I'll leave it to you to decide if this is 'trick' or 'treat'...!

1) I Walked With A Zombie (Cover of Roky Erickson & The Aliens): R.E.M. (1990)

2) Ghouls: Wooden Shjips (2013)

3) My Beloved Monster (Album Version): Eels (1996)

4) Vampire (Album Version) (Cover of Lee Perry ft. Devon Irons & Dr. Alimantado): Sinéad O'Connor (2005)

5) Devil Is A Liar: Kode9 & The Spaceape (2014)

6) Horrorworld: Momus (2021)

7) Werewolves On Wheels: Don Gere (1971)

8) Terror In The Canyons (The Wounded Master): Phosphorescent (2013)

9) I Don't Want To Be A Freak (But I Can't Help Myself) (Album Version): Dynasty (1979)

10) Garghouls (Richard Sen Remix): Funboys (2021)

11) Munster Creep: The Munsters (1964)

12) These Are The Ghosts (Undead Version): The Bees (2004)

13) Plastic Man, You're The Devil: Pink Mountaintops (2006)

14) She's Got A New Spell: Billy Bragg (1988)

15) Dirty Creature: Split Enz (1982)

16) Skeletons (Album Version): Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2009)

Volume One (1:08:26) (GD) (M)

Decade V: 1988

Side 1 of a C90 of the 80s, recorded 8th April 1990.

 

First up, apologies for the very late post this morning. I had a long day at work, overslept and woke to a wailing cat, who was behaving like they had been trapped at the bottom of a well for a week without food. Where were they three hours ago?!

Anyhoo...

1988 was a transformative year, in good and bad ways. By the end of the year, I'd turned 18, dropped out of sixth form college, passed my driving test and bought my first car, got a job, went clubbing more and found myself mostly single and 'friend zoned' more often than I planned, and before that was even a thing. And still living at home with my parents, which was really starting to bite.

Musically speaking, my horizons were broadening exponentially, though you'd be hard pressed to guess from today's selection. 

I went to relatively few gigs in 1988, but all ‘first timers’: Erasure supported by Zip (Pete Shelley's short-lived band); Siouxsie & The Banshees; Pixies supported by My Bloody Valentine (!); Marc Almond and Julian Cope. What a year!

Despite the absence here of songs aimed squarely at the pop charts or the dancefloor (as explained last week), I quite like this selection's eclectic mix of hits, non-hits and never-had-a-hope-of-being hits.

The lush gatefold 12" single of Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie's eponymous single leapt out from the record racks almost as much as the 'reduced for a quick sale' sticker in the top right hand corner of the sleeve did. I'd seen The Rattler on TV, and bought this one on  spec. I enjoyed this EP and their debut album, though it was the first time I really understood what was meant by 'over produced'. Turns out the guy at the controls was Rheinhold Mack, Queen's go-to producer. Not such a good fit for the (other) Macks, unfortunately. They never got the success they deserved, but Shirley Manson did alright afterwards.

By 1988, Killing Joke were reduced to a duo of Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker and released the album Outside The Gate, which seems largely unloved. On first hearing lead single America, I thought it was so awful that I had to buy it. I've grown to love it - and the album - since, it's bonkers. 

Andrew Eldritch was continuing to piss off the Goth purists by reforming The Sisters Of Mercy with Patricia Morrison (ex-Gun Club) and daring to grow a beard and wear a cream suit with tie on Top Of The Pops. I loved what went before, but I loved the overblown drama of This Corrosion and the Floodland album too. Dominion was another heavy single, but a welcome chart-troubling contrast to Rick Astley, Mel & Kim and Johnny Hates Jazz.

Zeke Manyika was a member of Orange Juice and played on The The's Soul Mining album. Matt Johnson returned the favour by co-producing and 'editing the lyrics' for Zeke's single Bible Belt. One of many anti-apartheid songs at the time, the astonishing video was filmed in The Beira Corridor in Mozambique with the blessing of the authorities, who lent a train, a military helicopter, and an armed security detail! Bible Belt was sadly not a hit.

Orange Crush, however, provided R.E.M. with their first Top 30 single in the UK. The title refers to the chemical defoliant Agent Orange used extensively by the US Army in the Vietnam War. Coincidentally, Agent Orange also inspired the title of a Depeche Mode B-side the previous year. Whilst Green is not my all-time favourite R.E.M. album, it was head and shoulders above much of what was in the charts in 1988, as was the single. It still holds that power.

I got into Pixies straight away, as my brother had a copy of Come On Pilgrim, though I think he was less excited about it than I was. I soon got my own, along with follow up Surfer Rosa and the double A-side 12" pairing re-recorded versions of Gigantic and River Euphrates. Whilst I prefer Steve Albini's production on the former, Gil Norton's extended take on River Euphrates on the single just about edges it for me. 

I bought The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu double vinyl compilation Shag Times in 1989. I subsequently trading it in for a CD version, which is these days cited by writers recalling the "CD rot" travesty of the same period. My copy is rarely played now, but (touch wood) is at least still playable. I also belatedly bought the 12" single of Burn The Bastards, which contains an edit and a club mix, both credited to The KLF. 

 

Burn The Bastards is a joyous, carefree pastiche/rip-off of Sly & The Family Stone's Dance To The Music (repurposed as "JAMS have a party!"). Bill Drummond tries rapping and there are samples galore, including Whacko Jacko and yes, that's Dirty Den from EastEnders being abruptly cut off at the end.

Also benefiting from a remix are The Sugarcubes, with Cold Sweat. I loved their album, but I have a special place in my heart for the remixes of Cold Sweat and Deus, on limited edition 12" and 10" singles respectively. This version strips things back a little, beefs up the drums, inserts a well-placed sample and gives more room to Björk and Einar's dynamic duet.

And yes, some U2 with their first UK #1 single, Desire in October 1988. I perhaps should have included a health warning for some of the regulars. I make no apologies, I like the song, they were my friend Stuart's favourite band and whilst I didn't own any of their albums, I begrudgingly enjoyed U2's Rattle & Hum film, even if Bono was being a hairy arse for most of it. An unintentionally hilarious hairy arse, to be specific.

Shane MacGowan was called many things, but he was definitely less of a hairy arse than Bono. And The Pogues were fantastic. I bought the limited edition 12" of If I Should Fall From Grace With God, released in a green tinted sleeve to coincide with/celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Why on earth wasn't this a #1 too?

Scritti Politti were also back in 1988, with the follow up to the phenomenally successful Cupid + Psyche 85. Provision is a great album and made the Top Ten, though didn't quite match the success of its predecessor. Likewise, the singles.  

 

Boom! There She Was only managed #55, despite the added appeal of "Roger" aka Roger Troutman of Zapp fame, who thankfully remembered to bring along his trademark talk box, which he uses liberally throughout the song. Maybe radio listeners weren't quite ready for this. Or maybe it was Green's lyrics, which reference the Tupamaros (a guerilla group in Uruguay circa 1970-1971), Pharmacopoeia (a book used to identify of compound medicines), or Italian motorcycle manufacturer Moto Guzzi. Stock/Aitken/Waterman it most definitely was not!

 

Talking Heads delivered what was to be their final album this year. Reading Chris Franz' autobiography, it seems that this was essentially David Byrne getting to work with a bunch of other artists (including Johnny Marr), with the rest of the band treated as little more than session musicians. Byrne may or may not remember things differently, but regardless, the end was nigh.

 

I don't think I've ever seen anyone refer to Blind as the best Talking Heads album and it most certainly isn't. And yet, there are moments of greatness on it, not least with the single Blind. It's recognisable as Talking Heads, but it's paving the way for David Byrne's subsequent solo album. Blind is also funky as hell, with an infectious twangy guitar and rolling toms, demanding that you get into the groove.

 

See you here again tomorrow (hopefully back to the usual time) for the final part of this series and the last gasp of the 1980s...

 

1) Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie (Single Version): Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie

2) America (Single Version): Killing Joke

3) Dominion (Unreleased Promo Version): The Sisters Of Mercy

4) Bible Belt (7" Version): Zeke Manyika

5) Orange Crush (Album Version): R.E.M.

6) River Euphrates (Single Version): Pixies

7) Burn The Bastards (Edit): The KLF

8) Coldsweat (Remix): The Sugarcubes

9) Desire (Album Version): U2

10) If I Should Fall From Grace With God (7" Remix): The Pogues

11) Boom! There She Was (U.S. Mix): Scritti Politti ft. Roger

12) Blind (Album Version): Talking Heads

 

Side One (45:48) (KF) (Mega)

Decade IV: 1987

Side 2 of an 80s mixtape, compiled 8th April 1990.

 

This one goes up to 11...

 

The guitars are in full effect, though you'll be hard pressed to find any big (UK) hits this time around. Only The Cult's Love Removal Machine scraped into the Top 20 (#18 in its first two weeks of release).

 

Whilst The One I Love managed a creditable #16, it was in 1991 when ex-label I.R.S. sought to cash in on R.E.M.'s major label success. In 1987, the post-Christmas lull meant that the song managed a brief peak at #51, criminal given that it's now considered an all-time classic.

A couple of inclusions here failed to chart at all. I first saw Yon Yonson by The Dave Howard Singers on TV, The Chart Show to be precise, and I was both annoyed and fascinated by the song and video in equal measure. The latter won out and I ended up with both 12" single versions, neither of which did any good as far as a boost up the charts or appearance on Top Of The Pops was concerned.

Doctor & The Medics did make it to Top Of The Pops and a UK #1 with their cover of Spirit In The Sky in 1986. Despite an alleged six-figure signing fee (according to Smash Hits so it must be true, right?), The Doctor couldn't arrest ailing record sales. More, lead-in for second long-player I Keep Thinking It's Tuesday, failed to generate interest in either the single or the album. A shame as it's a decent enough song and the video was (typically) a lot of fun.

In a nice tie-in, I first encountered The Bambi Slam as one of two support acts for The Cult at the Colston Hall in Bristol on 23rd March 1987. I was sufficiently impressed by their set to go out afterwards and buy the only record of theirs that I could find, included here. The other support act was Balaam & The Angel, who are conspicuous by their absence on this mixtape, which may tell you all you need to know.

Confession time. If you're someone who likes to scrutinise the headline photos, especially my handwritten cassette sleeve track listings, then you will have spotted that song 3 should be Sidewalking by The Jesus & Mary Chain. Rookie error, as it wasn't actually released until March 1988 and on this occasion I can't even blag my way through by pointing to promos or previous releases in 1987. 

Nope, I messed up. Even more embarrassing when I acknowledge that I recorded the tape on 8th April 1990, exactly two years after the single had got to #30 on 9th April 1988. Nineteen years old and my memory was already shot...!

Luckily, being The Jesus & Mary Chain, I could swap Sidewalking out for another great single, Happy When It Rains, which peaked at #25 in August 1987 and therefore legitimately deserves a place in this selection. Oh, and don't be fooled by the 'long version' label. It's the same as the album version, but longer than the 7" version by about 30 seconds.

Bobbing around just outside the Top 50 were Faith No More, The Icicle Works, R.E.M. and The Fall. Mark E. Smith and crew make their one and only appearance in this series with Hit The North, arguably one of their greatest songs ever, let along in the 80s. 

 

I was surprised to find that I Started Something I Couldn't Finish by The Smiths and Trampolene by Julian Cope were as big hits as I thought they were, though in Copey's case that was pretty much the case with everything that he released in the 1980s.

At first glance, U2 also appear to have experienced a rare flop with In God's Country, the fourth single from The Joshua Tree. The previous three singles in 1987 had respectively got to #4, #6 and #4. By comparison, In God's Country achieved a surprising and disappointing peak of #48. That is, until you release that it was released as a 7" single in North America only and the UK chart placing was down to import sales alone. 

 

Ian McNabb may have given his good teeth for a #48 hit, given that The Icicle Work's Evangeline stalled at #53, the third consecutive single in less than 12 months to achieve a similar chart placing.

Mind you, the general record-buying public were being swamped with pop pap from 'The Hit Factory' of Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Or T'Pau and Wet Wet Wet. I'm not sure which is worse but either way, I literally wasn't buying. Even the Pet Shops Boys and Dusty Springfield were asking What Have I Done To Deserve This?!

That's it for another look back at the 1980s. See you here next week, and the year when I started to ditch black stretch canvas drainpipes and biker jackets for loose fit blue jeans and Converse trainers, but remained largely oblivious to the acid house revolution. Yep, 1988's on it's way.

1) Love Removal Machine (Album Version): The Cult

2) We Care A Lot (Album Version): Faith No More

3) Happy When It Rains (Long Version): The Jesus & Mary Chain

4) Yon Yonson (Single Version): The Dave Howard Singers

5) Hit The North (Part 1) (Single Version): The Fall

6) Happy Birthday (Yet Another) (Thick, Hard And Long Mix): The Bambi Slam

7) I Started Something I Couldn't Finish (Album Version): The Smiths

8) More (Album Version): Doctor & The Medics

9) The One I Love (Album Version): R.E.M.

10) Trampolene (Album Version): Julian Cope

11) Evangeline (Album Version): The Icicle Works

12) In God's Country (Album Version): U2

1st February 1987: Saint Julian (#31): 10

15th February 1987: If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song (#53): 11

22nd February 1987: Electric (#18): 1

19th July 1987: Yon Yonson EP (# n/a): 4 *

2nd August 1987: Happy Birthday (Yet Another) EP (# n/a): 6 **

9th August 1987: I Keep Thinking It's Tuesday (# n/a): 8

16th August 1987: Darklands (#25): 3

1st November 1987: Hit The North EP (#57): 5

15th November 1987: Strangeways, Here We Come (#23): 7

20th December 1987: The Joshua Tree (#48): 12

27th December 1987: Document (#51): 9

7th February 1988: Introduce Yourself (#53): 2 ***

Side Two (45:51) (GD) (M)

* Yon Yonson failed to crack the UK singles chart, however it get as high as #4 in the indie singles chart, in part thanks to repeat appearances of the video on Channel 4's Chart Show. That's how I first came to hear it and bought the 12" single (both of them) soon after.

** Similar to The Dave Howard Singers, The Bambi Slam failed to dent the UK singles chart, but Happy Birthday (Yet Another) made an appearance in the indie singles Top 10 on Channel 4's Chart Show on 14th August 1987, having dropped to #8,

*** The album Introduce Yourself was released in 1987, but We Care A Lot wasn't released as a single in the UK until 18th January 1988, charting a couple of weeks later at #71. Oh, to have had access to the internet in April 1990 to check chart dates!