Decadance III: 1995

Side 2 of a time-travel mixtape, crashing in at 1995.

This series is whizzing by, more than half way through already and exactly 30 years ago. My brain cannot compute, so much of this music still feels 'recent' to me!

Very little evidence in this selection of Britpop, Trip Hop or Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop, although I think Scatman John was the sole proponent of the latter, anyway. 

However, in 1995 everything was big: the beats, the brass, the strings, the voices. And so were the hits: all but one of the songs in today's selection made the Top 30, four the Top 10, though the #1 position proved elusive for all.

Pulp nearly made it, with Common People getting all the way to #2, held off the top spot by effing Robson and effing Jerome, whose risible cover of Unchained Melody floated at the top like a turd in a toilet bowl for a mind-boggling seven weeks.

Several artists from Decade, my previous series of 80s mixtapes, make a welcome reappearance here: Marc Almond, Julian Cope and, perhaps the most surprising, Edwyn Collins. 

A Girl Like You was first released in December 1994 and didn't make much of a dent in the UK charts, but there was a groundswell of interest in Europe, leading to re-release here in June 1995. A month later and it was at #4. It also boosted the accompanying album Gorgeous George to #8 in July 1995, twelve months after it came out.

Leftfield had been tied up in contractual hell with their former label, which meant that they could little more than remix other artists for several years. Finally free to release their own material, their monumental debut album Leftism crashed in at #3 in February 1995. 

Leftism contained a version of Open Up, their 1993 comeback single with John Lydon, and collaborations with Djum Djum and Lemn Sissay. Leftfield's first single of 1995 was another collaboration, this time time with Toni Halliday of Curve on the sublime Original. Thirty years on, both it and the album sound as fresh and exciting as they did back then.

Another single by The Sabres Of Paradise for the MAW selection. Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns had previously remixed Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons music as The Dust Brothers. When the original Dust Brothers required Tom and Ed to cease and desist nicking their name, The Chemical Brothers were born.  

 

The Sabres Of Paradise remixed their debut single Leave Home, itself a Top 20 hit in June 1995. The previous month, the favour was (p)repaid when The Chemical Brothers refashioned Tow Truck, one of several tracks from Haunted Dancehall reworked for the Versus EP. When I say 'refashioned', it's basically a Chemical Brothers track, but the original Sabres components shine through.

 

Describing Fluke's beats as big and bouncy sounds smuttier than it's supposed to, but that's what always springs to mind when I think of their music. Ironically, The Dust Brothers (the original, that is, not Tom & Ed's knock off) remixed today's featured single Bullet, though nothing tops Fluke's own versions. In a box somewhere in the loft, I have Fluke promo plastic bag, which itself ripped off the Tesco carriers of the time. Never used it.

 

Thirty years before he released possibly the best album of 2025 with Hifi Sean, David McAlmont launched another wildly creative and successful partnership, with Bernard Butler. Yes was the perfect introduction, all Wall-of-Sound meets Sylvester meets Suede and a deserved Top 10 smash. 

 

Bernard of course used to be in Suede with Brett Anderson, who co-founded the band with Justine Frischmann, who went on to form Elastica. You'd almost believe I wasn't winging it and had some kind of plan, wouldn't you? 

Elastica were brilliant, even if they did have a habit of getting old rockers riled up and litigious over their songs. Waking Up is a case in point: who cares if it's reminiscent of No More Heroes by The Stranglers? Well, The Stranglers did obviously.

 

The music press were already getting into a lather about Radiohead, though The Bends was the album that hooked me in. There were tons of singles from the album, though admittedly it so full of great songs, that it was difficult to argue that none of them were worthy picks. It all started off with a double A-single of High And Dry and Planet Telex, the latter's abrasive squall offset by the former's soft-yet-brittle side. 

There was very nearly two helpings of Tracey Thorn. Reluctantly, Massive Attack's Protection had to go, justified by the fact that they appeared in the 1994 selection. Of the two picks, in the end it just had to be the Todd Terry remix of Missing by Everything But The Girl. 

I loved the original and the remixes that accompanied the single's original release in 1994. Todd Terry gave the song a whole new lease of life - and audience - when his remix rocketed Missing to #3 in the UK in November 1995. And with that, the confidence for Everything But The Girl to take a divergent musical path that led to a run of great albums in subsequent years.

 

Given the three decade anniversary, I was keen to include something from the UK Top 40 as at 16th February 1995. But jeez, the record buying public didn't half make it difficult.

 

Celine Dion and Annie Lennox at #1 and #2 respectively. Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex and cover of Total Eclipse Of The Heart (I mean, why?) by Nicki French in the Top 10. A few places down, Jimmy Nail and Sting both with songs about cowboys (though at least Jimmy's was written by Paddy McAloon). It's not until #20 that the first half decent song appears, with Mansize Rooster by Supergrass. 

Thankfully, a new entry that week at #38 saved the day. Down By The Water by Polly Jean Harvey was the first single from third album To Bring You My Love and ends this 1995 mixtape on a suitably sinister note.

 

It's no spoiler to say that next weekend will look at 1996 and 1997. Life-changing in so many ways...but was the music any good?

 

Well, if I mention Spice Girls, Babylon Zoo, Gina G, Elton John, Aqua and Teletubbies, you'll no doubt be thrilled to know that none of them will be appearing here!

 

1) Original (Radio Edit): Leftfield ft. Toni Halliday

2) Tow Truck (Chemical Brothers Mix): The Sabres Of Paradise

3) Bullet (Bitten 7"): Fluke

4) Adored And Explored (7" Edit By The Beatmasters): Marc Almond

5) Waking Up (Album Version): Elastica

6) Yes (Edit): McAlmont & Butler

7) High And Dry (Album Version): Radiohead

8) Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix) (Blanco/Eternal Radio Edit): Everything But The Girl

9) Common People (7" Edit): Pulp

10) Try, Try, Try (Album Version): Julian Cope

11) A Girl Like You (Album Version): Edwyn Collins

12) Down By The Water (Album Version): PJ Harvey

12th February 1995: To Bring You My Love (#38): 12

19th February 1995: Elastica (#13): 5

5th March 1995: The Bends (#17): 7

19th March 1995: Original EP (#18): 1

7th May 1995: Fantastic Star (#25): 4

7th May 1995: Versus EP (#77): 2

28th May 1995: Common People EP (#2): 9

28th May 1995: Yes EP (#8): 6

16th July 1995: Gorgeous George (#4): 11

23rd July 1995: Bullet EP (#23): 3

6th August 1995: 20 Mothers (#24): 10

19th November 1995: Missing EP (#3): 8

Side Two (46:11) (GD) (M)

Citizen Kane

Celebrating Jonathan Saul Kane, on the devastating news yesterday of his death at age 55. 

 

I'll aim to add some comments and notes in the days to come. For now, here's a selection of a dozen remixes from 1988 to 2004, mostly as Depth Charge, which is how I first discovered his music.

Rest easy, J.

Post Script / Sleeve notes, 20th November 2024

The first record I owned with a J. Saul Kane credit was by accident in 1990. I'd bought Nothing To Lose on 12" by S'Express in the reduced crate at a local record shop, with a pile of other records. When I got home, I found that although the sleeve was the standard issue, the vinyl inside was the remix 12". 

 

I loved the original version of Nothing To Lose, but J. Saul Kane and Yashiki Gōta's reworking transformed the song from a rousing club anthem to a melancholy imaginary film soundtrack. With beats. It was great and I held onto it. The version here is an edit featured on the 8th volume of the Deep Heat series, which I guess at the time was the 'dance' equivalent of Now That's What I Call Music. Sonique's vocal remain the anchoring point, but the remix takes it on a wildly different journey.

I became quickly familiar with Depth Charge in the early to mid-1990s, not a great surprise perhaps, given my love of Andrew Weatherall, Jack Dangers and Red Snapper and the many points of reference and crossover between these artists, musically speaking. Perhaps no surprise then to find that J. Saul Kane has remixed songs by all three during the 1990s.

The Depth Charge remix of Tow Truck by The Sabres Of Paradise originally appeared on a 12" double A-side with Chemical Brothers providing the other version. Various other reworkings of music from the album Haunted Dancehall were released on 7" and 10", but I held out for the Versus EP compilation on CD, with gathered them all together and threw in a second Depth Charge remix for good measure. All fantastic.

J also offered up two mixes of Acid Again for Meat Beat Manifesto's 1998 single. I've picked the second one mainly because it's shorter running time meant that the selection as a whole didn't push too far over the hour mark. Mix 1 is equally wonderful, believe me.

J has remixed Red Snapper twice too, though different songs, seven years apart. I was tempted to include 1996's Son Of Mook from the Son Of Mook EP, but ultimately went for Regrettable from 2003's Redone album, one of three early 21st century selections. No regrets here, it means business!

Planet Telex is a beloved Radiohead song in any version, but the Depth Charge remix seems to have appeared as a one-off on the 2CD compilation Altered States as I've never seen any reference to it being released as a promo or official single. A shame, as it deserves better than it's relative scarcity.

Midi Rain completely passed me by at the time in the early 1990s, but I subsequently traced them years later during a hunt for J. Saul Kane/Depth Charge remixes. I discovered that Midi Rain was a project/alias for John Rocca, better known to me in the 1980s as the main man with Freeez, who had a massive hit with I.O.U.

J was clearly a fan, as he provided mixes on all five Midi Rain singles and co-mixed the sole album One in 1994. Lots to choose from then, I've picked the Depth Charge remix of Eyes, Midi Rain's 2nd single in 1991.

I could go on, but it's all in the listening. And these are just a few remixes. There's plenty more to delve into and I've not even touched on J. Saul Kane's own catalogue, not least the phenomenal albums Nine Deadly Venoms (1994) and Lust (1999), the latter so huge that it had to be spread across two separate releases. 

Gone, but J's legacy will remain.

1) Dream On (Octagon Man Mix): Depeche Mode (2001)

2) Acid Again (Depth Charge Mix 2): Meat Beat Manifesto (1998)

3) Nothing To Lose (Remix By J. Saul Kane / Gota) (Edit): S'Express ft. Sonique (1990)

4) Woke Up This Morning (Depth Charge): Alabama 3 (1997)

5) Tow Truck (Depth Charge Mix): The Sabres Of Paradise (1995)

6) Beat Dat (Freestyle Scratch Mix By Tim Simenon & Jonathan Saul Kane): Bomb The Bass (1988)

7) Out-Side (Depth Charge Remix): The Beta Band (2004)

8) Eyes (Depth Charge Mix): Midi Rain (1991)

9) Planet Telex (Depthcharge Remix): Radiohead (1995)

10) Regrettable (Depth Charge Remix): Red Snapper (2003)

11) Knowledge 'n' Numbers (Depth Charge Mix): Screaming Target (1991)

12) Fear (Original Mix With Bats) (Remix By Eon & J. Saul Kane): Eon (1991)

 

1988: Into The Dragon: 6

1990: Deep Heat 8: The Hand Of Fate: 3

1991: Eyes EP: 8 

1991: Fear: The Mindkiller EP: 12

1991: Knowledge 'n' Numbers EP: 11

1995: Versus EP: 5 

1996: Altered States: Distorted Dance & Remix Rock: 9

1997: Woke Up This Morning EP: 4

1998: Acid Again EP: 2

2001: Dream On EP: 1 

2003: Red Snapper Redone: 10

2004: Out-Side EP: 7

 

Citizen Kane (1:02:45) (KF) (Mega)

Long Time Coming

If you're a UK voter, there's only one place you have to be today*

And for the incumbents who have used and abused their privileged position for far too long: Don't forget to switch off the lights when you fuck off. 

 

And no looting. You've done enough already.

 

1) Fuck You. It's Over: Glasvegas (2008)

2) Electioneering: Radiohead (1997)

3) Fuck Off: Mindless Drug Hoover (1994)

4) Burn The Bastards (Album Version): The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu (1988)

5) Fuck U (Album Version): Archive (2004)

6) The Election (Part 2): Andy Fairley (1992)

7) Voter: Songhoy Blues (2017)

8) Please Don't Fuck Up My World: Sparks (2020)

9) You've Got Nothing To Lose: Michael Kiwanuka (2014)

10) Hey Fuck You: Beastie Boys (2004)

11) Dance You Fuckers: Wall Of Voodoo (1986)

12) Nothing To Lose Except My Mind: Julian Cope (2005)

13) P.S. Fuck You: The Anchoress (2016) 

 

1986: Far Side Of Crazy EP: 11

1988: Shag Times: 4 

1992: System Vertigo: 6 

1994: Volume Eleven: 3

1997: OK Computer: 2 

2004: Noise: 5

2004: To The 5 Boroughs: 10

2005: Dark Orgasm: 12

2008: A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) EP: 1 

2014: You've Got Nothing To Lose EP: 9 

2016: Confessions Of A Romance Novelist: 13

2017: Résistance: 7

2020: A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip: 8

Long Time Coming (48:40) (KF) (Mega)

* unless you've already submitted a postal vote.

You Can Touch It But It Will Still Not Fade

Side 2 of a cassette compilation, recorded 11th January 1998.

When I posted Side 1 in July 2022, I described it as "eight remixes that I was unlikely to ever hear down the local indie disco, but which in their own way, kick ass." Side 2 is all that, and more.

 

If there's a duff remix of Planet Telex by Radiohead, I've yet to hear it. The UNKLE remix was possibly the first one that I heard, tucked away on one of the CD singles for Just, and it remains my favourite. 

 

Likewise, K-Klass took New Order's Ruined In A Day and elevated it to a higher plain, surpassing the original to the extent that I'm pretty sure that this was the version the band 'performed' when they appeared on Top Of The Pops. Or, at least if it's not true, that's how I prefer to remember it.

Arab Strap's reworking of Don't Die Just Yet by David Holmes has appeared here before, as well as in a guest post that I did in January 2021 for The Vinyl Villain. Again, a remarkably strong bundle of remixes from Mogwai, Delakota and Holmes himself and Messrs. Moffat and Middleton.

Mixed in are some trip hop beats from Attica Blues vs. Lightning Seeds, a bit of drum 'n' bass from Tamsin Elliott vs. Faithless and Lush taken on a gothtronica excursion by Spooky. And then there's Beck, put through the aural equivalent of a meat grinder by Aphex Twin and somehow surviving. 

 

Closing on a funky but rather more sedate pace is Jon Carter, shrugging off his Monkey Mafia mantle to mix the Manics. Phat beats and a trumpet, what more could you want?

 

1) Planet Telex (Karma Sunra Mix By UNKLE): Radiohead (1995)

2) You Showed Me (Attica Blues Vocal Mix) (Cover of The Turtles): Lightning Seeds (1997)

3) Richard's Hairpiece (Remix Of "Devil's Haircut" By Aphex Twin): Beck (1997)

4) Ruined In A Day (Reunited In A Day Remix By K-Klass): New Order (1993)

5) Reverence (Tamsin's Re-Fix By Tamsin Elliott): Faithless (1996) 

6) The Holiday Girl (Don't Die Just Yet) (Remixed By Arab Strap): David Holmes (1997)

7) Undertow (Spooky Remix By Charlie May & Duncan Forbes): Lush (1994)

8) Kevin Carter (Busts Loose) (Remixed By Jon Carter): Manic Street Preachers (1996)

 

1993: Ruined In A Day EP: 4 

1994: Hypocrite EP: 7

1995: Just EP: 1 

1996: Kevin Carter EP: 8

1996: Reverence / Irreverence (ltd 2x CD): 5 

1997: Don't Die Just Yet EP: 6

1997: The New Pollution EP: 3

1997: You Showed Me EP: 2

 

Side Two (46:02) (KF) (Mega)

Side One avaialble here

The Perception Of The Movement Of One's Own Body

Side 2 of a mixtape entitled Kinesthesia, originally compiled in 1998 for my brother and sister-in-law and re-recorded for my own collection on 13th and 14th May 1999.

Whereas Side 1 was a straight reproduction of the track listing, for some long-forgotten reason I decided to tweak Side 2, swapping a remix of the opening track by Radiohead for the album version and replacing Saint Etienne for Mulu. 

 

Guitars at the forefront of this selection, even with the remixes, Massive Attack roughing up Manic Street Preachers, Rosetta Stone adding a touch of Goth to Mulu and Sub Sub on the cusp of throwing off their club clothes and dressing up as Doves, with assistance from Tricky. 

 

A few beat-heavy classic tracks from Armand Van Helden, Djum Djum and Leftfield and Fatboy Slim's tribute to former Beats International colleague Lindy Layton to add some spice to the mix. Pulp go full on sonic assault with Party Hard whilst Bran Van 3000 up the ante with an escalating, squalling closer, proving they could have been more than one-hit wonders.

1) Planet Telex (Album Version): Radiohead (1995)

2) If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (Massive Attack Remix): Manic Street Preachers (1996)

3) Daaboodaa Munks: Armand Van Helden (1997)

4) Difference (Steng Mix By Djum Djum, Leftfield & Mat Clark) (Edit): Djum Djum (1990)

5) Pussycat (Rosetta Stone Mix By Porl King & Karl North): Mulu (1997)

6) Song For Lindy: Fatboy Slim (1996)

7) Smoking Beagles: Sub Sub ft. Tricky (1996)

8) Reflection: Massive Attack (1998)

9) Party Hard (Album Version): Pulp (1998)

10) Forest (Album Remix): Bran Van 3000 (1998)

1995: The Bends: 1

1996: Better Living Through Chemistry: 6

1996: If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next EP: 2

1996: [Progressive House Classics]: 4

1996: Smoking Beagles EP by Sub Sub / Tricky Kid EP by Tricky: 7

1997: Pussycat EP: 5

1997: Sampleslaya: Enter The Meatmarket: 3

1998: Glee (UK Edition): 10

1998: Inertia Creeps EP: 8

1998: This Is Hardcore: 9

Side Two (46:52) (Box) (Mega)

Side One here

Alien Attack!

Side 2 of a cassette compilation, featuring some indie - and not-so-indie - tunes, recorded 22nd July 1998.

 

Tenuous link(s) time: 

 

1) Today's photo is a TV screen grab of a scene from 1982 film The Soldier, which grabbed my attention in a late-hours/should-have-gone-to-bed moment solely because the credits mentioned the soundtrack music was by Tangerine Dream. I sat through the film (I may have had a couple of micro sleeps in between) and coming to a realisation at the end that at least it was an hour and a half of my life I wouldn't have to repeat. The film's tenuous link to today's mixtape title is that whilst there clearly is an attack (one of many), there are zero aliens from start to finish. Putting aliens in the film may have actually helped.

2) Previous Friday selections have often tried to get the party started, with some upbeat music, daring some times with some actual disco (never a particularly popular choice, it seems). Today's tenuous link to Friday music is that the selection includes a song by Gavin Friday. I'm not expecting any comments that this selection has generated an uncontrollable urge to conga into the streets, banging a saucepan with a wooden spoon, whooping with delight and urging your neighbours to join the line.

For all that, much to enjoy, I hope. A couple of big hitters with Radiohead and The Smashing Pumpkins, a couple of off-shoot projects with The Sea Nymphs (Cardiacs) and Black Box Recorder (Luke Haines/The Auteurs), a couple from the 1980s with My Bloody Valentine and It's Immaterial and one 1970s alternative classic from Big Star.

 

Other than that, it's mid-late 1990s all the way with Stereolab, Leila, the aforementioned Gavin Friday, The High Llamas and The Wolfgang Press.   

 

Now, excuse me whilst I go and find a saucepan and wooden spoon, I've got me some whooping and a-hollering and, er, conga-ing to do...

 

1) (Nice Dream) (Album Version): Radiohead (1995)

2) Monstre Sacre: Stereolab (1996)

3) No More Sorry: My Bloody Valentine (1988)

4) Eye: The Smashing Pumpkins (1996)

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

6) Dolls: Gavin Friday (1995)

7) The Sweet Life: It's Immaterial (1986)

8) Christ Alive: The Sea Nymphs (1995)

9) Showstop Hip Hop (Edit): The High Llamas (1997)

10) Kanga Roo: Big Star (1975)

11) Ideal Home: Black Box Recorder (1998)

12) Chains (Album Version): The Wolfgang Press ft. Claudia Fontaine (1995)

 

1975: 3rd: 10

1986: Life's Hard And Then You Die: 7

1988: Isn't Anything: 3

1995: The Bends: 1

1995: Funky Little Demons: 12

1995: The Sea Nymphs: 8

1995: Shag Tobacco: 6

1996: Emperor Tomato Ketchup: 2 

1996: Lost Highway OST: 4

1998: England Made Me: 11

1998: In-Car Stereo (Melody Maker promo CD): 9

1998: Like Weather: 5

 

Side Two (46:43) (Box) (Mega)

Fobbed Off With Lame Shite Excuses

Continuing the electronica theme of the last couple of posts, here's Atoms For Peace with their BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix from 2013. Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich on the mix, with nearly two hours of out there sounds, liberally sprinkled with Radiohead and solo Yorke offerings, though nothing from the Atoms For Peace album, which had been released a couple of weeks prior to this Essential Mix transmission. This is the broadcast version, so you will have to endure a brief Pete Tong intro, station ident interruptions and a fade out after track 39, but otherwise sit back and immerse yourself in the mix. Today's post title is a Thom Yorke lyric from Track 4, which feels apt at this moment in time.

1) The Pining Pt. 1: Clark (2012)

2) R Fren: Doom & Thom Yorke/Jonny Greenwood (2013)
3) Brazil: Luke Abbott (2011)
4) FeelingPulledApartByHorses: Thom Yorke (2009)
5) Man Out Of Time (Major Space Dub): Redshape (2009)
6) Golf: Kuodede (2010)
7) Bicycle Bells: Colleen Et Les Boîtes À Musique (2006)
8) Day After: Shed (2012)
9) The Twist: Thom Yorke (2013)
10) Has Been: Thom Yorke (2013)
11) Ellipse: Marcel Dettmann (2013)
12) Modern Driveway: Luke Abbott (2012)
13) Give Up The Ghost (Thriller House Ghost Mix): Radiohead (2013)
14) Harrowdown Hill (C90 Mix): Thom Yorke (2013)
15) The Gloaming: Radiohead (2003)
16) Kill The Kid: Boys Noize (2006)
17) Tamer Animals (Atoms For Peace Remix): Other Lives (2012)
18) Harmonics Loop: Radiohead (2013)
19) Ginmixer: Bad Autopsy (2010)
20) Fukushima: Phon.o (2012)
21) Sokana N'gamba Iami: Adolfo Coelho (1974)
22) Trousers (Remix): Trim ft. Riko (2009)
23) Average Joe: Apostrophi (2013)
24) Stunt: Mr. Oizo (2004)
25) Too Polite: Throwing Snow ft. Louis Vines (2011)

26) It's Gonna Rain Pt. 1: Steve Reich (1965)
27) Ping Pong Trak: DJ Tre (2013)
28) Cilonen: afx (Richard D. James) (2005)
29) Juke Me From The Back Low: DJ Slugo (2011)
30) The Drunkk Machine: Thom Yorke (2006)
31) Check Da Skills: Firefox & Glamour Gold (1996)
32) TheHollowEarth: Thom Yorke (2009)
33) Forget Stuff: Macc & dgoHn (2010)
34) Walkman: Wishmountain (1998)
35) I Only Have Eyes For You: Oneohtrix Point Never (2013)
36) Huyendo: Alex Cortex (2003)
37) Bloom (Jamie xx Club Remix): Radiohead (2011)
38) Your Love Made My Head Hurt: Abu Sultan (2012)
39) Get Off (DJ Rob3 Remix): Diplo & Blaqstarr (2009)

 

BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, Saturday 09 March 2013: Atoms For Peace (1:57:14)