...No Sweeter Genius

The second half of tunes that have tickled my fancy in the first 26 weeks of '26

 

The final thirteen feature a couple of returning artists in The Rotations and Fluke, more than justified in both cases. The rest are new to this selection, even if the names are familiar.

deary has confidently picked up the shoegaze baton and are running away. Thankfully, being shoegaze, it's at a fairly languid pace so you'll have no trouble catching up. And it is worth catching up with their debut album, as today's pick No Sweeter Feeling will attest.

 

With A Sense Of You, The Rotations offer up another song that sounds like it's been transmitted from a parallel universe, very much like our own, just a little...off. The vocals sound like Tom Waits belatedly finding out that Neighbours has been cancelled (again), which only adds to the charm.

 

If you only remember Chad Jackson for Hear The Drummer (Get Wicked) way, way back in the mists of time, then you are in for a pleasant surprise. Genius Of Skank Pt. 1 is not an overreaching title and sums up the track perfectly. This track appears on the excellent Evil Acid Barons double album and is well worth your pennies. Now, when we get Pt. 2, Chad?

 

I enthused about Fluke's gorgeous new double album The Second Bite yesterday, albeit as a side reference to an accompanying Daniel Avery remix of their classic Atom Bomb. This time, I've picked from the album itself. Several of the tracks are subtle tweaks, polishes and updates of the original, others take the song on a bit more of an excursion. Case in point: 1995 single Tosh goes cruising around mid-70s New York, gets funked up and wakes up the following morning, wanting to do it all again. Great stuff.

 

In the 1980s, both The Bluebells and The Kane Gang flirted with the UK record-buying masses. The former have come back in the 21st Century, arguably even stronger than before and latest album This Is... proves more than a match for anything they've done.

 

Whilst The Kane Gang are no more, two thirds of the band have reconvened as Autoleisureland. In many respects, the New Road Movie album sounds like barely a day has passed since Closest Thing To Heaven and Motortown. Your personal history with 80s pop whether you enjoy Autoleisureland's album or not. I like it.

 

In the 2000s, a band called The Strange Death Of Liberal England existed. No, me neither. However, thanks to being a fan of Roberta Fidora, I've been hooked up with TSDOLE's former organ player and their latest project, dee eye why. Debut song Autonomous features Roberta on vocals and is most enjoyable.

 

Spanish DJ/producer Roglar aka Victor Balaguer Alonso nest, getting the remix treatment courtesy of London boy Ian Vale and, as ever, neither disappoint. Fly With Dumbo is pumped up without going over the top...

 

...by contrast with the dappled sounds of Rays Of Sunshine, just one example of why Pye Corner Audio's current album More Songs About The Sun is a gift to the ears. Writer Ian Rankin features on another song and Andy Bell (Ride/GLOK) lends his guitar talent to several others.

 

Speaking of which, Alliance, the GLOK / Timothy Clerkin album from 2025 has been reworked and remixed by a host of contemporary artists. I've gone back to the old school for a remarkable job by Richard Sen. Well, I say remarkable, but I'm struggling to think of a time when Richard has been anything less. The competition is stiff, but this reimagining of The Witching Hour is a standout on the record.

 

The Moonrocks are new to me but their song Cardiac Arrest definitely leans more heavily on the classic rock stylings that the cosmiche that their name suggests. You don't always have to innovate to be fun.

 

That said, Broken Chanter is a perfect example of great pop rock songs that manage to sound familiar and catchy whilst having something fresh to play and say. I've fallen deeply in love with Broken Chanter since being introduced them a few years ago and the latest album is brilliant. 

 

Almost as a response to Scarlet Fantastic's opening call on Volume 1, a year without a summer is almost too much to contemplate.

 

And, as if on cue, rays of sunshine through the window and a nudge for me to get up and get out. 

 

 

1) No Sweeter Feeling: deary (Birding)

2) A Sense Of You: The Rotations (Gung-Ho)

3) Love Is Gonna Keep Us Cryin': Autoleisureland (New Road Movie)

4) Nave (Malaphors Mix): Sister Ray Davies (Holy Island Baby EP)

5) Autonomous: dee eye why ft. Roberta Fidora (Bungalow Legs EP)

6) Tosh (The Second Bite): Fluke (The Second Bite)

7) Cardiac Arrest: The Moonrocks (A Room With A View)

8) Fly With Dumbo (Ian Vale Remix): Roglar (I Know EP)

9) Rays Of Sunshine: Pye Corner Audio (More Songs About The Sun)

10) Indian Summer: The Bluebells (This Is...The Bluebells)

11) Genius Of Skank Pt. 1: Chad Jackson (Evil Acid Barons)

12) The Witching Hour (Richard Sen Remix): GLOK / Timothy Clerkin (Alliance Remixed)

13) A Year Without A Summer: Broken Chanter (This Could be Us, You, Or Anybody Else)

  

Summer Feeling, No Sweeter Genius (1:00:47) (GD) (M) 

Time Will Tell

Happy birthday to Robert Hodgens aka Bobby Bluebell aka founder member of The Bluebells, born 6th June 1959.

One of the great things about becoming a paid up member of the Last Night From Glasgow label is that it introduced me to The Bluebells in a big way. I mean, everyone knows Young At Heart, I was familiar with the other singles Everybody's Somebody's Fool and Cath, but that was about it.

I joined just in time to receive The Bluebells' 'comeback' album, In The 21st Century, which I (and Mrs. K) enjoyed immensely. They've followed up this year with This Is...The Bluebells, a fabulous double album (mine's in snowdrop white vinyl) with sixteen songs.

I also bought the LNFG reissue of debut album Sisters on glorious picture disc vinyl. Only forty years late to appreciate what a great album it is.

The core of The Bluebells - Robert with brothers Ken and David McCluskey - continue to make stirring, joyous music and I wanted to celebrate that in today's selection, which focuses exclusively on their songs from the 2020s.

Twelve songs, eleven originals plus one contemporary cover of fellow Glaswegians Sister John, who I featured back in March. In fact, why not create your own C90 cassette-friendly compilation, with Sister John on one side and The Bluebells on the other?

If, like me, you knew about The Bluebells, but didn't really know their songs, I'd strongly recommend heading over to LNFG and treat yourself.

1) Days Of The Revolution (2026)

2) The Boy Who Slipped Away (2023)

3) Trouble Talking (2026)

4) Stonehouse Violets (2023)

5) Glasgow Rainbow (Cover of Sister John) (2022)

6) Dream On (2026)

7) Blue Train (2023)

8) No Pasaran (2026)

9) Daddy Was An Engineer (2023)

10) Indian Summer (2026)

11) Orienteering (2023)

12) The Ballad Of The Bells (2023)

2022: Young At Heart / Glasgow Rainbow EP: 5

2023: In The 21st Century: 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12

2026: This Is...The Bluebells: 1, 3, 6, 8, 10

Time Will Tell (45:53) (GD) (M)

Saturday's Alright For Alighting

A bumper selection of train-themed/titled songs for you to steam into the weekend. It's been done before - and undoubtedly better - elsewhere in the blogosphere, but when I have ever let that stop me in the pursuit of an unoriginal idea?!

So, two volumes to neatly fill a C90 cassette, 25 songs across an hour and a half, criss-crossing the globe as we go and ignoring the logistics of traversing those pesky oceans, seas and rivers.

All aboard!

 

Volume One 

1) Rail On: Julian Cope (1989)

2) King Of The Track: Dennis Alcapone (1974)

3) Ur Train: Leila ft. Luca Santucci (2008)

4) Can't Catch The Train: Soulsavers ft. Mark Lanegan (2009)

5) Beside The Railway Tracks: The Divine Comedy (2010)

6) Mule Train (Cover of Buz Butler): Count Prince Miller (1970)

7) Roots Train (Album Version): Junior Murvin (1977)

8) The Last Train: Josh Rouse (2005)

9) Last Train To Lhasa (2k2 Mix): Banco De Gaia (2015)

10) Railroad Man: Eels (2005)

11) Train Of Thought (Remix 7" Version): a-ha (1986)

12) Last Train To Satansville (Satansville Revisited) (Album Version): Swervedriver (1993)

Volume Two

1) The Gravy Train (Nightmares On Wax Mix - Delayed Departure Edit By Khayem): Ian Brown (2002/2024)

2) No Train To Stockholm (Cover of Lee Hazlewood): Erlend Øye (2002)

3) Long Empty Train: The Gadgets (1983)

4) Night Train To Lichtenstien: Dawn Of The Replicants (1998)

5) Stop The Train: The Wailers (1970)

6) Blue Train: The Bluebells (2023)

7) Long Black Train: Richard Hawley (2001)

8) It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry: Bob Dylan (1965)

9) Railroad Blues: Beastie Boys (2000)

10) Dead Grammas On A Train: Thin White Rope (1985)

11) Victoria Train Station Massacre: The Fall (2017)

12) Train Is Coming: Iklan ft. Law Holt (2020)

13) Lame Train (Single Version): Flesh For Lulu (1983)

 

1965: Highway 61 Revisited: B8

1970: Mule Train EP: A6 

1970: Stop The Train EP: B5

1974: King Of The Track: A2 

1977: Police & Thieves: A7

1983: Blue Album: B3 

1983: Roman Candle EP: B13

1985: Exploring The Axis: B10

1986: Train Of Thought EP: A11

1989: China Doll EP: A1 

1993: Mezcal Head: A12 

1998: Hogwash Farm (The Diesel Hands E.P.): B4 

2000: Country Mike’s Greatest Hits: B9

2001: Late Night Final: B7

2002: Remixes Of The Spheres: B1*

2002: Total Lee! The Songs Of Lee Hazlewood: B2

2005: Bedroom Classics Vol. 2 EP: A8 

2005: Blinking Lights And Other Revelations: A10

2008: Blood, Looms & Blooms: A3

2009: Broken: A4

2015: Last Train To Lhasa EP: A9 

2017: New Facts Emerge: B11

2020: Album Number 1 Featuring Law Holt: B12

2020: Bang Goes The Knighthood/More Sordid Details (Expanded Edition): A5

2023: In The 21st Century: B6

* This is essentially the main vocal mix, with the first 90 seconds of the instrumental mix tacked onto the front to provide an extended intro.

Volume One (46:10) (KF) (Mega)

Volume Two (45:33) (KF) (Mega)

 

Today's cover photo is Queenstown Road Station in London, snapped and written about by 'Joe Blogs' in August 2010.

Off The Chart

Lace up your trainers, we're going back four decades to the Top 20 UK singles chart on 18th May 1984.

 

In January, I did a similar look back at 1974 and whilst I would hesitate to call this a series, a run of back-to-back Top Of The Pops episodes on BBC4 (kind of) inspired today's selection, although I also have to tip my hat to Jez at A History Of Dubious Taste for his delve into the early volumes of Now That's What I Call Music.

Being 1984, we're well into the era of the 12" single and the extended dance club remix frenzy. So, what you've got here are thirteen stretched out versions, some pushing the 8-9 minute mark, others bending the original songs into interesting shapes. And, honestly, could you actually dance to some of these?!

 

I'm guessing that the movie Footloose was pretty popular around this time as there are two singles from the soundtrack in the Top 20. Kenny Loggins' title theme song didn't have an extended version in 1984 so I've gone for one of the many 21st century fan-made versions that proliferate online.

Madonna's mate John 'Jellybean' Benitez remixes the other by Deniece Williams and also turns his hand to Automatic by Pointer Sisters. Benitez was ubiquitous at the time, even Talking Heads and Elvis Costello got the 'Jellybean' treatment.

Then up-and-coming writers and producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis kick things off with Just Be Good To Me, a new entry at #20. I don't particularly remember this song at the time but it's legendary status was sealed when Beats International covered it a few years later, securing a #1 in the process. Jam & Lewis went on to greater heights with Janet Jackson and all-new lows with The Human League.

Blissfully unaware of this in 1984, The Human League were still enjoying Top 20 hits, including The Lebanon, dropping to #12 this week from a peak of #11 the week before. An undeniably brilliant bassline, coupled with some of the most cringeworthy lyrics committed to vinyl, but I love it regardless.

Speaking of bass, there's some funk to make Mark King of Level 42 give a heavily insured thumbs up, from Jeffrey Osborne and Jocelyn Brown. If the latter sounds familiar, it's been sampled to death by artists such as George Michael (Too Funky), Utah Saints (Ohio) and OutKast (Spaghetti Junction).

 

If you prefer your guitar histrionic, look no further than Queen at #4. Thanks to Lady K's early obsession with Queen's Greatest Hits, I am now more familiar with the back catalogue of Mercury and co. than I ever wanted to be. This 12" version is rumbling along quite nicely until in the last minute or so it decides to go all Stars On 45 and give the listener a chopped up Greatest Hits medley. 

Blancmange and O.M.D. respectively deliver one of my favourite and least favourite singles by said artists, I'll leave you to decide which is which. In a bizarre twist of fate, I will have seen both bands live in 2024, O.M.D.in March and Blancmange at the end of this month.

Just the one reggae hit in the Top 20 but it's a goodie. One Love/People Get Ready was a posthumous smash for Bob Marley & The Wailers, peaking at #5 in it's fifth week and promoting the compilation Legend, released two weeks before. Suffice to say, it's one of the greatest greatest hits albums ever.

So, to the top spot and enjoying the third of four weeks at #1 is Duran Duran with The Reflex. Heavily remixed from the album version, the 12" version takes things even further. Mrs. K and I have enjoyed many a slightly tipsy lounge disco dance to this one.

As with the 1974 selection, I've gone for a Marvel UK comics header. The Mighty World Of Marvel was on it's second incarnation by this time. The May 1984 issue actually came out in April but I've included this one for the gorgeous painted art by Alan Davis, whose epic Captain Britain storyline with Alan Moore was coming to an end. 

 

At the other end of the spectrum was The Thing Is Big Ben, in which Marvel UK decided that what kids really needed was the rocky one from The Fantastic Four in his own weekly comic, with a title that tenuously linked him to the iconic London landmark. Add to that reprints of Iron Man and Captain America (the latter replaced by Power Man & Iron Fist) and you can understand why editors felt the need to throw in a free cap to convince kids to hand over their 18p. The cover price was prescient: 18 weeks later, the kids remained unmoved and the title quietly folded into the ongoing Spider-Man comic, as so many others before it had done.

 

1) Just Be Good To Me (Album Version By Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis): The S.O.S. Band (#20)

2) I'm Falling (Album Version By Colin Fairley & Bob Andrews): The Bluebells (#19)

3) Stay With Me Tonight (Extended Remixed Version By Bill Bottrell): Jeffrey Osborne (#18)

4) Somebody Else's Guy (Remix By John Morales & Sergio Munzibai): Jocelyn Brown (#13)

5) The Lebanon (Extended) (Remix By The Human League, Chris Thomas & Hugh Padgham): The Human League (#12)

6) Don't Tell Me (U.S. Dance Remix By Mark Kamins): Blancmange (#9)

7) Let's Hear It For The Boy (Extended Remixed Version By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Deniece Williams (#8)

8) Locomotion (Razormaid Remix By Joseph Watt): O.M.D. (#7)

9) Footloose (VJAR 2016 Extended Dance Remix By Alex Ritton): Kenny Loggins (#6)

10) One Love/People Get Ready (Dub Version By Godwin Logie): Bob Marley & The Wailers (#5)

11) I Want To Break Free (Extended Mix By Queen & Reinhold Mack): Queen (#4)

12) Automatic (Special Remix By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Pointer Sisters (#2)

13) The Reflex (Dance Mix By Nile Rodgers & Jason Corsaro): Duran Duran (#1)

Off The Chart (1:27:14) (KF) (Mega)

Potential

The second package I received as a paid up Last Night From Glasgow member earlier this year included The Bluebells: In The 21st Century and unexpectedly it's proved to be one of my favourite albums of this year. It's also gone down very well here at Casa K, which can't be said for many of my music choices and purchases.

 

I say 'unexpectedly' as apart from the ubiquitous Young At Heart and Cath (which both preceded and followed it as a single), I wasn't familiar with The Bluebells at all. So, I had no real preconceptions or prejudices but from the moment I opened up the parcel, I knew that I was holding something special.

 

The album itself is gorgeously packaged in a gatefold sleeve and inner containing lyrics to all twelve songs. I have the berry red vinyl - other flavours available - and it was a delight to place it gently on the turtable, lift the arm and drop the needle, settling back to hear the music begin. 

 

In The 21st Century is 45 minutes of pure pleasure, crammed so full of hooks, lush orchestration, tempo and style changes and singalong choruses that it's hard to believe that this is only The Bluebells' second album proper (third if you count 1992 Japan-only album Second). 

To illustrate, here are the official videos for second song Gone Tomorrow and Side 2 opener Anyone Could Be A Buzzcock.

 

 

As the album title suggests, this is not the sound of The Bluebells trying to recapture a moment in time from three decades ago. The beautifully lifting music belies some of the more reflective lyrics - shared amongst the band - that consider the passing of years, life experiences that have shaped them and the reality of the world as it is today. Ken McCluskey is in superb voice throughout, backed with glorious harmonies and melodies from brother David and Robert Hodgens.

 

It's imposssible to pick a favourite song. The album starts with Daddy Was An Engineer and i'd pick that, but then I hear the next song and the next song and so on. Orienteering is superb, Beautiful Mess is heart-tuggingly beautiful, but then what about The Ballad Of The Bells? And the closer, She Rises? I love this album more with each listen, it really is something special.

Today's post title is a line taken from Orienteering, "Do I have potential?" Taken out of lyrical context and positioned as a question regarding The Bluebells' capacity to gift the world with one of the year's finest albums, I wholeheartedly reply, "Yes!"

In The 21st Century and the reissued and expanded debut album Sisters are available with a selection of other lovely merch right here.

I Can Sing A Rainbow #3

A rainbow-themed selection (in the correct polychromatic order, of course, none of this nonsense) was the inspired idea of Martin at New Amusements, who kick started proceedings with a rather excellent selection last Thursday.

 

Suitably fired up, Rol at My Top Ten followed a guest post featuring bands called Rainbow (great work, George) with his own selection of 'rainbow' songs on Wednesday. Again, a fab list with some forgotten gems.

 

And so, never one for an original idea at the best of times, I couldn't resist the temptation to have a go at my own selection of songs featuring the colours of the rainbow in the title. More by accident than design, the oldest song here is from 1994, the most recent 2023.

The song that immediately popped into my head was Basement Jaxx and Red Alert, featuring the aptly-named Blue James (or Blu or Bluski or Belinda, depending on how well you know her). Not only is it a great song, it's also a natural opener and gets things off to a rousing start. Other versions are available, though the radio edit comfortably hits all the sweet spots in just over three and a half minutes.

Taking things down a notch musically but ramping things up lyrically is Elevated Orange by Ali Shaheed Muhammad, on one of his solo outings from A Tribe Called Quest in 2004. I don't know who the intended target of the song is but with its title and lyrics like

Them laws you make
It’s not going to keep you safe
You straight transgressed the means, now it’s time for you to come clean
When I mix it up, it’s going to leave your face twisted up

 

I can't help be reminded of a certain pus bag (former) US president in the here and now...

 

Lee 'Scratch' Perry up next with Yellow Tongue from his superb 2008 album The Mighty Upsetter, produced by Adrian Sherwood. 'Scratch' is joined on this song by Tunisian-French singer Samia Farah, who I first encountered as one of the On-U Sound collective guesting on Sherwood's 2006 solo album Becoming A Cliché. It's hard to believe that it's coming up to two years since Lee 'Scratch' Perry left us, so present is his music in the soundtrack of my life.

 

I know very little about The Allender Band as this song appeared on a freebie CD with Bristol's (now defunct) listings magazine Venue back in 2008. Discogs tells me that Green Wound was also the lead song on their EP from the same year, In The Grip Of Light. The Allender Band released an album called Outer Dark in 2009 and that appears to be it. Founding member Robin Allender joined Yann Tiersen's touring band that year (as did drummer Dave Collingwood) and appears to have had a fruitful and diverse career since, not least as a solo musician and a stand-up comedian. I really like this song, so I should check out more of Robin's music, especially as it's Bandcamp Friday. 

 

Blue was my first purchase by Bark Psychosis and came on the back of frankly lazy music journo comparisons with late-period Talk Talk. Bark Psychosis are/were much more than that, though Graham Sutton (as Boymerang) did go on to remix .O.Rang, the band formed by former Talk Talk members Paul Webb and Lee Harris. My copy of Blue is on rather lovely but very crackly white vinyl 12" single with the full length version of the song. This edit was on the CD and 1997 compilation Game Over.

 

Indigo was an easier choice for me as I have a few in my collection but The All Seeing I's remix of the 2000 single by Moloko was my immediate thought. Any excuse to shoehorn Róisín Murphy into a post for the second time this week. Jason Buckle is currently a member of Jarvis Cocker's 'other band' and has released a steady stream of albums this year - two in July alone - as JP Buckle, which are all worth checking out. With song titles like Guns Versus Butter, Return Of Super Dirty, Quick Jimmy Riddle and Tinker Taylor Soldier Funk, you know you're onto a winner.

 

Violet was a toss-up between an Andrew Weatherall song and my final choice, Stonehouse Violets from The Bluebells' wonderful album from earlier this year, In The 21st Century. I didn't know much about The Bluebells apart from 1980s singles Young At Heart and Cath and the album - their first in over three decades - is a great listen from start to finish. This is one of my favourite songs, too.

 

1) Red Alert (Jaxx Radio Mix): Basement Jaxx ft. Blue James (1999)

2) Elevated Orange: Ali Shaheed Muhammad (2004)

3) Yellow Tongue: Lee 'Scratch' Perry ft. Samia Farah (2008)

4) Green Wound: The Allender Band (2008)

5) Blue (Edit): Bark Psychosis (1994)

6) Indigo (All Seeing I Glamoloko Edit): Moloko (2000)

7) Stonehouse Violets: The Bluebells (2023)

I Can Sing A Rainbow (31:10) (KF) (Mega)

And if you're disappointed with Mr. Tumble and a succession of other charlatans giving the wrong colours of the rainbow in the wrong order, here's my go-to...

 

Oh, and a final thanks to John Medd, for inspiring me to take pictures of old red telephone boxes for the monthly photo challenge on his blog, Are We There Yet? 

 

Today's image is a filtered, messed around with photo of a solitary red box in a neighbouring village. All looks quiet and peaceful, but cropped out of sight was what seemed to be a mass gathering of villagers milling on the street for an imminent party. Hopefully, not of the lynching variety, having spotted the 'not local' skulking around their precious phone box. Needless to say, I beat a hasty retreat after a long distance photo...

Mrs. McClusky, We Love You

Celebrating Gwyneth Powell, 5th July 1946 to 8th September 2022.

 

News belatedly broke yesterday, unsurprising given the unfortunate coincidence of her passing on the same day as Queen Elizabeth II. As a kid growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, Gwyneth Powell was synonymous with BBC TV series Grange Hill. Although her character, Mrs Bridget "The Midget" McClusky didn't appear until series 4, episode 1 broadcast on 30th December 1980, she was the show's longest serving head teacher, departing at the end of series 14, transmitted 15th March 1991. 

Gwyneth won over a whole new generation of fans when she co-starred with Greg Davies in Channel 4 comedy Man Down between 2013 and 2017 as his character's mum.

Sadly, little evidence online of Gwyneth's musical leanings and she was criminally overlooked for the Grange Hill cast's 1986 Top 5 anti-drugs classic, Just Say No. So, for today's selection, I've gone for a brief dip into songs by bands featuring a McClusky (or McCluskey, just to pad it out a bit more).

Is that the sound of a barrel being scraped...?

 

1) Wonderful (Cover of The Beach Boys): Adventures In Stereo (1998)

2) Just Got Lucky (12" Version): JoBoxers (1983)

3) We Love You (Album Version): O.M.D. (1986)

4) Five o' Clock World (Remix By Robert Ash & Nigel Grainge) (Cover of The Vogues): Ballistic Kisses (1982)

5) Everything And More (Seven Inch Edit): If? (1992)

6) Everybody's Somebody's Fool (Album Version): The Bluebells (1983)

7) Super Love: Wigan's Ovation (1975)

Mrs. McClusky, We Love You (24:13)