The Jesus & Mary Chain - The Peel Sessions

Two Peel Sessions from the best thing to come out of East Kilbride, from 1985 and 1986.

Tracks 1-3 feature the classic lineup of Jim & William, along with Douglas Hart on bass and Bobby Gillespie on drums. Now THAT's a reunion I'd pay good money to see. Douglas Hart has been at pretty much every Primal scream gig I've been to, always armed with a video camera. He must have hundreds of hours of footage of them on tour - I dread to think what kind of activity he'd have captured. Wonder if it'll ever see the light of day. He also did the stunning light show for their most recent tour.

Tracks 4-6 are just the brothers Reid with trusty drum machine, pre Darklands.

Caught them a few times the first time round which were a bit hit'n'miss, there was an infamous show at the Barras where someone spiked Jim's drink with smack (or so the story goes) and they came on stage and played Surfin USA three times in a row, false starts a gogo. More recently they're been on top form - caught them at a couple of festivals in 2007 and they sounded excellent. Jim was looking unbelievably good but William's turned into a right fat cunt (years of boozing I guess).

Ah well, catch them here at their prime, I'm off to get dressed up...



The Jesus & Mary Chain - The Peel Sessions
1 - Inside Me
2 - The Living End
3 - Just Like Honey
4 - Fall
5 - Happy Place
6 - In The Rain (About You)

Buy it here

Moggieboy - Halloween Pumpkin Tunes

Not strictly a download, but a plug for the pumpkin that my overtalented mate knocked us up in a quick half hour for tomorrow night's halloween party. It's to go outside in the garden of the hosts. Serves the cunts right for having a garden. And staying in Edinburgh. I'll stick to my 3rd floor Glasgow tenement.

Theme = rock icons.

I'm going as Nigel Tufnel and m'lady is going as Robert Smith in the Lullaby video. My costume's fairly shite, got the t-shirt with the skeleton done in luminous green, cut the sleeves off, drainpipe black jeans and hideous white shoes, complete with horrendous mullet wig. She's got a pair of spot on men's pyjamas, a frightwig and mental black makeup. Spray-on cobwebs and furry spider to be added enroute. Looks magnificent.

The train to Edinburgh should be fun, especially the trek home on Sunday.

There might be a post or two on Saturday but Sunday is a write-off. Had planned a quiet night in tonight but things have developed.

I was gonna attempt to remix the Ripped In Glasgow header logo in some kinda spooky halloween style but ended up couldn'ae be arsed. Consider this the replacement.

Here's our signature tunes for the night...

*EDIT* in the absence of a BBC4 rockumentary tonight here's a wee halloween treat - a contender for the best TOTP ever, from 3rd June 1982...



Moggieboy - Halloween Pumpkin Tunes
1 - The Cure - Lullaby
2 - Spinal Tap - Big Bottom

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Jesus Jones - Zeros And Ones (Aphex Twin Remixes)

... and while we're on the subject of pish bands getting the remix treatment.

Couldn't believe it when I saw this 12" in the shop - Jesus fuckin Jones? Don't get me wrong, I'd seen them more than once in various dark and dingy establishments back in the 80s but had never actually LIKED them. Oh no.

I haven't listened to this for years (the mantra which persuaded me to get off my ass and do this blog), and always assumed it was one of those 'remixes' that he just picked up a random DAT tape for when the courier came from the record company. Mind you, there's a snatch of breathy vocal that could just be our man Mike Edwards (I didn't even need to google his name, how sad is that). Two pretty good mixes, it has to be said.

Am I allowed to say that I only had a brief interest in the Aphex Twin? Saw him a couple of times circa Didgeridoo, stuck around for Ambient Works Vol 1, the Polygon Window stuff then lost interest. 1993 basically. Oh aye, got that 'Come To Viddy' as well but only for the video for a few times when you were fucked about 6am and there was someone there who hadn't seen it.

Oh aye, the tracks? B1 = before you go out, B2 = once you eventually wake up. Nuff said.

The A-side of this 12" has a Prodigy mix that I've never listened to and two others which I haven't either. Fuck that pish.

The last I head, Jesus Jones were doing corporate gigs in America for big company bashes where they'd come on, play about four tracks then fuck off and pocket the cash. Sellout cunts. Meanwhile, Mr Aphex is in semi retirement playing the odd gig and releasing the occasional uncredited piece of nonsense...



Jesus Jones - Zeros And Ones (Aphex Twin Remixes)
B1 - Zeroes And Ones (Aphex Twin Reconstruction (1) Mix)
B2 - Zeroes And Ones (Aphex Twin Reconstruction (2) Mix)

Buy it here

Utah Saints - Highlander (CJ Bolland Remix)

... as played out by just about everyone in 1994.

This is one of those "a remix of WHO?" 12" that you sometimes came across, another example being this Prefab Sprout 12" from a year or two before it.

This tune was on everyone's playlist back at the time, and deservedly so. My copy's certainly been played to death, but not for a while as I'd forgotten all about it until just there. Magic!

It's a wee bit crackle-tastic at the start due to abuse back in the day, but sorts itself out soon enough.

So, Utah Saints then. Pish. Although I must admit that I had a bit of a guilty pleasure thing going on with them at the very start and may even have bought the Something Good CD Single(!) at the time of release but it's long gone. It came out just as I was being introduced to the ways of the dance so I'll excuse myself for that one.

Altogether now, "Utah Saints, U U U Utah Saints"...



Utah Saints - Highlander (CJ Bolland Remix)

Buy it here

Finitribe - 101 (Weatherall Mixes)

Classic early Weatherall mixes from 1991.

This is mistakenly labelled as "Sonic Shuffe - The Weatherall Mixes" when it's actually "101 - three Weatherall mixes and one other mix which may or may not be Weatherall under a nom-de-plume" - I guess it's not got the same ring to it though. According to the ever-reliable (and new-look) Discogs, the A2 mix is by "Scooby Doo & Shaggy 2" who have no info on 'them' on the site. *sigh* - it isn't easy, is it?

Anyway... A1 and B1 do indeed shuffle along, they almost sound like they could have come out of Manchester (it was 1991). Nice heavy bass throughout. A2 does away with the shuffling sound and sounds a bit more like Finitribe. B2 features the "point of most intensity" vocal sample, and a piano hook that reminds me of 'On' by Aphex Twin. All very good.

One of the few records that I have that's still got the reaction sheet in it. I've scanned it and if you feel the need you can see it here and here.

I mentioned it before, but Finitribe member Chris Connelly's book, 'My Life As A Revolting Cock' is well worth a read. Such depravity...



Finitribe - 101 (Weatherall Mixes)
A1 - 101 (Sonic Shuffle Edit)
A2 - 101 (Backflip)
B1 - 101 (Sonic Shuffle)
B2 - 101 (Intensity Mix)

Buy it here

Soofle - Nouveau EP

A great French EP from 1993, released on Arctic Records via FNAC.

This features the dual talents of Ludovic Navarre (aka St Germain) and Shazz (aka Aurora Borealis), and very nice it is too. This was the point when there was a load of real quality French dance music getting made, and they all seemed to get on with each other and work together. Awww. Just before those big bad boys Daft Punk came along and spoiled it for everyone.

Not much else to say here, except that it should appeal to anyone into the whole FNAC/F Communications stuff that was floating about around that time.

I never realised back then that there was a lot more to FNAC (Fédération nationale d’achats des cadres, fact fans) than just a record label. It was a workers collective, co-op kinda thing in the 60s/70s, then developed into the French equivalent of Virgin(?) in the late 80s/90s - they seem to have the right attitude anyway. Ain't Wikipedia great?

History lesson over, go and listen to the tunes...



Soofle - Nouveau EP
A1 - Thrill
A2 - Happy Cycle
B1 - Away
B2 - How Do You Plead

Buy it here

The Corridor - Disc A

Another set of exclusive goodies from The Corridor, once again courtesy of Chris from the band (cheers again).

A particularly fucking evil sounding collection, just in time for Halloween. The first track is "really early lo-fi Corridor from our first ever post Autobutcher get together. Luckily I grabbed a few samples before the tape disappeared." Just as well you did, pal.

This time round, all tracks Chris compositions, except the aforementioned 'One In The Chamber', which features the original lineup of Ashley Marlowe - drum machine, Nat Mellors - samplers, Grant Newman - vocals, Chris Barter - synths and samplers. It's remixed by Chris as well.

Guest vocals include Eric the cat on track 4(!), and a really fucking sinister spoken vocal by Sonia Heywood on the final track.

Sweet dreams, motherfuckers...



The Corridor - Disc A
1 - One In The Chamber
2 - The Body Deprived
3 - Towers Of Silence
4 - Why Chromosome?
5 - Neo
6 - The Ritual Of Non

Buy Corridor stuff here

Radioactive Man - The Uranium E.P.

RGC 003 courtesy of Mr Tenniswood, from 2001.

A beautiful EP, fairly chilled but still with a wee bounce or two. Lots of electro/breaks noises with some fab bass hooks throughout.

Keith Tenniswood is often overlooked when you hear about Two Lone Swordsmen - quite unfairly I think, although I am guilty of omitting his name from the labels on any previous Keith-related posts. I've seen him a couple of times at the Soundhaus in Glasgow and it's always been a great night (unlike most other nights in there - always mildly disappointing).

This is the only record I have which mentions Mad Dog 20/20 wine - a favourite fruity teenage tipple amongst my friends, particularly when the small town where I grew up somehow managed to ban Buckfast (THE drink of the local neds, ideally washed down with a few jellies for maximum effect). I think it was an agreement between the local booze merchants and the cops. Didn't work though, as anyone who had a car often got propositioned at knifepoint by a couple of neds to go to the neighbouring village to stock up on the bionic tonic.

Ah, heady days back in darkest Lanarkshire...



Radioactive Man - The Uranium E.P.
A1 - Uranium
A2 - Strong Booze (MD 20/20)
B1 - Sight & Sound
B2 - Through Mist At 200

Buy it here

Fuckin Hostile - Fuckin Hostile

A nice wee chill-out tune for a Tuesday evening...

This is the fruits of a VERY brief foray into the world of gabba, bought circa the only time I ever saw Lenny Dee, who was bizarrely a semi-regular guest at Pure back in the day.

It's a painful few minutes but certainly clears out any cobwebs which were still lurking after the weekend.

This would be a good one to 'accidentally' put on when in company (eg at work, in the car with parents, kiddies party etc) to check the reaction.

Three increasingly manic mixes, my 'favourite' being A2. The B-side mix (courtesy of Disintegrator) is the closest thing to a proper track but even it's mental.

I've got maybe another two of this sort of nonsense lurking about somewhere (not in this flat though, I don't think). Should I dig them out?

Fuck me - me ears are truly hurting after playing the three of these back-to-back. Dunno how folk could do whole nights of this stuff on end...



Fuckin Hostile - Fuckin Hostile
A1 - Fuckin Hostile
A2 - Fuckin Hostile (Brooklyn Mix)
B - Fuckin Hostile (Disintegrator Remix)

Buy it here

Laurent Garnier - Club Traxx EP

Excellent double-pack from 1995 on the F Communications label.

Nice and handy this - three sides play at 45rpm and one plays at 33. Cheers, Laurent - just the ticket for drunken spinning in dark rooms. I'll let him off though, as these tracks show him at the top of his game.

Post 'Man With The Red Face' he lost the plot if you ask me, so this represents the midpoint in his decade of quality tunes.

Highlight has to be the final side, Dance 2 The Music, but each one of the five tunes is a winner in my book.

I saw Laurent DJ a few times back in the day and was always blown away. His two Essential Mixes from 1994 were excellent as well. If anyone's got the Silicium - Nowhere EP as featured on his June 94 mix can they rip it and sling it my way. I'd be eternally grateful, it reminds me of my only ever jaunt over to Ibiza in 1994.

Phew! That was all a bit commercial, wasn't it. Unlike what I've just pulled out...



Laurent Garnier - Club Traxx EP
A - Side Effects
B1 - Rachando O Bico
B2 - Pigalle
C - Aquarius
D - Dance 2 The Music

Buy it here