The Selecter

9-30-08 The Selecter

After writing about The Specials yesterday, I thought I would continue the 2-Tone thread today with The Selecter, the group that shared their debut 45 with The Specials!

7" ON MY RADIO / TOO MUCH PRESSURE TWO TONE UK CHSTT 4

1979 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve

7" READY MIX RADIO FLEXIPOP UK 995

1980 1 TRKS no pic sleeve, flexidisc from Flexipop magazine, UK

LP TOO MUCH PRESSURE TWO TONE JPN WWS-81313

1980 14 TRKS insert

CD TOO MUCH PRESSURE CAPT MOD UK MODSKACD 17

1980 16 TRKS ('01 issue) 2 x bonus tracks

7" MISSING WORDS / CARRY GO BRING HOME TWO TONE UK CHSTT 10

1980 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve

7" THREE MINUTE HERO / JAMES BOND TWO TONE UK CHSTT 8

1980 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve

12" TRAIN TO SKAVILLE CHRYSALIS UK CHS 12-S1

1980 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP CELEBRATE THE BULLET CHRYSALIS US CHR 1306

1981 11 TRKS

7" CELEBRATE THE BULLET / LAST TANGO IN DUB CHRYSALIS UK CHS S2

1981 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

I wrote about The Selecter in my very first year of blogging, 2002!

I really think “Too Much Pressure” is a great album – definitely first rank, along with the debut albums by The Specials, The (English) Beat and Madness. Their “James Bond” song is fantastic!

As with yesterday’s post, I have read a bit about The Selecter recently, in Sir Horace Gentleman’s “Ska’d For Life” (Specials) book. I distinctly remember being in England and seeing a video by The Selecter being played in a Woolworth’s! (Likely, it was “Three Minute Hero”)

There was also a German TV show about ‘the new wave’ (that we had a Japanese copy of) – and The Selecter featured prominently – I remember Charly (the guy with the enormous dreadlocks & sharp suit) saying something to the effect of “Live music is the best, get out there are see a band…any band…play live!”

In 2008, I think The Selecter have many more albums than this contiguous set. Looks like singer Pauline Black has been pretty busy, of late.

I am lucky enough to own a Japanese pressing of “Too Much Pressure” – according to Sir Horace Gentleman’s book – the 1980 tour of Japan by The Selecter was cancelled – I wonder if the original group ever made it there? I do not remember them ever playing Los Angeles at that time.

Check out “Two Tone – A Chequered Past” 2CD set on Chrysalis/Capitol US – it’s chock full of great stuff!

Specials

9-29-08 The Specials

I recently got the book “Ska’d For Life” by Horace Panter (also known as Sir Horace Gentleman), the bass player of the original Specials. I enjoyed the book greatly (and wrote a small bit about it on my other blog, 1musiclife1) and began thinking about The Specials again.

My modest Specials collection:

7" GANGSTERS / SELECTER, THE TWO TONE UK TT 1/2

1979 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" MESSAGE TO YOU RUDY, A / NITE KLUB TWO TONE UK CHSTT 5

1979 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve

CD SPECIALS CHRYSALIS US VK 41265

1980 15 TRKS US version

LP SPECIALS CHRYSALIS US FV 41265

1980 15 TRKS US version

CD MORE SPECIALS CHRYSALIS US VK 41303

1980 12 TRKS US version

LP MORE SPECIALS CHRYSALIS US CHR 1303

1980 12 TRKS US version

7" BRAGGIN' & TRYIN' NOT TO LIE / RUDE BOYS OUTA JAIL TWO TONE UK TT 999

1980 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve – promo-only?

7" RAT RACE / RUDE BOYS OUTA JAIL TWO TONE UK CHSTT 11

1980 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve

7" STEREOTYPE / INTERNATIONAL JET SET TWO TONE UK CHSTT 13

1980 2 TRKS with 'Two Tone' sleeve

7" GHOST TOWN / WHY? TWO TONE DE 103.338

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" BOILER, THE / THEME FROM THE BOILER (Special AKA) TWO TONE UK CHSTT 18

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

10" WAR CRIMES / (Version) (Special AKA) TWO TONE UK CHSTT 10-23

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

I bought as many 2-Tone label records as I could find when they came out as new releases, but I obviously never found ‘everything’. Not sure which edition of the debut single I have – it doesn’t say Chrysalis anywhere on it – so probably it’s a Rough Trade version – unfortunately, not a hand-stamped copy!

I never got to see them live; I think the two albums (“Specials” and “More Specials”) are really good, still good after 25+ years! I do not have the re-mastered CD’s, unfortunately – just the first ones I ever got, at the end of the 80’s. And I wish I had a 12” of “Ghost Town”!

I remember just how unsettling “The Boiler” was, when I first heard it.

It seems as though some of the members of the original Specials have re-formed recently, and played some gigs in England – without Jerry Dammers? Oh, goodness.

The Motors

9-26-08 The Motors

CD 1 VIRGIN UK CDV 2089

1977 9 TRKS (1 x bonus track) ('90 issue)

LP 1 VIRGIN UK V 2089

1977 8 TRKS UK original issue

12" AIRPORT VIRGIN UK VS 219-12

1978 3 TRKS no pic sleeve, blue vinyl

CD AIRPORT - GREATEST HITS CAROLINE US CAROL 1777.2

1995 17 TRK Collection

7" AIRPORT (mono / stereo) promo VIRGIN US ZS8 9519

1978 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

CD APPROVED BY THE MOTORS VIRGIN UK CDV 2101

1978 12 TRKS (2 x bonus tracks) ('90 issue)

LP APPROVED BY THE MOTORS VIRGIN UK V 2101

1978 10 TRKS red vinyl

7" BE WHAT YOU GOTTA BE VIRGIN UK VS 194

1977 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" COLD LOVE (mono / stereo) promo VIRGIN US ZS8 9517

1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

12" DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY VIRGIN UK VS 186-12

1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

12" FORGET ABOUT YOU VIRGIN UK VS 222-12

1978 4 TRKS no pic sleeve, red vinyl

10" LOVE AND LONLINESS VIRGIN UK VS 263

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve, yellow vinyl

LP TENEMENT STEPS VIRGIN US VA 13139

1980 8 TRKS die-cut cover

Nick Garvey solo:

LP BLUE SKIES VIRGIN UK V 2231

1982 11 TRKS Ex-Motors

Bram Tchaikovsky solo:

LP RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RADAR UK RAD 26

1980 11 TRKS Ex-Motors

Former Ducks Deluxe guys, Class of ’77 – not quite punk, but not really ‘power pop’ or ‘pub rock’. In 2008, they sound like nobody else. I recently came to reconsider The Motors after seeing a music video for the track “Dreaming Your Life Away” off of their 2^nd album, “Approved By The Motors” (I don’t think it was ever a single, and Virgin Records UK seemed to make videos for songs that weren’t singles, at that time).

I remember liking “Cold Love” from their debut album when it was new; that’s why I got a copy of their debut LP – years later, I discovered that the US 45 of that song is totally different! Seriously, The Motors were a great singles band – I am surprised that they didn’t have too many hits in England – I know “Airport” was big, but…it’s not my favorite Motors song – this week, that would be “Dreaming Your Life Away” – sounds like a ‘lost Beatles song’ to me!

Ah, the solo albums are a tad disappointing. I know there are two other Bram Tchaikovsky albums for me to find, still. I don’t remember the Nick Garvey album at all, must give it a spin. It’s nice to have all (?) of their colored-vinyl 12” (and 10”) singles!

Glenn Phillips

9-25-08 Glenn Phillips

I first became aware of Glenn Phillips in the late 70’s – at the time he was signed to Virgin Records. I think “Swim In The Wind” was the first LP from him I ever found. He is an amazing guitarist from Georgia, USA (I believe). Here’s a somewhat chronological list of what I have been able to find from him:

LP LOST AT SEA CAROLINE UK C 1519 1975 11 TRKS

LP SWIM IN THE WIND VIRGIN UK V 2087 1977 11 TRKS UK original issue

LP DARK LIGHTS SNOW STAR US SS 3 1980 10 TRKS

LP RAZOR POCKET SNOW STAR US SS 4 1982 10 TRKS

LP ST. VALENTINE'S DAY SNOW STAR US SS 5 1984 8 TRKS

LP LIVE SHANACHIE 82006 1985 9 TRKS Live

LP ELEVATOR SST US SST 136 1987 11 TRKS

CD SCRATCHED BY THE RABBIT DEMON UK FIENDCD 180 1990 9 TRKS

CDx2 ECHOES (Collection) EAST SIDE DI ESD 80612/622 1992 43 TRK Collection

CD WALKING THROUGH WALLS SHOTPUT WK 37000 1996 10 TRKS CD-only release?

CD ANGEL SPARKS GAFF US GM 456 2003 11 TRKS CD-only release?

With any luck, he has more releases than I have listed here!

He was also a member of the Hampton Grease Band – not to be confused with the British / Irish band, “The Grease Band” who worked with Joe Cocker. Anxious fans will seek out the sole Hampton Grease band 2LP / 2CD set “Music To Eat” (Columbia / Shotput) which was released approx. 1971.

His albums always have interesting liner notes, detailing some very personal stuff that Mr. Phillips was going through at the time. For a long while, the band remained the same, but I believe there have now been some personnel changes.

This is instrumental music of a very high order. It’s not jazz and not exactly ‘rock’ music. It is an understatement to say that Mr. Phillips is an individualistic guitarist. I can think of no-one else (alive) who even comes close to his inventiveness on the instrument of electric guitar.

I decided to write this blog after watching a video from the late 70’s, from a TV show in Atlanta, GA called “Playback” – for 27 minutes, you get to see The Glenn Phillips Band perform live on this stellar (obviously low-budget) show.

The odd man out in this discography is his LP on the (otherwise punk rock) SST label, “Elevator” – I know there was a guy who worked for SST who really liked instrumental music, who presumably solicited the release of this LP. And how did Mr. Phillips get signed to Demon Records in the UK? Presumably the same A*R team who brought him to Virgin Records (UK)?

Thanks for the music, Mr. Glenn Phillips! I can hear it!

Absolute Beginners

9-24-08 “Absolute Beginners”

Recently, I had a spin on the British Virgin CD (CDV 2386, 1986) original soundtrack for the film “Absolute Beginners”. I think I have a videotape of the film that I got, way back when it was originally on tape (knowing me, it’s probably a Beta stereo hi-fi copy).

18 tracks, most of it pretty good. We have a long title track from David Bowie (nearly 9 minutes long!) followed by a great otherwise-unavailable Sade cut, “Killer Blow” – this song is worth the price of admission alone! The brass arrangement on Sade’s cut is by none other than Gil Evans.

I’m not a huge Style Council nor Ray Davies fan…but dig the Gil Evans track “Va Va Voom”! 1986 big band jazz, masterfully arranged! Yes! Another Bowie track, “That’s Motivation” – I am a softie for latter day Bowie – I really liked his “Never Let Me Down” album! Ooh, Eighth Wonder featuring Patsy Kensit – no go, for me.

Been interested in British band Working Week even since noticing their collaborations with both Robert Wyatt and Etienne Daho! The cut here is latin jazz. And I had the good fortune to see Slim Gaillard play live in England, when I lived there in 1990. Slim’s cut here is “Selling Out”. The old timer gets an ’86 update! (I know he got paid, and I hope he dug working with the younger folks). This cut really swings!

Did Jerry Dammers from The Specials do very much soundtrack work? His track here, “Riot City” is killer. Good ‘typical’ soundtrack music, jazzy influence (and almost 9 minutes long!) – proof he could really write! Then another great contribution from Gil Evans – a Charles Mingus song, “Boogie Stop Shuffle (Rough and The Smooth)”. Dang – real jazz!

Odd man out here is Eddie Tenpole and his band Tenpole Tudor – with the cut “Ted Ain’t Ded” – is this song from either of their albums? I am a fan of Tenpole Tudor – “Three Bells In A Row” is a cracker of a 45! This cut makes me want to watch the movie again! The cut here sounds like ‘typical’ Tenpole Tudor – good stuff!

Another Bowie cut, his version of “Volare”. Then an actual cut by Clive Langer, he of the mighty production values and former membership of Deaf School. I do not know anything about the artist known as Jonas, but he got a Nick Lowe song (“Little Cat (You’ve Never Had It So Good”)! Was ‘Jonas’ a little kid in the film?

Home stretch: Evans gets another Mingus song, the wonderful “Better Git It In Your Soul” (a short version) – followed by Smiley Culture doing a ‘ragga’ cover of Miles Davis’ “So What” (I like Ronny Jordan’s jazzy cover of “So What”) and then a Gil Evans short take on the main theme. As they say, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore!

This is a way above-average 80’s soundtrack CD. The Sade cut is 10 out of 10 fantastic, the Working Week very respectable, Slim Gaillard 100% necessary, Jerry Dammers solo cut very (Elmer Bernstein-ish) interesting, and I love Tenpole Tudor! And ‘hats off’ to the late Gil Evans! And there are those who will defend anything Bowie does – but the cuts from him here are far from his worst stuff.

A "DVD Night"

9-23-08 DVD Night

I recently had a ‘DVD night’ at home. This is pretty unusual these days – I almost never watch any kind of TV at home. I watched most of the Midnight Oil “Black Fella, White Fella” DVD, as found in the new Legacy edition of their “Dust and Diesel” CD set. I tried to watch an Urszula Dudziak DVD, but the Panasonic would not play an AC:2 PAL DVD. I watched most of the Classic Rock Productions Curved Air set – I really like how they intercut birds with band on “Propositions”. I watched the Monochrome Set “Bedrock” concert – I am a big TMS fan. I have seen Mr. Bid play live in L.A. I have also seen a Japanese TMS laser disc that is fantastic. I finished up with watching most of the odd “Region 0” Level 42 DVD from Germany. Really quite surprised to see stuff from ’81 on this DVD (“Love Games”) – looks like a Top of the Pops performance. I decided to try Level 42 after realizing that Wally Badarou produced lots of their stuff.

From the early 80’s until the late 90’s, I was a music video “obsessive”. I owned a PAL TV & VHS deck – and a video standards converter. I had a deck that would play French videos (“SECAM”, sequential color memory). My music video list got up to around 22,000 titles – some of them long-forms (i.e. whole concerts) – and in ’98 or so, I lost almost all interest in collecting music videos. Ahem…I still have dozens of cartons of music videos out in my garage. It’s just nuts.

I’ve made a few volumes of music videos on DVD-R, from my old tapes. But it’s a lot of work, always searching for the ‘best copy’ of something – trying to stick to themes etc. And, you know, if there is a legit music DVD of something available, I’d much rather somebody else go to all the time and trouble to ‘do it properly’. I’ll even pay, I swear!

I only have a few dozen factory-made music DVD’s – but I’ve got some great stuff – John Cale, Simple Minds, The Screamers, The Who, Blur, Joe Cocker, The Plastics, Y.M.O., Momus, Roxy Music, The Birthday Party, Motorhead, Frank Zappa…you get the idea. I really like “Dual Discs” – one side CD, the other DVD – I wish there were more of them about – I have Townshend / Lane “Rough Mix:” and an Emerson Lake & Palmer one (the video on that is a performance I don’t think I’d ever seen before, Live ‘70). Oh, and I’ve got dozens of feature films that I like on the DVD format.

We watch a bit of time-shifted TV at my girlfriend’s place on the weekends. Where she lives, there is no terrestrial TV reception. I even tried to take my digital tuner up there, just to see what would come in – no go, niente, nada. So, it’s back to watching “Rage” on DVD – “Rage” is the world’s #1 music video TV show – it originates in Australia.

So, do you like DVD’s? Do you ever sit around and have a music video “DVD Night”? What sort of stuff do you watch? Legit DVD’s or burns from friends? Do you get your DVD’s in a store or from the internet? Or do you download everything you watch?

Still raining, still dreaming…still listening to music…

Midnight Oil

9-22-08 Midnight Oil

The Australian band!

CD 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 CBS AUS CDCBS 25314

1982 10 TRKS I would love to see a re-mastered CD of this title!

LP 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 CBS AUS SBP 237868

1982 10 TRKS insert, original issue

12" ARMISTICE DAY / STAND IN LINE CBS AUS BA 12032

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" BEDS ARE BURNING COLUMBIA US 44-07852

1988 5 TRK EP; no pic sleeve, promo

12" BIRD NOISES POWDERWORKS MSPD 462

1980 4 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD BIRD NOISES COLUMBIA US CK 46136

1980 4 TRK CD Single CD5

CD BLUE SKY MINING CBS AUS 465653.2

1990 10 TRKS

CD BLUE SKY MINING (Interview disc) promo CBS AUS SAMP 258CD

1990 13 TRKS Interview Disc, promo

CD CAPRICORNIA LIQUID/BMG US 20062.2

2001 12 TRKS CD Extra

LP COLLEGE ROCK CONCERT 12/04/83 LONDON WAVE US 1012

1983 12 TRKS Live, radio show (not a released record, but a record sent to U.S. college radio! Great!)

12" DEAD HEART CBS AUS BA 12208

1986 3 TRKS + 2 other bands

CD DIESEL AND DUST COLUMBIA US

New (’08) “Legacy Edition” 11 TRK CD + DVD (“Black Fella, White Fella” + 2 clips)

LP DIESEL AND DUST COLUMBIA US FC 40967

1987 10 TRKS

CD EARTH AND SUN AND MOON COLUMBIA US CK 53793

1993 11 TRKS

CD HEAD INJURIES CBS AUS 450903.2

1979 9 TRKS

LP HEAD INJURIES POWDERWORKS MLF 322

1979 9 TRKS

LP MIDNIGHT OIL POWDERWORKS MLF 233

1978 7 TRKS aka “The Blue Meannie” – the only orig. early Oil album I do not have on CD!

CD PLACE WITHOUT A POSTCARD CBS AUS 460897.2

1981 11 TRKS

LP PLACE WITHOUT A POSTCARD CBS NZ SBP 237704

1981 11 TRKS insert

12" POWER AND THE PASSION CBS UK TA 3176

1982 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" POWER AND THE PASSION / GLITCH BABY GLITCH EPIC/SONY JPN 07.5P-238

1983 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" READ ABOUT IT / (Same) promo COLUMBIA US 38-04470

1982 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

CD RED SAILS IN THE SUNSET CBS AUS CDCBS 26355

1984 12 TRKS I would love to see a re-mastered CD of this title!

LP RED SAILS IN THE SUNSET CBS NL 26355

1985 12 TRKS

CD SCREAM IN BLUE - LIVE COLUMBIA US CK 52731

1992 12 TRKS Live, with the memorable purple tray!

12" SPECIES DECEASES CBS AUS EX 12023

1985 4 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD5 SPECIES DECEASES COLUMBIA US CK 46135

1985 4 TRK CD Single CD5

7" U.S. FORCES / OUTSIDE WORLD (Instrumental) CBS AUS BA 223006

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

Getting the recent “Legacy Edition” of “Diesel And Dust” CD + DVD set seems like a good enough reason to write about Midnight Oil. I have followed them since “10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1”; I’ve seen them live several times (almost always in Los Angeles). Back in the 80’s, it was a lot of work to collect all of their music videos – thank goodness that there’s a DVD out these days that pretty much takes care of that topic (“The Midnight Oil Collection”, via Columbia Records USA).

Midnight Oil were / are a very strong live band, so I can recommend any of their live videos, too – the “Legacy Edition” of “Diesel And Dust” includes their ‘86/’87 video documentary of “Black Fella, White Fella”. My abiding memory of them live is “loud, tight”. Here’s a funny thing that sticks in my memory: I was told by either Bill Wolfe or Cary Darling that the Oils “didn’t sign autographs”. I also remember that there is something in their C.V. that says they always refused to perform on “Countdown”, the Aussie music / chart show (as hosted by Ian “Molly” Meldrum).

There are two other artists that are ‘connected’ to Midnight Oil: The Ghostwriters and Gondwanaland Project. I think The Ghostwriters is / was Rob Hirst, their drummer – I absolutely love their single “Someone Singing New York, New York”! And Gondwanaland Project is / was Charlie McMahon, their roadie – playing a didgeridoo! Gondwanaland used to open for the Oils (I certainly remember seeing him / them a few times) – and my friends in Australiasia were always good about sending me their LP’s (& CD’s).

Gondwanaland Project:

LET THE DOG OUT POWDERWORKS POW 6112 LP 1985 7 TRKS

TERRA INCOGNITA HOT AUS HOT 1005 LP 1984 11 TRKS

WIDE SKIES EAST WEST AU 9031-77465.2 CD 1992 9 TRKS

Ghostwriters:

GHOSTWRITERS VIRGIN AUS VOZCD 2055 CD 1991 12 TRKS

IMPOSSIBLE SHAME MERCURY AUS 578101.2 CD5 1996 3 TRK CD Single CD5

SECOND SKIN MERCURY AUS 852726.2 CD5 1996 3 TRK CD Single CD5

More recently, I have tried to pick up all the Oil titles that I missed upon original issue (pretty much everything after “Blue Sky Mining”), and I am not certain that I have ‘em all. Other than live albums or collections, what am I missing (from the list above)?