THE SUNDAY POST : A SMATTERING OF B-SIDES

It was a quiet past 7 days gigs-wise, with just Billy Bragg last Sunday. There should have been a couple of midweek events, including Eastern Conference Champions on the recommendation of Marcy, but I just had too much on work-wise to manage along.

I thought I'd be lazy today and go for a selection of b-sides that should be of some interest to folk. The fact that I'm including something by The Smiths should mean I get a few casual visitors courtesy of The Hype Machine and Elbo. So, if you're such a person, a big hello and welcome to the pages of The Vinyl Villain. Feel free to say something nice or nasty in the comments section.

But I'll start with something from my home city, featuring a band that have been a bit quiet of late but are expected to bring out some new songs later this year. The first time I caught wind of Franz Ferdinand was in 2003, but not at any of their now famous shows/parties in disused buildings across Glasgow - I'm far too obscure and unhip to find out about things like that. No, it was during a bout of insomnia when a video for their debut single came on MTV2 at something like 3am. I went out and bought the single the next day, but found that I much preferred the b-side which reminded me an awful lot of The Fall in terms of the tune and even the way Alex Kopranos delivered his nonsense lyrics:-

mp3 : Franz Ferdinand - Shopping For Blood

Next up is one of the best b-sides ever written. It dates from 1995 and at the time Oasis seemingly could do no wrong. Every single that they released on CD had 4 tracks, and at least one, if not more, was always as strong as the track that was getting played to death on the radio. The first time I actually heard this particular song was when they played it live on The White Room, a music programme on Channel 4 that was hosted by Mark Radcliffe, and recorded in the boys' home city of Manchester. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who believed I was listening to a future #1 single and was later stunned to learn that it had been tucked away as track#3 on the next single. What a waste, as the late, great Ian Dury might have said:-

mp3 : Oasis - Acquiesce

OK, casual visitors, here's the bit you've scrolled down for ignoring all the rest. I'm staying in Manchester but going back to 1987 to what was a sad point in time. By now The Smiths had broken up, and the final few singles were released to little fanfare. What once had been something every fan looked forward to with the chance to hear new Morrissey/Marr compositions on the b-sides had turned into a bit of a chore, with Rough Trade having to depends on live tracks, or in this case, versions of old songs recorded in session for John Peel. But to be fair, these tracks, found on the reverse of Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me, ain't bad at all:-

mp3 : The Smiths - Rusholme Ruffians (Peel Session)
mp3 : The Smiths - Nowhere Fast (Peel Session)

And finally, its a short hop from down the M62 from Manchester to Liverpool for the final offering. All the way back to 1983 to when Echo & The Bunnymen where at the height of their powers for a different version of a song that was originally on the LP Porcupine, this turned up on the b-side of the 12" of Never Stop, and is, in my humble opinion, a superior version than the original, and it's about a minute longer to boot:-

mp3 : Echo & The Bunnymen - Heads Will Roll (Summer Version)

Oh and dont worry if you think that last mp3 isnt working.....there's a long fade-in before the song starts.

And that's yer lot for today. Tune in tomorrow for the latest instalment in the 45 45s at 45 series with the song (and its b-sides) that I've selected at #15. Oh and there might also be a gig review as I'm off with the missus to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds tonight.

Ciao for now.