I WON'T SAY NO...HOW COULD I?

A posting that is especially for Mona, an exiled Glaswegian living many many timezones away in Melbourne, Australia.

James King is another Glaswegian would-be pop star who deserved an awful lot more success than he ever achieved. I've given him a brief mention at TVV before, while Mike over at Manic Pop Thrills has featured him on a few occasions, but for anyone who is unfamiliar with the name, here's a brief resume.

He was a mid-80s contemporaries of the likes of Edwyn Collins and Paul Quinn, and indeed James King & The Lone Wolves, for a very short while, shared the same record label - Swamplands - which was run by the old Postcard boss, Alan Horne.

But James King & The Lonewolves were a completely different act from Edwyn and Paul or Orange Juice or Bourgie Bourgie or other local bands of the era. James really did play up to a persona of the Glasgow 'hard-man', with a hint of menace that is not really captured on the few records they ever released, but was very much in evidence on stage. No-one ever heckled James King, believe me.

It's actually better that you read what James has written on a hugely entertaining and informative myspace page, which can be found right here.

There were only a handful of fantastic singles, none of which troubled the charts. I'm delighted that my own collection contains the following:-

Back From The Dead/My Reward/As Tears Go By - 7" single released in February 1981
Texas Lullaby/Scared Heart/Chance I Can't Deny/Until The Dawn/Lost - 12" EP released in November 1983
The Angels Know/Don't Care If You Live Or Die/Ready To Fall - 12" single released in January 1985

I juts wish that someone could take all of these, as well as the very few other recordings that saw the light of day, and give us the ultiimate James King compilation CD.

mp3 : James King - Back From The Dead
mp3 : James King and The Lonewolves - Texas Lullaby
mp3 : James King and The Lonewolves - The Angels Know

Happy Listening.

THE 752nd POST

I always try and mark the milestone posts with something a wee bit different or unusual. Some of you will therefore be wondering why Post #752 has one of the best-known songs of the late 20th Century as its mainstay.....

Come back dear readers for I have not sold out........ for this is not the version that took the pop charts by storm in 1991 and turned James from cult band to stadium fillers. Instead its the rather different, less commercial and let's be honest in a non-elistist way, much more enjoyable original version from 1989 that was released on Rough Trade Records. And it clocks in at a fantastic 7 mins plus....

mp3 : James - Sit Down (12 inch extended version)

It's also the version known by some as the original Lester Piggott song - as opposed to later single Sometimes (Lester Piggott) - for reasons that can only become clear if you listen carefully to the song in its entirety - i.e. after you think it has ended, hang on in there.

I couldnt believe my eyes the other day when I saw this in a second-hand store for just £5....I almost paid £25 for it a couple of weeks back as it was something I've long wanted to get my hands on as the companion piece to One Man Clapping.

I came home half expecting there to be some sort of scratch or that it jumped in places. But it turns out to be in near-mint condition, as can also be evidenced from the rare b-sides:-

mp3 : James - Goin Away
mp3 : James - Sound Investment
mp3 : James - Sky Is Falling

Thanks to all of you who have come by over the past two and a half years, especially those who have taken the time to comment. Extra thanks of course to Ctelblog from Acid Ted for keeping things going when I've been away.....and I think its only fair that I say mucho gracias to all of you who have sent over mp3s and other snippets of music and info that have, at various times, filled gaps in my knowledge, corrected any misapprehensions I was under, added to my own musical collection or simply expanded my love and apprecaition of good music.

And with so many great guest contributions coming your way in May and June, I'm delighted that my wee blog will continue to go from strength to strength, notwithstanding the saboteur(s).

Happy Listening.

IS IT SAFE TO COME OUT YET?

Those of you who followed the saga of the middle of last week when I was served a dmca notice to remove a posting that featured songs by Paul Haig and Hey! Elastica will know that I was fair cheered up by supporting words from both Paul and his manager Evan.

They have very kindly given me full permission to bring you this single, which was released in 2007:-

mp3 : Paul Haig - Reason

This is a piece of work in which all copyright is in the ownership of Paul Haig. It's on his own label, ROL, (short for Rhythm Of Life) and is another example of the catchy electronic-pop that he's been so adept at over the past two decades and beyond. His voice is still as strong and distinctive as ever, and he gives us a tune that's infinitely superior to countless others that have conquered the pop charts by manufactured and over-hyped bands and artists with talent that collectively wouldn't match that of Mr Haig's pinky. And I know that's not just my view, for this was a single that was Record of the Week on BBC Radio 2 back in May 2007.....

Paul is more than happy for you all to have a listen and enjoy the song, and there certainly shouldn't be any question of any dmca notice as only he has the real authority to have that enforced.

In fact, so helpful have Paul and his management been with all of this that they sent me an mp3, but being such a long-standing fan, it is a piece of vinyl I had bought on its release and it has a place inside my cupboard alongside much of his older work.

If you like the song (and I see no reason for you not to), it is available in both digital form and as a lovely piece of vinyl from this place.

Finally, I've an idea I'd like to float past other bloggers.

Given that he has shown himself to be an artist of integrity with his support in all of this, I'd like it if we could collectively agree to declare Monday 6th April (one week tomorrow) as Paul Haig day on our blogs and give him and some of his songs a plug.

Even if he's not that familiar to you, you can read all about him at places like wikipedia, or indeed over his own site http://www.rolinc.co.uk/

Anyone want to sign up for it??

And of course, a big thank you to everyone who has got in touch with comments, e-mails and phone calls this past few days. You've all stopped me getting totally depressed about it. Normal service will now hopefully resume, starting with tomorrow's special 752nd post.....

Happy Listening.

PS : Anyone keen to join in on the suggestion of Paul Haig Day but unsure how to do so can get a really good hint from Evan (Paul's manager) within the comments section below. You'll find it within the words written by 'ROLinc'.......

THERE ARE SOME BAD PEOPLE ON THE RISE....

Woke up this morning, full of the joys.

Today is supposed to be a celebration at TVV with the pre-written 750th post complete with special song.

But to my horror, I found that post #748 from just two days ago had been taken down.

It was the post which talked fondly of Paul Haig and Hey! Elastica. It featured a 12" single and an LP track, neither of which you can easily get your hands on just now, so its not as if I was having an effect on sales. It was also a posting about which I'd spoken to Paul's manager beforehand - it even had a few words added late on from Paul himself.

I then got an approving e-mail after the piece from Paul's manager.......

All of which means that the artist and his management were fine with things.

The label the single was recorded is Belgian-based and not noted for demanding such actions. I've written before about Paul Haig and had no problems. I briefly wondered if it could have been anyone to do with Hey! Elastica, but given the band have also been written about before at TVV, and that they broke up well over 20 years ago, I don't see how it was them.

So, call me paranoid, but I've come to the conclusion that some evil bastard is out there picking on me out of spite.

The other evidence I have for this is that the dmca notice was served on me three times within a 7 minute period between 5.31 and 5.38am this morning, leading me to conclude that it was someone who maybe hadn't previously written to blogger to demand a takedown (that's the pure evil of this particular legislation - all it takes is someone to claim their copyright has been infringed and the onus is on the person writing the blog to counter-claim against an anonymous figure).

I know the easiest thing is to move the TVV operations lock,stock and barrel to the likes of wordpress who don't have such a knee-jerk reaction when hit with a dmca claim. And I'm going to give it serious consideration.

In the meantime, I have to fly out the door and go to work where I know this is going to sit in my mind and distract me all day long.

I've asked Paul's manager for his thoughts, and as and when I get them, I'll share them with you. In the meantime, TVV will close down for a few days while I consider my next actions. (For one I'll need to back the bloody thing up and will need time to do that when I get home tonight)

TVV will return on 1st April with that 750th post......

mp3 : Paul Haig - Blue For You

Fuck you.....whoever you are.

PS : Big thanks to Paul Haig and Evan H (Paul's manager) who have been in touch this morning.

Paul has advised that while there is a version of Blue For You on his debut solo album (which came out on Island but is now Universal-Crepuscule), the Crepuscule part has reverted to him as they dont exist as a publisher/label. And it clearly wisnae him who asked that it be taken down.

Evan sums it up beautifully....

"if there are any actual physical copies around or on a compilation then tvv highlighting the track would encourage people to buy more music. Remember home taping didn't kill music or napster...

Guess who did...not music fans!"

As I said, Fuck You, whoever you are..... You're not going to win this one.

PPS : Thanks again to everyone for the supportive comments....and especially to the nice person who sent a link to the post in a saved form.....scroll on down and see what all the fuss was about.

JC

THE RARELY HEARD EDITED VERSION....

From the release of Temptation, it was always the 12" versions of the New Order singles that I rushed out and bought over the years. Never the 7" versions.

So today's offering is one of the newest bits of vinyl to find its way into the big cupboard - well new in as much that I've only owned it for just over a month having found it in a second-hand shop down in Manchester when I was down there for the Magazine gig. But is a piece of plastic that was first bought by someone back in 1986.

mp3 : New Order - Shellshock (7 inch version)

The flip-side is an instrumental (and edited) version of a single from 1984:-

mp3 : New Order - Thieves Like Us (instrumental edit)

Although the single did hit the Top 30 in the UK, it's never really been thought of as one of the band's finest moments, but it was, ironically, a bit of music that probably made them more money than most thanks to its use in the movie Pretty In Pink (as well as its inclusion on that particular soundtrack which sold rather well, particularly in the USA).



Happy Listening

A POSTING THAT'S COME BACK FROM THE DEAD..

I moved to live and work in Edinburgh in July 1985.

Friends told me I was daft and that it wouldn't be long before I came back 45 miles west to the greatest city on the planet. As much as anything, they reckoned I would soon get bored with the non-existent music scene.It turned out that they were quite wrong....it would be almost 5 years before I headed back home, but even then there would be another four years of time-consuming and expensive commuting before I finally gave up all connections bar those with some great and loyal friends.

But I suppose that compared to Glasgow, there really wasn't much to get excited about in terms of music that I didn't already know, namely that Josef K were the greatest band to ever come out of the city and that it was criminal that the solo career of their lead singer Paul Haig had failed to get off the ground.One thing I did learn however, was that Paul Haig lived in a nice part of the city, not too far from the place where I first ever rented a room in a shared flat (it was just too nice to be called a bedsit, and besides, there were shared communal areas including a lounge and kitchen....it was more like a posh student flat).

I'm guessing however, that Paul never had anyone in to help him afford his rent or mortgage...although given how much he must have been spending on a daily basis to keep what was clearly the coolest haircut in the world in perfect shape, maybe there was some sort of lodger.

I think I have said this before, but Paul Haig probably made too dramatic a leap to keep his natural fanbase from the Josef K days. The scratchy guitars were discarded (as indeed were the raincoats) to be replaced by music that was designed for the dancefloor. I still find it astonishing that this belter is so litle known:-

mp3 : Paul Haig - Blue For You (12" mix)
mp3 : Paul Haig - Blue For You (version)

Recorded for a label in Belgium, this has two more great characters from Edinburgh on backing vocals - Samantha Swanson and Giles, members of the wonderful trashy but funky dance-pop combo Hey! Elastica.

These girls were totally larger than life, and, like Paul, could often be seen in bars and clubs around the city....I even bumped into one of them once in a chippy. The band did land a deal with Virgin Records, but none of their four singles or LP got near the charts, which given how much dross did make it in the early 80s was a disgrace. This was their third single, from October 1983:-

mp3 : Hey! Elastica - Party Games

There's a late postscript to all of the above. Just last weekend, I got an e-mail from someone associated with Paul Haig's management thanking me for featuring him previously on TVV - this gave me a great lift given that so many others in the music industry seem hellbent on dmca notices.I mentioned that I has already written up some thoughts on Blue For You and had mentioned the fact the girls from Hey! Elastica had been involved...well, to cut a long story short, Paul was asked if he's like to provide his own memories of the recording of the song back in the summer of 1982, and here's what he said:-

'er, rough trade were involved, crepuscule, giles wore hot pants, you had to pay for coffee and tea at paladium studios, the linn drum was happening..ettcc....'

So in a nutshell, it was Giles in hot pants and the studio bosses in Edinburgh were too mean to give you free tea or coffee.Paul Haig is of course on the comeback trail just now, and I'm hoping TVV can bring more news of this in the near future.

In the meantime, he's a big fan of singer Audrey Redpath who this coming Thursday part of a great three-act line-up at The Captain's Rest in Glasgow, performing as Audrey Sings Nico.

Details about the gig here, while Audrey's page on myspace is here.

COMMENTS

DREW : "I'll tell you what's not half decent about the place, the bloody roads in and out are a nightmare.Being equi-distant from both cities, I've always preferred Glasgow, no pretense, better pubs and easier to get to and from. The castle ain't that special anyway."*

ROL INC : "hi,think I know Paul's 80's flat - my friends stayed on the corner next door to a one time bay city roller...

Paul's current work is available on itunes and ROLinc.or link to our blog thing http://rolinc.blogspot.com/

hope to get some more new Paul Haig music out there soon

cheers

Mr E

GFORSYTH : "Nice to see you post something about Paul Haig. I remember seeing him in Edinburgh ca. 1989, and being very impressed. No mention of Big Blue World? Shame on you.

ANONYMOUS : " the Kaisers that's what"*

* Reponses to the question posed in the title of the original posting - Other Than A Castle, Tell Me What's Half Decent About Edinburgh.

NOOOOOOOOOO.............

The huge success of the first three singles by The Style Council, particularly the Top 3 chart position of Long Hot Summer, was clear evidence that Paul Weller wasn't ever going to soon reform The Jam.

While some fans were really struggling to move on and accept the new band, I was one of those who thought TSC were producing some great stuff, albeit I was more than baffled by the overly pretentious sleeve notes that really made little or no sense at all.

Long Hot Summer and all the other tracks on that EP had been on very heavy rotation, and I was thrilled to read that the follow-up single was going to be called A Solid Bond In Your Heart, simply as I remembered that The Jam had, a couple of years earlier, given that very name to one of their UK tours. So I was expecting something really special....a song that would somehow blend the chic sound of Long Hot Summer and the funk/pop of the later singles by The Jam.

Instead, I found myself listening to a single that had the most appalling saxophone sound all over it. I remember playing it something like three or four times in a row looking for something to like about it....I mean Zeke Manyika from Orange Juice was drumming on it so there had to be something my ears could pick up on.....but no, that bloody awful saxophone dominated everything. I was bitterly let down by it. It sounded as if was a record written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley...

But clearly I was in a minority, for it was a record that sold very well, climbing to #11 in the pop charts.

mp3 : The Style Council - A Solid Bond In Your Heart

To be fair, I really liked the b-side which to this day is one of my favourite TSC compositions:-

mp3 : The Style Council - It Just Came To Pieces In My Hand

And I suppose I really should finish things off by shoving up the third track that came on the 7"gatefold sleeve version of the single....but I'll warn you, that saxophone features prominently:-
mp3 : The Style Council - A Solid Bond In Your Heart (instrumental)

Happy Listening.

THE CLASS OF '79 (Part 12)

(I've been a bit busy at work as well as travelling all around Scotland watching my football team this past week, so with time at a premium I've stolen, word-for-word, a posting that was featured back in July 2008. With apologies to those of you who read it first time round)

I bought this 7" single back in 1979 when it was first released. It was on a sort of violet/light purple vinyl - a shade lighter than how SQUEEZE appears on the sleeve.

It's one of the saddest lyrics ever put to paper. A real tear-jerker.

I never thought it would happen
with me and the girl from Clapham
Out on a windy common
that night I ain't forgotten

When she dealt out the rations
with some or other passions
I said you are a lady
'Perhaps', she said, 'I may be'

We moved into a basement
with thoughts of our engagement
We stayed in by the telly
although the room was smelly

We spent our time just kissing
The Railway Arms were missing
But love had got us hooked up
and all our time it took up

I got a job with Stanley
he said I'd come in handy,
And started me on Monday
so I had a bath on Sunday

I worked eleven hours
and bought the girl some flowers
She said she'd seen a doctor
and nothing now could stop her

I worked all through the winter
the weather brass and bitter
I put away a tenner
each week to make her better
And when the time was ready
we had to sell the telly
Late evenings by the fire
with little kicks inside her

This morning at 4:50
I took her rather nifty
Down to an incubator
where thirty minutes later
She gave birth to a daughter
within a year a walker
She looked just like her mother
if there could be another

And now she's two years older
her mother's with a soldier
She left me when my drinking
became a proper stinging

The devil came and took me
from bar to street to bookie
No more nights by the telly
no more nights nappies smelling

Alone here in the kitchen
I feel there's something missing
I'd beg for some forgiveness
but begging's not my business

And she won't write a letter
although I always tell her
And so its my assumption
I'm really up the junction

A soap opera in just over three minutes.

A storyboard for a Ken Loach movie.

The boy about town...gets caught out with his trousers down....has to grow up all too fast....the love of his life is soon only part of his past....

mp3 : Squeeze - Up The Junction

Tears and saying sorry are just not enough.

But the male side of the species just never learn......

(I actually bought this with money given to me for my 16th birthday. At that point it sat at #13 in the charts, but would go on to peak at #2 in July 1979. In total it spent eleven weeks in the Top 40. I've also remembered that the b-side was also on the LP Cool For Cats which has a place in the cupboard full of vinyl

mp3 : Squeeze - It's So Dirty

Happy Listening

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ANOTHER SONG...

This spell of lovely weather in the UK led me to want to wax lyrically about Jonathan Richman and post a wonderful single called That Summer Feeling.

Now I normally write my pieces two or three days in advance of publication....so if in the intervening period someone else beats me to the punch, I need to make some late alterations. In this case, the highly talented Drew from the always entertaining Across The Kitchen Table featured said song earlier this week. Read here for more.

Instead I will offer up another happy go lucky song from someone who has been making top quality music now for the best part of 40 years:-

mp3 : Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Rollercoaster By The Sea

This was in fact a b-side...from his 1977 instrumental hit Egyptian Reggae

I'm not going to make any outrageous claim that ownership of everything he ever recorded is essential, but I do firmly believe that every serious music fan should have something by Jonathan in their collection, even if it is just one of the many cut-price compilations which can be obtained on-line or from that dying species we all refer to as record stores.

Moving on to 1992, he recorded something that has become a staple of his live shows ever since, thanks to his ability not to take himself too seriously and grooooooove his thang on stage as he sings:-

mp3 : Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers - I Was Dancing In A Lesbian Bar

I was reading the other day that British Sea Power will soon be joining loads of other acts in recording their favourite JR track for a forthcoming tribute LP which could turn out quite interesting. But it won't be the first time he's had the cover version treatment:-

mp3 : BMX Bandits - That Summer Feeling

Released as a single in 1995, it features guest vocals from the legendary Dan Penn (he eventually comes in on lead at just after 3 minutes) as well as backing vocals from Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub.

And I'll admit to knowing nothing about Dan Penn until buying this single....if you need to know more, please read this.

Happy Listening.

IT'S FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE....WITH MORRISSEY (Part 16)

It's taken me 16 weeks, but I've finally decided that I have to share the review given to a Morrissey single by the NME:-

He has become the embarrassing incontinent grandfather of Britpop. The song is piss-poor old crap and a tune-impaired three-minute drone.

Now, given that the world's most famous vegatarian and the paper have waged a bit of a war with one another since the late 80s, it's no surprise that many of his releases have been treated with some disdain by various correspondents. It has to be said however, that this is a particularly vitriolic putdown.

But whisper it......they're right....well the bit about it being piss-poor old crap and tune-impaired.

mp3 : Morrissey - Dagenham Dave
mp3 : Morrissey - Nobody Loves Us
mp3 : Morrissey - You Must Please Remember

It's a 3-track CD single saved by the quality of Nobody Loves Us, a song that amidst so much flotsam and jetsam demonstrates that the great man could still give us something worth clinging onto as we floundered for reasons to keep believing.

The cover star for once is not Morrissey, but instead is a photo taken sometime in the 60s of footballer Terry Venables (born in Dagenham). If you want to know more about the life of that particular chancer, read here.

The single was released in August 1995 and reached #26 in the UK charts. It can also be found on the largely unloved Southpaw Grammar LP.

Happy Listening.

WATCHING THE DETECTIVES (1)

After the dmca take-down of the other day, I feel it is in the public interest to find the song that caused such offence.

I’m convinced that The Man From Delmonte are totally innocent, and I’ve not had any previous issues when posting songs by Teenage Fanclub. So the initial attention is going to focus elsewhere.

Davenelli said in his comment, "I'd guess 10,000 Maniacs as they were signed to Warner Brothers who have previous for pulling posts."

Rather than repeat all that I said about the band the other day, I'll simply redirect you here. It may or may not be 100% accurate.

I will however, repeat my observation that for a long period from the mid 80s onwards, 10,000 Maniacs were a band that many UK music journalists were predicting would be the next big thing...but thanks to movements such as baggy, crusty, acidhouse,grunge and britpop it never quite happened for them. They did however record some great pop tunes:-

mp3 : 10,000 Maniacs - Eat For Two

This is the opening track on their 1989 LP Blind Man's Zoo, which can be bought here. Behind the catchy pop song lies a sorry tale of young girl who gave in to lust and found out all too soon that her man didnt stand by her.

Oh and in recognition of the title of this short series (how short will depend on the next notice), here's something that was given away for free with a UK Sunday newspaper back in September 2002:-

mp3 : Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives (live)

Recorded in Tokyo in July 2002.

Happy Listening.

ANOTHER THAT PASSED ME BY...

I've mentioned more than a few times that back in the late 80s I gave up on music for a while. It was all to do with big changes in my personal circumstances, but for maybe the best part of 2 years, I was well out of touch with things.

It was a developing friendship with a marginally younger, new work colleague (you know him best as Jacques the Kipper) that helped get me back on track as he supplied me with all sorts of cassettes with songs from that era that filled the gaps. In return, he got some tapes from me with some of the obscure nonsense I had listened to.

The swapping of tapes was something we did about once every two months, but it all came to a halt when my mate settled down with a wife and kids. Not that he stopped listening to great new music, just that he had hardly any time to create musical masterpieces.

A few years later, he handed me a CD with the words...'there's some stuff on this I know you'll like.' And he was right. One of the tracks was this:-

mp3 : Laptop - Gimme The Nite

Released back in 1998, Laptop was the name under which Jesse Hartman recorded for a short while. Now if like me this still means nothing, well maybe all of this, taken from his myspace page will help:-

Hartman is a musician and filmmaker who lives in New York. He made two albums as Sammy and three as Laptop (www.laptopic.com), but now just goes by Jesse Hartman. The press says it best: "Imagine Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man" remixed by Devo -- Hartman, like Cohen, possesses that rare and treasurable knack of writing genuinely funny songs that are not novelty pop. This is because Hartman has a rarefied understanding of the truth." -The Independent, London

"Hartman has the semi-detached, cinematic-sociophobic world view of a Woody Allen character, The 1964 Mick Jagger reincarnated as a computer nerd." -The Guardian

So heartbreakingly piquant are his lyrics and so tragicomically true his world-view, you wonder how he can be an American. Mischievous, snarling New York synth-pop genius Jesse Hartman, is one of the few artists that the whole Time Out music section can agree on. We're mad about the boy." -Time Out London

"Bitter, bitchy and as witty as a younger computer-literate Woody Allen, a 'Users Guide' to your 20's...Quietly brilliant." -Q Magazine;

"Hartman is heartless, but he's also hilarious. - New York Newsday;

"Heavenly pop." -Time Out New York

Clearly he was a hit with certain music journalists. The record buying public seemed to say differently.

Anyone out there got more they can add??

Oh and here's the two other tracks on the single:-

mp3 : Laptop - Blow Baby Blow
mp3 : Laptop - A Little Guilt

Happy Listening.

PS

I forgot that when the dmca notice was served om me the other day, it also took away this very important bit of info re the guest postings in May/early June.

I wanted to bring to everyone's attention the reason that I'm saying Rob F is going to be top of the bill. He's outlined what he is going to do over at his own blog which is called Francosonic.

Read this.

Told you it was pretty incredible.....

EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN

mp3 : Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town

It's tradition for that song to appear on TVV every year on 17th March.
Here's some more voices and tunes from folks associated with the Emerald Isle:-

mp3 : Fatima Mansions - Blues For Ceaucescu
mp3 : The Frank & Walters - Davy Chase
mp3 : Luka Bloom - No Surprises

And to finish things off for today, here's the song from which I nicked the title of the posting:-

mp3 : New Order - Everything's Gone Green

Happy Listening.

PS : Yesterday's posting has been the victim of a dmca hit. The seven songs were:-

Modern English - Melt With You
The Man From Delmonte - My Love Is Like A Gift You Cant Return
Teenage Fanclub - Radio
St Vincent - Now Now
The Passions - I'm In Love With A German Film Star
10,000 Maniacs - Like The Weather
The Coral - Pass It On

Anyone else had any bother with any of the above artists??? Looks like I'll have to re-post them on a one-by-one-basis soon to see which one caused the notice....

PPS : Link to Luka Bloom song now fixed.

THE CLASS OF '79 (Part 11)

There's a page on wikipedia devoted entirely to Good Times, and it lists 36 songs that either sample it or have a tune where the bassline or other part of the song are clearly inspired by it.

One of the 36 songs in the list is the biggest hit single ever enjoyed by Orange Juice.

Who said indiekids couldn't dance?

mp3 : Chic - Good Times (7"version)
mp3 : Chic - Good Times (12" version)

A #1 hit in America, it peaked at #5 in the UK in July 1979. But for once, the singles above it weren't complete dross:-

#4 : Dave Edmunds - Girls Talk
#3 : Janet Kay - Silly Games
#2 : Sex Pistols - C'Mon Everybody
#1 : Tubeway Army - Are 'Friends' Electric

Disco does not suck. Fact.

Happy Listening.

JUST GIVE ME 90 MINUTES OF EFFORT LADS

It's a big day for my football team.

They play in the Scottish Second Division, a league which offers automatic promotion only to the Champions. All season long, we've been there or there abouts, and now we're into the final ten games and we're in second place on goal difference. Today, we're up against the league leaders, and its a match we really have got to win.

It's all I can think about today. For once, music isnt important.

mp3 : linus.maybe - Not Another Football Song

Big thanks to the team over at the wonderful Football And Music blog for first posting this song back in July 2008.

Oh and I think that this might be the first time I've ever featured a song by a Swiss pop band at TVV.

'Mon the Rovers.

PS : we lost 1-0 to a late goal. Life sucks.

IT'S FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE....WITH MORRISSEY (Part 15)

The release of You Are The Quarry in 2004 made for a triumphant comeback, but if anything the pressure on the 2006 follow-up LP Ringleader Of The Tormentors was even more intense as we waited to see if the quality could be maintained.

The new single was only officially made available some 7 days before the LP, but of course was alaready widely known thanks to regular airings of the video as well as leaked copies being posted on the internet.

Lyrically, You Have Killed Me is one of the most unusual singles ever released by Morrissey. They drew on the film Accatone, a work released in 1961 and dealing with pimps, prostitutes and thieves living in a rundown part of Rome, and also namechecked other Italian film stars (although I'll confess to not knowing any of them before this single was released).

At this point in time, Morrissey was obsessed with Rome, choosing to both live and record the latest LP there. It's a single that I reckon is one of his classiest throughout his long solo career, although I know a number of fans were disappointed that it was so radio-friendly, thanks to the influence of Jesse Tobias, the new guitarist in Morrissey's band, and co-writer of this single. (Tobias had previously been associated with a number of mainstream American acts). By now no-one could reasonably expect the great man to be churning out pastiches of The Smiths, and in reality, all he was doing was reflecting the sort of music that many of his ageing fans were listening to elsewhere.

The b-sides were also quite interesting. One was a near unrecognisable cover of an old track by The New York Dolls, a 70s act that Morrissey had been obsessed with as a teenager, while the two original tracks were similar to the single in sounding polished and rather mainstream.

mp3 : Morrissey - You Have Killed Me
mp3 : Morrissey - Good Looking Man About Town
mp3 : Morrissey - Human Being
mp3 : Morrissey - I Knew I Was Next

A fabulous collection of songs if you were prepared to accept it was time for Morrissey to start acting his age....indeed, it could be argued that the two original b-sides are as good as anything that was on the critically acclaimed LP many of us rushed out and bought the following week.

Continuing the theme of The Eternal City, the sleeve shot was taken on railtracks in the Pigneto zone of Rome by Italian photographer Fabio Lovino.

Oh and I meant to also say that You Have Killed Me remains one of the great man's most succesful singles, hitting #3 in the UK charts at the beginning of May 2006, and helped the LP hit #1 in the album charts shortly afterwards - only the third of his LPs to hit that spot (the others were Viva Hate and Vauxhall And I).

Happy Listening.

THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU'RE STRUGGLING FOR INSPIRATION

Rule #1 : Choose a great obscure lyric and:-

Once upon a sign I read a warning and it said
'When in Rome don't feed the lions'
What it meant I can't hazard a guess
But now I've learnt my lesson, I'm a better person
I'm filled up with high hopes and I'm fed up with soft soaps
Long in the tooth and short on wisdom
Up to here with the ache of it

And if the matchmaker calls hand in hand
With a catch of the day, I'll rise to the bait
But it'll still be more than a heart can take
More than feeling great
More than a tongue can tell

I'd need to take leave of my senses to get a moment's rest
Following in footsteps
Footsure in fancy dress
Head in my hands, I'm making plans
Hoovering up for the day

When the matchmaker calls hand in hand
With the catch of the day, I'll raise to the bait
But it'll still be more then a heart can take
More than feeling great
More than a tongue can tell

And the itch to get rich quick
Has never been so hard to reach
With my hands tied behind my back
Shin deep in cement and sand

Just like the anchor-man I broke loose
And crashed to the sea bed, clutching the shortest straw
And if you threw me a line that's as smart as you think
It wouldn't stop me sinking down to cry

On what flashed before my eyes

What flashed before my eyes

Rule #2 : Ensure said lyric has a fantastic tune to accompany it

Rule #3 : A-side should have a cover version on the b-side (optional)

mp3 : The Trash Can Sinatras - Only Tongue Can Tell

mp3 : The Trash Can Sinatras - Useless

mp3 : The Trash Can Sinatras - Tonight You Belong To Me*

* click here for the story behind the cover version

This was the band's second single, released in May 1990, on Go Disc Records, it's one that should have been a hit, but didn't even reach the Top 75.

Sometimes there's no justice. But then, we all know that don't we?

Happy Listening.

(Post dedicated to Comrade Colin....yet another of his blogs bites the dust)

PIGS THEY TEND TO WIGGLE WHEN THEY WALK

One of my favourite ever opening lines.

I don't actually write all that often about American bands. It's not that I have anything against them, I think it's more my love for Scottish/UK stuff stems from having more chances to see them play live than most of our transatlantic cousins.

I'm not an enormous fan of Pavement - I sometimes think they were just too clever/deliberately obscure to be entirely loveable - but there's a fair number of their tunes that have found their way onto the i-pod.

For a short while, it did look as if they would enjoy a fair amount of chart success, with the two singles taken from the 1997 LP Brighten The Corners, getting a fair amount of airplay. I was sure this went higher than #48 in the charts, but that's what the record books tell me:-

mp3 : Pavement - Stereo
mp3 : Pavement - Westie Can Dream
mp3 : Pavement - Winner of The

And no, I haven't missed out any words on the title of the last track.

Listening to these nowadays, there's still a lot to enjoy. It is unashamedly indie-pop that can trace its roots back to the 70s and US guitar bands like Television and Blondie. And while his voice does seemingly get on the nerves on a few folk, I quite like the delivery of Stephen Malkmus.

And yes, Graham Coxon was listening to this sort of stuff a lot as well when he was churning out Blur tunes at the end of the 20th Century.

Oh, and while I'm here, I may as well throw in a fine cover version they shoved out on a b-side in 2000:-

mp3 : Pavement - The Killing Moon

Happy Listening.

THOROUGHLY TOUCHED AND OVERWHELMED...

I really am lost for words just now.

There was an incredible response to yesterday's posting....and more than three of you came in and offered to write something up.

I mentioned in my comments that I was going to double some folk up, but that seems really unfair. Instead, I'm going to extend the guest pieces into early June - that way everyone who has said yes can have their own day in the spotlight.

What I'm most excited about is the fact that so many of the pieces are going to focus in on songs/bands/artists/events that just wouldn't normally appear within TVV (either cos I know next to nowt about the song/band/artist/event or if I do, I'm not really a fan). Now I know a lot of readers are happy enough about my obsession with the usual suspects (do I really need to mention them by name?), but believe me, the month of May and just beyond is going to have a huge wow-factor.....

In the meantime, if you have said you'll submit something but haven't yet said which song, please let me know as soon as you can. The email address is thevinylvillain@hotmail.co.uk

Here's the latest line-up. Please note that it is subject to some tinkering as I wont want, for example, to have the same band feature on consecutive days.

Friday 1st - John East (song selected and words written - it really is a great way to start it all off)
Saturday 2nd - Phil Spector of Plain Or Pan? (song selected, words to come)
Sunday 3rd - Ctelblog of Acid Ted (first of three pieces, songs selected and words written)Monday 4th - Scott McLuckie
Tuesday 5th - Swiss Adam (song selected, words written)
Wednesday 6th - Jeff Butler (first of two pieces, songs selected, words to come)
Thursday 7th - Ulf Sigvardon (songs selected, words written)
Friday 8th - Jon of Your Moment Of Zen (songs selected, words written)
Saturday 9th - My Wee Brother (songs selected, words written)
Sunday 10th - DuncanDonuts (song selected, words written)
Monday 11th - Rol of Sunset over Slawit (songs selected, words written)
Tuesday 12th - a tart of I Correct Myself, All The Time
Wednesday 13th - The Warden of Warden's World (songs selected, words to follow)
Thursday 14th - Simon of The Songs That People Sing (songs selected, words written)
Friday 15th - Agnes of It All Started With Carbon Monoxide
Saturday 16th - John Greer
Sunday 17th - Ed of 17 Seconds
Monday 18th - Ctelblog (second of three pieces, songs selected and words written)
Tuesday 19th - Kevin Hartley (band selected, songs & words to follow)
Wednesday 20th - Karen Campbell (to be confirmed)
Thursday 21st - Adam from Pretending Life Is Like A Song
Friday 22nd - Adrian Wills (song selected, words still to come)
Saturday 23rd - Cullenskink (song selected, words still to come)
Sunday 24th - Jeff Butler (second of two pieces, songs selected, words to follow)
Monday 25th - fiftypercent of Mine For Life
Tuesday 26th - Comrade Colin of And Before The First Kiss
Wednesday 27th - Dirk of Sexy Loser (song selected and words written)
Thursday 28th - Gareth of How Does That One Go Again (songs selected, words to follow)
Friday 29th - Ctelblog (third of three pieces, songs selected, words written)
Saturday 30th - Chris P (Idea selected......original and brilliant)
Sunday 31st - Davenelli (song selected and words written)
Monday 1st June - Planet Mondo from Planet Mondo
Tuesday 2nd June - Drew from Across The Kitchen Table
Wednesday 3rd June - Crooked Rain
Thursday 4th June - Friend of Rachel Worth (song selected and words written)
Friday 5th June - Mike from Manic Pop Thrills
Saturday 6th June - dickvandyke
Sunday 7th June - RobF (worthy of top billing)
Monday 8th June - The return of JC aka The Vinyl Villain

I'm hoping that you can get your words over to me as soon as you're able, so that I can begin to put the pieces together with the relevant mp3s. If, by any chance someone does decide to drop out, then I'll most likely call on Comrade Colin to come in with some additional pieces seeing as he's made such an offer.

mp3 : The Wedding Present - Thanks (live at John Peel's 50th Birthday Party)
mp3 : The Beloved - Up, Up and Away (Happy Sexy Mix)

Happy Listening.

THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY (Part 3)

C'mon. Don't be mad. Most adverts in 'situations vacant' get printed more than once.

As ever, a big big thank you to everyone who has said yes to a guest contribution in May. I've started to flesh things out, so the calendar is taking shape:-

Friday 1st - John East (song selected, words to come)
Saturday 2nd - Phil Spector of Plain Or Pan? (song selected, words to come)
Sunday 3rd - Ctelblog of Acid Ted (first of three pieces, songs selected and words written)
Monday 4th - Scott McLuckie
Tuesday 5th - Swiss Adam (song selected, words written)
Wednesday 6th - Jeff Butler (first of two pieces, songs selected, words to come)
Thursday 7th - Ulf Sigvardon (songs selected, words written)
Friday 8th - Jon of Your Moment Of Zen (songs selected, words written)
Saturday 9th - My Wee Brother (songs selected, words written)
Sunday 10th - DuncanDonuts (song selected, words written)
Monday 11th - Rol of Sunset over Slawit (songs selected, words written)
Tuesday 12th - a tart of I Correct Myself, All The Time
Wednesday 13th - The Warden of Warden's World
Thursday 14th - Simon of The Songs That People Sing (songs selected, words written...its priceless!!)
Friday 15th - Agnes of It All Started With Carbon Monoxide
Saturday 16th - John Greer
Sunday 17th - Ed of 17 Seconds
Monday 18th - Ctelblog (second of three pieces, songs selected and words written)
Tuesday 19th - Kevin Hartley (to be confirmed)
Wednesday 20th - Karen Campbell (to be confirmed)
Thursday 21st - VACANT
Friday 22nd - Adrian Wills (song selected, words still to come)
Saturday 23rd - VACANT
Sunday 24th - Jeff Butler (second of two pieces, songs selected, words to follow)
Monday 25th - fiftypercent of Mine For Life
Tuesday 26th - Comrade Colin of And Before The First Kiss
Wednesday 27th - Dirk of Sexy Loser
Thursday 28th - Gareth of How Does That One Go Again
Friday 29th - Ctelblog (third of three pieces, songs selected, words written)
Saturday 30th - VACANT
Sunday 31st - Davenelli

I'm really excited about a lot of the songs already selected, and I reckon May 2009 is going to be the most varied and enjoyable month at TVV in an awful long time.

I should also mention that I'll probably post a couple of gig reviews as well as I've already got tickets to see Lloyd Cole, Morrissey, Martin Stephenson and Maximo Park during the first fortnight of the month.

Anyone interested in filling the final three slots? Just e-mail me at thevinylvillain@hotmail.co.uk

mp3 : Embrace - All You Good Good People (Radio Edit)

Happy Listening.

THE CLASS OF '79 (Part 10)

At the age of 15, going on 16, the thing that first attracted me to Roxy Music were the LP covers that featured stunning looking ladies in various states of undress (as evidenced in this fantastic posting by London Lee over at his Chip Shop). You have to remember folks that semi-nude women were a real rarity in those days outwith of pornographic mags or X-rated movies, and having a bit of a baby face and being a bit of a short-arse, I could neither buy such mags nor get into such movies.

The music however turned out to be rather good, but then again this was a band who had come and gone, leaving behind a lead singer with a solo career that sometimes caught my attention but at others left me stone cold. And I just didn't 'do' old bands......

But after a four year hiatus, Roxy Music reformed, and I remember getting very excited about the strange-sounding and short comeback single which I heard getting played on Radio 1 a few times. I bought it on its release, and was disgusted to find just a few weeks later that it was in countless bargain bins as it had been rather a flop, peaking at just #40 in the charts. Records were relatively expensive in those days given I was reliant on the proceeds of a paper round to pay for them, and it didn't do to find you could have bought something for less than half the price if you had shown patience.

mp3 : Roxy Music - Trash
mp3 : Roxy Music - Trash 2

It's a single that has been largely forgotten about as the follow-ups, Dance Away and Angel Eyes were given the disco treatment, including extended mixes, which helped make them Top 5 hits and change the way that Roxy Music went about their business, with every release aimed very much at the pop end of the market, culminating with a rather appalling #1 in 1981, the cover of Jealous Guy, released 'in tribute' to the recently murdered John Lennon.

But for me, Trash was the last great bit of plastic. And I bought it the other day on e-bay just so that I could include it in this series.....(I do have the LP Manifesto, but the track jumps a bit)

Happy Listening.

ANYONE ELSE FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THIS RECORD?

I bought this album in the summer of 1999 not long after it was released, on the back of hearing most of it played in Fopp Records during an afternoon's browsing. Over the years, I've probably done such a thing maybe four or five times, and more often than not, when I took it home and shoved it onto my own system, the songs didn't sound anything like half as good.

But that didn't happen with Play which became a firm favourite on heavy rotation in Villain Towers. The mix of electronic dance, rock, pop, ambiance, folk and gospel just struck the right note with me at that particular point in time - it was the sort of record that could play away in the background and on every listen, my ears would pick up something that was fresh.

Within a few months, I began to notice snippets of the album getting used in a lot of TV adverts and then I started reading that many journalists were placing it high in the best of 1999 charts and predicting that the 21st Century - (which was then very nigh assuming you take 1st January 2000 as the first day of that era) - would see loads of artists try to blend the modern with the traditional.

Then Moby started getting very heavy rotation on MTV/MTV2 thanks to a hauntingly memorable video featuring Christina Ricci.

And then......Moby and his bloody record were everywhere you turned. Before too long, it wasn't difficult to feel bored about it all.

About four weeks ago, I picked up the CD again for the first time in probably eight or so years and, if you'll pardon the pun, pressed Play on the machine and let it go all the way through in just over an hour. And I re-discovered that it is a genuine classic deserving all the plaudits initailly thrown at it, and I accepted that time will fully bring back to life something that had once seemed so to be stale.

Put aside any prejudices you might have.....

mp3 : Moby - Bodyrock
mp3 : Moby - Find My Baby
mp3 : Moby - Inside
mp3 : Moby - Natural Blues
mp3 : Moby - South side

If you don't have a copy of this CD, I suggest you click here and do something about it.

It's also worth remembering that a lot of the profits made from this album allowed Mute Records to keep a few less commercial and poorly-selling artists on the label for a while longer.

Happy Listening.

PS : My dear friend ctelblog over at the Acid Ted blogpot has also given us his fond memories of this album, and has a similar view that overexposure spoiled things somewhat. He also explains that it is still just too soon for him to listen Play and not get irritated. It's a great piece of writing that I thoroughly recommened you have a look at. Click here.

IT'S FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE...WITH MORRISSEY (Part 14)

The second single taken from Kill Uncle was, at the time, the lowest charting single in the solo career, hitting only #33 in April 1991.

And being honest, that's about all it deserved.

The b-sides are what make this single a bit more interesting, with one being his take on one of the most famous songs ever written by Paul Weller, while the other has a drum pattern that for some reason always reminds me of London by The Smiths.

mp3 : Morrissey - Sing Your Life
mp3 : Morrissey - That's Entertainment
mp3 : Morrissey - The Loop

Last time that I saw him play live, we were treated to a version of The Loop that I thought was one of the highlights of the night thanks to the harder and less refined edge that this latest backing band brings to all the Smiths-era and early Morrissey songs. It doesn't often work (and if you want proof, track down their recent live butchering of This Charming Man), but for some reason it did on this.

Great haircut in the sleeve photo which was taken by Pennie Smith.

Happy Listening.

THERE'S MORE TO THIS LOT THAN YOU THINK

As a fan, I'm really pleased to hear that Blur are geting back together and playing some gigs later this year. I've three memories of seeing them live.

Firstly, in 1994 just before Parklife changed their lives forever when they played the now-demolished Plaza Ballroom in Glasgow when supported by Sleeper - a gig that convinced me they were on the cusp of greatness.

Next time was late 1995 at the cavernous SECC when they struggled to make themselves heard above loads of screaming pre-pubescent girls who were there solely to catch a glimpse of Damon in the flesh and who yapped incessantly when the boys played something that wasn't familiar from being played on the radio. Not a great night all things considered.

Then, in 1999, they played the first ever gig at The Corn Exchange in Edinburgh as part of a Greatest Hits tour in which they performed every single in the order they had been released. A great night, albeit spoiled a bit by knowing exactly what song was coming next.

I hope that the summer events prove to be a success and that it does lead to some new material getting recorded and released. If you only know Blur by the hit singles, then you are missing out on some great bits of music that have only appeared as LP tracks or indeed b-sides, some of which will really surprise you.

For instance, here's everything that was available on the 2xCD singles on one of their best-known and biggest hit singles from 1997:-

mp3 : Blur - Song 2
mp3 : Blur - Get Out Of Cities
mp3 : Blur - Polished Stone
mp3 : Blur - Bustin' + Dronin'
mp3 : Blur - Country Sad Ballad Man (live acoustic version)

If any of the marketing men are reading this, then I reckon a box-set of the difficult to find and obscure stuff is well overdue.

Happy Listening.

SKELETONS IN MY CLOSET (Part 7)

OK....it's a single no longer in my ownership.

But when I did own it, I played it over and over and over.....even the b-sides.

Checking up on things, I guess I wasn't alone, for this is a single that reached #48 in the UK charts. It even got on Top Of The Pops......

It's just that nowadays, I cringe that I raved about this so much when it was clearly a novelty single more than anything else. The b-sides in particular are just awful...

mp3 : Klark Kent - Don't Care
mp3 : Klark Kent - Thrills
mp3 : Klark Kent - Office Girls

For the uniniated, Klark Kent was the name adopted by Stewart Copeland, drummer with The Police during a very short-lived solo career back in 1978. The back of this single states that Klark Kent played all the instruments, but the tunes do have a lot in common with some of the earliest recordings by his better known band. And when you look at the TOTP clip....the man in the ape mask on bass has a certain way of moving that is awfully similar....



It is quite clear that the drummer had some sort of Superman fixation, for not only did he take the alter ego name, but his label was Kryptone Records.

Happy Listening

MISERABLE BASTARDS?

During a career that spanned 1984-1987, Lloyd Cole & The Commotions were one of those bands that divided opinion. To some, they were part of an era that gave us a great cannon of intelligent indie-pop (see also The Go-Betweens and The Smiths), but to others they were a bunch of boring musos led by a pretentious poet with a deadly dull delivery.

Personally, I loved them.

Formed by a bunch of students in Glasgow in the early 80s, they were signed to Polydor Records and put on a fast road to stardom. Just about everyone I associated with in 1984 owned a copy of debut LP Rattlesnakes, while the lead-off single Perfect Skin was high up on most people's 'best of' lists at the time. However, none of the subsequent singles cracked the Top 40, so the record label insisted that the follow-up LP be produced by someone with a track record of singles success....

And so Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley were dispatched to work with the band, and just 12 months later, Easy Pieces was unleashed on the public. A far more polished and poppy affair, it did yield three hit singles and got them out of the pages of the NME and into Smash Hits.

Problem was, it also started to unleash tensions within the band....and it took two years to release their next LP which was tellingly entitled Mainstream, a piece of work that somehow managed to contain some of their finest recordings but also some really dull and unmemorable songs, not helped by many of Lloyd's lyrics becoming ever more melancholy. It was an LP of a band at a crossroads.

But instead of taking time out to solve things, they broke-up. Lloyd Cole went on to enjoy a solo career that continues to this day. Neil Clark, Blair Cowan and Stephen Irvine went onto to form other bands while Lawrence Donegan became a journalist and later an author.

In 2004, they got back together for a very short tour to mark the 20th Anniversary of Rattlesnakes, including a tremendous gig at Glasgow Barrowlands (trivia fact....they were supported that night by a then little known James Blunt....who was every bit as nauseatingly bland and boring as you's imagine).

In total, there were 9 singles released by Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, of which five made the Top 40. Their final effort was a four-track EP that played at 33 1/3 rpm, with a remix of a track from Mainstream and three new songs.

mp3 : Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - From The Hip (remix)
mp3 : Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Please
mp3 : Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Lonely Mile
mp3 : Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Love Your Wife

I think you can tell from the lyrics in the chorus that this was a bunch of guys unhappy with their lot:-

I don't care anymore
I'm sick and I'm tired
And I don't care anymore
This one's from the hip
Why should I know why?
It's a wicked world

In a parallel universe, I'd like to think that someone like Lloyd Cole is being worshipped as a musical god....

Happy(?) Listening.

THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY (Part 2)

I want to give a big thanks to everyone who responded to my posting of last Tuesday when I asked if there was any reader interest in taking over the blog on a guest basis for the month of May.

Let me clear one thing up....I'm not going away on holiday for all of May - just the final two weeks....but I thought that if I could get 31 postings offered up then the whole of the month could turn into something a bit different and a bit special.

Here's the current roll of honour:-

Ed from 17 Seconds
Swissadam
Simon from The Songs That People Sing (and he's promised something cheesy!)
Dirk from Sexy Loser
Davenelli
a tart from I Correct Myself, I Mean All The Time
Warden's World from Warden's World

All of the above said so via the comments page, while these wonderful people sent me an e-mail:-

Ctelblog from Acid Ted (who has already written his 3 contributions)
Scott McLuckie
Adrian Wills
Rol from Sunshine over Slawit
Graham Easton (who has already written his contribution)
Jeff Butler (who has suggested some songs and might have as many as 3 contributions)

In addition, I think I've persuaded Comrade Colin from And Before The First Kiss to contribute and I'm trying to twist the arm of my wee brother to say a few words as well as pick a few tunes.

So, I already have enough pledges to cover the holiday, and am well on my way to having the remainder of the month sorted out.

As I said before, a I'm looking for are your words on why a singer/group/single/album or piece of music means something to you. You send these to me by e-mail along with details of the song you'd like to accompany the words. If it turns out to be a song that I don't have in the collection, then I'll ask you to also send that over.

I'll then take you e-mail and put it into a posting and arrange for the song to be hosted over at fileden, and before you know it, there will be a few hundred folk reading your words and listening to the song(s) you're highlighting.

Newly Interested? If so, please e-mail me at:-

thevinylvillain@hotmail.co.uk

Or leave a comment behind....

If you want to highlight your own blog, please feel free to do so. My only proviso is that I won't use any pieces that promote new or unreleased music or suggestions that would involve songs by singers or bands who are well known to use dmca notices to force takedowns.

Oh and I should have also said that if you want to try but feel shy about revealing yourself, I will accept anonymous contributions

And I'm delighted to reveal, on the basis of what Ctelblog and Graham have already sent in, that some very interesting musicians will be making their TVV debut in couple of months time....

mp3 : The Chemical Brothers - Music : Response

Thanks again everyone. Happy Listening.

PS : UPDATE 12 HOURS AFTER THE ABOVE POSTING

Thanks to all of you for the further e-mails. More pledges have come in :-

Gareth James from How Does That One Go Again

Jon Lyons from Your Moment Of Zen

Simon from The Songs That People Sing has submitted his and its a cheesy as a giant size packet of Wotsits.

swissadam has written his....and its a belter of a song you wouldn't normally hear round these parts

Ulf Sigvarson from Goteburg, Sweden has been in touch with words and songs. Great stuff indeed.

Thank You one and all.

But.....there's still room if you're interested.