CONSIDERING A MOVE TO MEMPHIS

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON 17 JANUARY 2007

FiL over at pogo-a-gogo has posted a quite fabulous song by Memphis.

A little bit of research tells me that the band in question is an American/Canadian collaboration, formed in 2003 . Two critically-acclaimed albums have been released on the Good Fences label. Certainly if the track over at pogo-a-gogo is anything to go by, they're a band worth checking out.

But I want to bring to your attention another band called  Memphis - one who released just one single back in 1985.

The eagle-eyed among you might recognise the image above which is on the back of the single. It's James Kirk, ex-Orange Juice, and the man who wrote what I consider to be the greatest single to ever have come out of Scotland - Felicity.

James left the band in 1983 after the release of the debut album. He formed Memphis shortly after, but quit the music business after the release of said single which came out on the Swamplands label.

This was one of the bits of vinyl that Mrs Villain picked up for me on e-bay at Xmas. It's well worth sharing with a wider audience.

mp3: Memphis - You Supply The Roses

I knew that James Kirk had come out of retirement in the early 90s as a leading member and songwriter with Paul Quinn & The Independent Group.  (Now there was a band that should have been massive)

But what I learned just a couple of weeks ago when doing a bit of research for my eventual posting of the Memphis single was that James made a comeback of sorts just over three years ago with the release of a solo album entitled You Can Make It If You Boogie on Marina Records.

I have to confess that I missed this CD on its release in December 2003, but I have now managed to recently pick up a copy and will be sharing some stuff with you in the not too distant future. I'm sure you'll be as knocked out as I've been. Especially by a cover-version (of sorts).

Oh and one final thing to mention about the Memphis single from 1985. It's b-side is called Apres Ski. Which was also the name of the b-side of the 1984 debut single by Bourgie Bourgie, a band that featured many contemporaries of James Kirk...many of whom he worked alongside in The Independent Group a few years later. Same title, but different song. As you can hear for yourself:-

mp3 : Memphis - Apres Ski
mp3 : Bourgie Bourgie - Apres Ski

Oh and for the hell of it, here's the track that FiL posted up yesterday. It's damn fine splendid as well.....

mp3 : Memphis - In The Cinema Alone

As is the song that gave the title for this posting.........

mp3 : Colorblind James Experience - Considering A Move To Memphis

Do I spoil you my friends with 5 great songs??? But you're worth it......

 
Postscript........
 
Little did I know that within a few months of writing these words I would find myself working for a short while in Canada during which time I had the great fortune to meet FiL in the flesh in what turned out to be one of the greatest nights of my life.
 
Read my rather short account of it all here.  And FiL's is available here. Happy happy memories......

And since the post was originally written, this truly fantastic site devoted to Paul Quinn has come into being.

Happy Listening and reading