Music Archives - Page 2 of 46

Robert Smith marks 40th anniversary of The Cure as Meltdown Festival Cure-ator

Robert Smith has revealed to the NME that he’ll be performing at his own curated Meltdown Festival this summer, which has also inspired him to write new material for The Cure.

Following in the well-trodden footsteps of distinguished figures like David Bowie, Patti Smith, David Byrne, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker, Robert Smith has hand selected the acts heading to the Meltdown Festival at London’s Southbank Centre this June. Last month the initial line up was revealed, including Deftones, The Libertines, Manic Street Preachers, My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails, Placebo, The Psychedelic Furs, 65daysofstatic, Alcest, The Anchoress, Kristin Hersh, Kathryn Joseph, MONO, and The Notwist all announced for the 25th edition of the iconic Meltdown Festival.

Recently the reclusive Robert Smith gave a rare interview to Matt Everitt on BBC 6 Music, where he discussed the Meltdown Festival, and what the future holds for The Cure: “It might just be a reaction to the fact that in the modern world, people talk endlessly about nothing,” Robert Smith said to explain his media silence in recent years. He said that he was simply waiting for a “focal point to a new project”, claiming that without that “the whole notion of doing an interview becomes redundant” without new material to discuss.

Robert Smith’s research into acts to play the Meltdown Festival has inspired him to go back into the studio. The process of curation has “reinvigorated his creativity and made him want to do something new.” Robert Smith explained: “I’ve listened to more new music in the last six months than I ever have. I’ve suddenly fallen in love with the idea of writing new songs, so it’s had a really good effect on me. I booked some time to do some demos next month. Some of it’s really good, some of it not so good.”

Robert Smith will be performing on the closing Sunday of the Meltdown Festival with a selection of collaborators. He elaborated: “It will be me and four other people that I know really well, and some others,” he said, adding that they’d be playing “primarily Cure songs” and interpretations of tracks by the band with “different instrumentation”, with a set “completely different to the Hyde Park show” and “a little bit more weird.”

The Record Press author can’t believe that it is 40 years since Robert Smith and The Cure released their first single.

My introduction to Robert Smith and The Cure was their 1980 single “A Forest”, which was one of the few songs guaranteed to get me on the dancefloor in the early 1980s, along with “Sanctuary” by The Cult and New Order’s “Blue Monday”. For me Robert Smith and The Cure were two sides of the same coin with Siouxsie Sioux and The Banshees. I’m sure Robert Smith and Siouxsie Sioux were separated at birth.

Since 1980 I have always adored the tortured, melancholic and morose vocals of Robert Smith and for this reason I can forgive him for accidentally smudging his red lipstick every morning!! Lest we forget the brilliance of Robert Smith and The Cure, here is our Record Press Top 5 Best The Cure Songs –

Top 5 Best The Cure Songs

1) A Forest ( No31 1980 )

2) The Love Cats ( No7 1983 )

3) Friday I’m In Love ( No6 1992 )

4) Fascination Street ( Non hit 1989 )

5) In Between Days ( No15 1885 )

6) A Strange Day ( Non hit 1982 )

7) Boys Don’t Cry ( No22 1986 )

8) Killing An Arab ( Non hit 1978 )

9) Let’s Go To Bed ( No44 1982 )

10) Close To Me ( No24 1985 )

What are your favourite The Cure songs? Let us know in the Reply Box below.

Fans of Robert Smith and The Cure can order your favourite song as a framed and mounted vinyl single like this one. If it’s intended as a gift, it can be personalised further with an inscribed / engraved plaque. ORDER NOW….. www.myfirstrecord.co.uk

Framed 7″ records / framed vinyl singles and framed CDs with a personalised plaque, make unique presents or original gifts for a special celebration / special occasion i.e. a Wedding ( Wedding First Dance Song ), an Engagement Party ( Our Song ), a House Warming Party ( New Home ), a 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th Birthday ( How about the No1 song on the day of birth? ), a Silver, Ruby or Golden Wedding Anniversary, Father’s or Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day. THE PERFECT PERSONALISED PRESENT. ORDER NOW…….. www.myfirstrecord.co.uk

By Simon|2018-04-18T14:03:25+01:00April 18, 2018|Framed Vinyl & CDs, Framed vinyl singles, Music, Music Festivals, Retro Music, Vinyl Records|0 Comments

Steve Ellis of the Love Affair to release new album on 50th anniversary of Everlasting Love

Steve Ellis, formerly lead vocalist with 1960s band Love Affair has collaborated with Paul Weller on a new album “Boom! Bang! Twang!”, to be released on vinyl and CD on the 20th April 2018.

The album is released 50 years after Steve Ellis had a huge hit with the classic “Everlasting Love” with his band Love Affair and sees a return to the label behind that single, CBS (via Sony).

The album has been co-produced by long-time fan and friend Paul Weller, with the album also featuring Paul Weller and Andy Crofts and Ben Gordelier (The Moons) and numerous other alumni of the rock and pop hall of fame.

The finished product will be a combination of new songs and covers, with the first single off the album, Lonely No More, co-written with Paul Weller, described as a ‘glorious Northern Soul-esque shaker’. As for the covers, they take on tunes from William Bell, Gerry Marsden, Jimmy Cliff and Tim Hardin.

For the Record Press editor, Steve Ellis has one of the great white British soul voices of the 1960s, only matched by Steve Winwood ( Spencer Davis Group & Traffic ) and Steve Marriott ( Small Faces ). A holy trinity of “Sixties Steves”! To prove the point check out this Top 5 Best Love Affair / Steve Ellis Songs –

Top 5 Best Love Affair Songs

1) Bringing On Back The Good Times ( No9 1969 )

2) Everlasting Love ( No1 1968 )

3) Rainbow Valley ( No5 1968 )

4) A Day Without Love ( No6 1968 )

5) One Road ( No16 1969 )

Framed vinyl singles and framed CDs with a personalised plaque, make unique presents or original gifts for a special celebration / special occasion i.e. a Wedding ( Wedding First Dance Song ), an Engagement Party ( Our Song ), a House Warming Party ( New Home ), a 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th Birthday ( How about the No1 song on the day of birth? ), a Silver, Ruby or Golden Wedding Anniversary, Father’s or Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day. THE PERFECT PERSONALISED PRESENT. ORDER NOW…….. www.myfirstrecord.co.uk

By Simon|2018-04-05T10:03:29+01:00April 5, 2018|Framed Vinyl & CDs, Framed vinyl singles, Music, New Music, Nostalgia, Retro Music|0 Comments

The wedding first dance song is de rigueur but is it absolutely necessary?

Inspired by Record Press author Simon’s recent post on funeral songs ( albeit a sombre subject ), I thought a post on the wedding first dance song might uplift things a little. Such a joyous occasion, a wedding; with all the fabulous flowers, divine dresses, delicious food and, usually (sometimes regrettably) more than a little fizz!!

Mister and I didn’t have a wedding first dance song as such. We had a Ceilidh first, before the DJ did his disco set. We chose to have traditional country dancing to start things off, as we’d seen previously what a great ice-breaker it could be, and as many of our families and friends had not met before, that seemed ideal.

So the “wedding first dance song” was a Gay Gordon’s or Strip the Willow – something like that, I can’t quite remember – and everyone joined in. We didn’t really want to smooch around on the dance floor, dozens of pairs of eyes boring into our backs, so we gladly forsake the first dance in favour of a structured group fling.

We’re not really traditionalists. We had the speeches before the wedding breakfast, too – simply to calm my Dad’s nerves. I knew he wouldn’t enjoy his food if his stomach was churning at the thought of making a speech, and he breathed a huge sigh of relief when we suggested switching things around.

The other factor is Mister and his musical tastes. My musical taste is very eclectic; I’m not a huge fan of ballads in general and I draw the line at thrash metal, but the latter cannot be said about Mister. To me, Napalm Death sound like someone vomiting; for him they deserve a place in music history, if not quite in his music collection. (Although he does have a couple of White Zombie CDs.)

It takes two to have a wedding and therefore a wedding first dance song, but for the purposes of this piece it’s mainly my views I’m sharing, though there is of course more than a nod to Mister’s musical tastes here. The thing is, we do share a dislike of sugary sweet, fluffy ballads, and both prefer something with a bit more grit, a little edgier.

So, what to choose? This is a tricky one, and I’ve had to peruse our music collection at length in pursuit of some answers. Age comes into it, too, of course; we wed in 2002, so any music released after that date is out. The music of the 1980s and 1990s was what we grew up with, so that’s what I have to draw upon. Stock, Aitken and Waterman excluded, of course. Kylie and Jason’s ‘Especially for you’ is out, then, darn it.

Much of the music of those decades is out, in fact, because much of it is upbeat pop that just wouldn’t suit a slow, lingering dance. Anything too frisky is no good, either, frankly, as it’s highly likely that, after a verse or so, an Uncle will drag a bridesmaid onto the dance floor. Granny might even join in at some point. I can’t see her swaying her creaking hips to anything too sultry.

There’s an element, then, of one size fits all. The wedding first dance song should mean something to, and/or be loved by, the couple, but be suitable for all who share the occasion. It’s not easy, is it? I can see why – with a zillion other things to organise, working full-time and living over 350 miles away from our wedding venue – we opted out of picking a smoochy little number.

Then there’s the wording. Many ballads might sound right, in terms of tune, but once you listen to the words they’re simply not at all suitable. The lament of a jilted lover is totally at odds with lifelong promise made during the wedding ceremony. Think Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’. You see what I mean? Not to mention that it was released long after 2002 – Adele was only 13 when we wed.

INXS are one of the obvious contenders. They’re my all-time top band, and Mister is also a fan. They’re Australian, too, which is relevant because we met down under – even though we’re both British. Obviously we’re not looking at ‘Devil Inside’ or ‘Suicide Blonde’; I’m thinking more along the lines of ‘Never Tear us Apart’. Coincidentally, this was one the songs Record Press Editor Simon chose to see him out in his aforementioned funeral songs article.

It’s definitely a contender for a wedding first dance song, but is it suitably joyous and uplifting? It is all about love, but there’s an allusion to future hurt in there. ‘If I hurt you, I‘d make wine from your tears’ is one of my very favourite song lyrics ever, but it sits there in the middle of the song, like a slightly shadowy warning. Maybe not the number one choice, then.

I love George Michael, and he is King of the ballad. Boy, could that man’s voice make a ballad utterly searing and soulful, while sounding completely effortless. ‘Careless Whisper’, though, is once again essentially an effigy to a lost love. ‘Jesus to a Child’ is, too – as well as painfully raw and far too personal to George. ‘I Want Your Sex’ is out, obviously – that’s more of a one for the private, than the public, domain – and ‘Father Figure’ is not right, either, for obvious reasons. Which leaves ‘A Different Corner’, but like ‘Careless Whisper’ and Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’, the words are mournful. Not only that, but that song forever reminds me of the Brits 2017 and Andrew Ridgeley, Pepsi and Shirlie lamenting their lost friend. Besides, Mister isn’t anywhere near as big a fan as me.

Which takes me right back to the very first wedding first dance song I thought of. It’s not one that you might typically associate with weddings – but it’s absolutely perfect. For us, anyway. It opens with the lines: “I’ll protect you from the hooded claw. Keep the vampires from your door”.

Gothic, admittedly, but there’s also a romantic undertone. It’s a tender sentiment, really, wanting to protect the one you love, even if the mention of vampires is a little fanciful. ‘Sparkling love, flowers and pearls and pretty girls’ couldn’t (frankly, Frankie) be more appropriate for a wedding. The song speaks of love as a ‘force from above’, proclaiming ‘undying, death defying love’. What could be more pertinent than lyrics that proclaim ‘I’m so in love with you’? Yet the most fitting line, for me, is ‘make love your goal’. What’s heading into the future together, to embark upon married life about, if not that very premise from Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘The Power of Love’?…..

This article was written by our guest blogger Polly Taylor @ BloggerByTheSea.com

In a recent poll, these were the most popular Wedding First Dance Songs…….

http://www.myfirstrecord.co.uk/recordpress/retro-music/framed-vinyl-copy-of-wedding-first-dance-song-makes-great-wedding-gift/

So if you have got a Wedding coming up and you are struggling to think of a unique wedding gift / original wedding present, then order the Bride & Groom’s Wedding First Dance Song in a vinyl single / CD single format; framed and mounted as a picture disc souvenir of the “Big Day”. You can also personalise it with an inscribed / engraved plaque……

ORDER NOW…….. www.myfirstrecord.co.uk/

By Simon|2018-03-27T14:49:48+01:00March 27, 2018|Framed Vinyl & CDs, Framed vinyl singles, Music, Retro Music|0 Comments

Call me morbid, but I’ve already selected my funeral songs and here they are……

Recently my 78 year old mother organised her funeral with the local undertakers or funeral directors as they are commonly called these days. The only thing she did not determine or specify is her funeral songs / soundtrack.

Mum opted for a natural burial and a secular ( non religious ) service in keeping with her atheist beliefs. Logistics organised ( I know that makes her sound like a pallet of goods!! ), the only gaps in the service appear to be the music, which will be left to my siblings and myself. And because it will be a secular affair, the occasion will afford us the opportunity to intersperse the service with pop music rather than hymns.

Selecting Mum’s favourite songs will be “easy peasy” as her favourite songs from the 1960s & 1970s stand out like beacons on the landscape of my childhood memories. The funeral soundtrack would comprise of Procol Harum “Whiter Shade of Pale” ( 1967 ), Noel Harrison “Windmills of your Mind” ( 1968 ), Al Martino “Spanish Eyes” ( 1973 ), Charles Aznavour “She” ( 1974 ), “Loving You” by Minnie Riperton ( 1975 ) and “Begin the Beguine” by Julio Iglesias ( 1981 ).

As you may have noted Mum’s favourite songs / 7″ vinyl singles from the 1970s tended to have a ballad bias, when perhaps she was going through a more pensive, philosophical phase in her thirties. Her vinyl record collection from the 1960s reflected the energy and vitality of someone in their twenties, but I think we might get away with one raunchy song within her funeral service. “Delilah” by Tom Jones ( 1968 ) is a possibility although my choice would be Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walking” ( 1966 ) as the coffin and cortege process down the aisle and out of the church into the graveyard ( That would amuse Mum!! ).

There is one glaring omission from my Mum’s funeral songs / soundtrack and that’s a Shirley Bassey number. Although there was no Shirley Bassey singles in her record collection; there were a number of Shirley Bassey albums. As kids there was many a night that my sister and I drifted off to sleep, with the smell of cigar smoke and the sounds of Dame Shirley wafting up the stairs to our bedroom as Mum and Dad entertained friends downstairs in the lounge.

The designated Shirley Bassey song would be one of three: her cover of the Beatles / George Harrison’s “Something” ( 1970 ), the James Bond theme “Diamonds Are Forever” ( 1972 ) or the tormented “Never Never, Never” ( 1973 ). Now that will be a difficult choice when the time comes.

Of course whilst planning Mum’s funeral songs / soundtrack, inevitably I started musing on the options for my own funeral service soundtrack. It didn’t take me long to collate the list and here they are –

My Funeral Songs / Soundtrack

1) Terry Jacks – Seasons In The Sun ( 1974 )

2) Guns ‘N’ Roses – November Rain ( 1992 )

3) Genesis – Snowbound ( 1978 )

4) INXS – Never Tear Us Apart ( 1988 )

5) Pink Floyd – Time ( 1973 )

6) Hubert Parry – Jerusalem ( 1916 )

7) Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond / Great Gig In The Sky ( 1973 )

8) Sinead O’Connor – Troy ( 1987 )

9) Genesis – Many Too Many ( 1978 )

10) Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb ( 1979 )

11) Paloma Faith & Ty Taylor – I would rather go Blind ( 2014 )

12) John Miles – Music ( 1976 )

Which funeral songs would you opt for and why? Let us know in the Reply Box below.

On a happier note, framed vinyl singles ( like my Mum’s favourite “She” by Charles Aznavour – adjacent image ) with a personalised plaque, make unique presents or original gifts for a special celebration / special occasion i.e. a Wedding ( Wedding First Dance Song ), an Engagement Party ( Our Song ), a House Warming Party ( New Home ), a 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th Birthday ( How about the No1 song on the day of birth? ), a Silver, Ruby or Golden Wedding Anniversary, Father’s or Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day. THE PERFECT PERSONALISED PRESENT. ORDER NOW…….. www.myfirstrecord.co.uk

By Simon|2026-05-14T12:23:11+01:00March 21, 2018|Framed Vinyl & CDs, Framed vinyl singles, Music, Retro Music|0 Comments

Musicians I Miss the Most: Polly Taylor raves about heroes in their graves!!

I’ve already waxed lyrical on the loss of George Michael, but he’s far from alone in being taken from us far too soon. In fact, in the same year alone, David Bowie and Prince departed many months before Mr Michael slipped away on Christmas Day 2016.

I didn’t really feel a huge sense of loss when any of the above left us, to be honest. For me, it’s been more of a slow burner. I hear a song on the radio, or select a song from my extensive and eclectic CD collection, and suddenly I’ll feel a genuine, deep-seated sadness right in the pit of my belly, that makes me almost have to catch my breath. It is the same feeling that I get when I suddenly miss my mother. It can be just as strong, and it almost always takes me completely by surprise.

My mother died at 57, the same age as another of the deceased that I miss dearly. I think it might be pushing it to call him a musician; nevertheless he was a major feature of my teenage life – and fantasies. I’m talking about old swizzle-hips himself, the one and only Patrick Swayze, the guy who could pin me into a corner any time he chose.

Patrick Swayze did, in fact, record one of the songs for the soundtrack of ‘Dirty Dancing’. (See one of our happy customers below with her framed “Dirty Dancing” film DVD which we created as a birthday gift for her from her family. For more info go to the MyFirstRecord.co.uk website……. http://www.myfirstrecord.co.uk/framed-dvds/framed-dvd-and-cover ). As far as I was previously aware that was his only flirtation with singing. I was wrong. He is described, in fact, on the ubiquitous Wikipedia as an ‘actor, dancer and singer-songwriter’. I’m not here to praise his musical talent – of lack thereof – though. I recall his connection to music in his dancing to it rather than his singing of it. He could certainly dance. Mmm…

Patrick Swayze isn’t top of my list. He lies somewhere beneath an Australian rocker (that I’d love to have lain beneath) who is probably the artist I miss the most of all. INXS are my all-time favourite band, and I loved everything about Michael Hutchence. Yep, even that whole tortured-soul thing he had going on, that was almost definitely the cause of his demise in one way or another. It almost certainly played a large part in causing my crush on him, too.

Oh, to have been Paula Yates, on that bed on the “Big Breakfast” with him in 1994!! To have seen INXS play live at the Coogee Bay hotel, a Sydney boozer in which I spent far too much time and money, for a few brief months in 1996. Furthermore, imagine bumping into the man himself in that crowded, raucous joint… I think I’d better stop right there, this is a public place.

There’s a big connection building here, isn’t there? The artists I miss the most, seem to be those I lusted after the most. Which takes me right back to George Michael, the subject of my earliest teenage stirrings. He was the first musician I can remember who awakened those feelings in me, but I think it’s more than just physical. With music, I’d argue that there’s a mental connection too. Through melodies, lyrics, harmonies and poetry, the artists speak to something deep in the soul, and I think that’s why they become so very much admired – and later, when they pass – very much missed.

After all, crushes in our early adult life are supposedly practice for the real thing; a rehearsal for out later years when we might fall in love, commit and in many cases, reproduce. It’s said that the first cut is the deepest, referring, I presume, to our first real-life love; but surely that depth of feeling for our musical idols – the practice run – would mean that their loss would leave, at least, a deep scratch?

I’d say, yes, indeed, the first cut is indeed the deepest and leaves the biggest scar, like the cut below my knee from a minor car crash in the 1980s. The nasty scratches I got when taking a cross-country shortcut through brambles during my school days may now be invisible, but they took years to disappear, and surely there might be some permanent damage to the skin beneath? It can no longer be seen, granted – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

I wish Prince and Bowie were still around, but I can say that without intensity of feeling. It’s a real shame they’re not around to make wonderful music any more, but that’s where it ends. I don’t feel that connection with them, as I did – and do to this day – with George Michael, Patrick Swayze and Michael Hutchence. I do feel that they were part of my life. My mood changes, in a more serious way, when I hear ‘Praying for Time’, ‘Cry to Me’ (by Solomon Burke, from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack), or ‘Never Tear us Apart’ (See the framed vinyl copy of INXS “Never Tear Us Apart” below; a wedding first dance gift we created recently. For more info go to MyFirstRecord.co.uk). I experience a profound sense of loss, in a way that just doesn’t happen with other late greats, who I miss purely for their musical output. Prince’s ‘1999’ will always make me want to get out and party, while Bowie’s ’Changes’ will make me feel a little sad – but not gut-wrenchingly so.

There’s an artist, though, who for me lies somewhere between the two extremes, and that is Michael Jackson. His music featured hugely during my schooldays, and I have very fond memories of my sister and I singing (or rather, yelling) along to the ‘Thriller’ video, trying (and failing miserably) to copy Jackson’s signature dance moves. There’s another one who could move, for sure – but could not move me, in the way that Patrick Swayze could. I look back upon Michael Jackson’s life and work with affection, and a measure of palpable emotion, but I suspect that’s down to my connection with my sister and what we shared, than down to any emotional relationship with the man himself.

I grew up with George Michael, Patrick Swayze and Michael Hutchence, and they will always be very dear – and feel very familiar – to me. Therefore I will always regret their loss, just like I will always yearn for my mother and grandmother. When you grow up with people, they leave a lasting impression on your life and things will never be quite the same again when they’re dead and gone. Even if you never met them.

This article was written by our guest blogger Polly Taylor @ BloggerByTheSea.com

Check out Polly’s blog……There are some very entertaining and informative articles on a diverse range of subjects & topics. For instance her home made recipes are mouth watering and delicious!!

By Simon|2018-03-14T10:45:33+00:00March 14, 2018|Film, Framed DVDs, Framed vinyl singles, Music, Nostalgia, Retro Music|0 Comments

Nick Drake induction into the Radio 2 folk hall of fame is so richly deserved

During his tragically short life, Nick Drake recorded some of the most influential music ever to come out of the British folk scene.

To mark and celebrate what would have been his 70th birthday, Radio 2 has announced Nick Drake will be inducted to its Folk Hall of Fame. Nick Drake’s sister, actress Gabrielle Drake, will accept the award in April. She commented: “I think Nick would have been quietly amazed, amused but above all, honoured. And, indeed, grateful. As I am on his behalf.”

The honour will be bestowed at the Radio 2 Folk Awards, at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.

Nick Drake was inspired by Bob Dylan to take up the guitar and started gigging in London while studying English at Cambridge.

One of his performances, at Camden’s Roundhouse in 1967, was attended by Ashley Hutchings, bass player with English folk-rock group Fairport Convention, who introduced him to the band’s acclaimed producer Joe Boyd.

Joe Boyd, along with engineer John Wood, were to prove instrumental in the short life of Nick Drake, producing his first two albums on Island Records – his 1969 debut, Five Leaves Left, and Bryter Layter, released the following year.

Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter showcased Nick Drake’s “gentle, plaintive meditations on love and longing, pairing his ethereal voice and melancholic vision with sweeping strings and jazzy orchestrations.” ( BBC )

Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter were well-received by critics but didn’t sell well, allegedly sending Drake into a bout of depression which worsened when Boyd left for the US. In late 1971, Nick Drake recorded what was to become his final album – Pink Moon. A darker collection of songs, they stripped away Boyd’s production, leaving Drake’s delicate voice alone with his acoustic guitar, almost symbolic of the artist’s increasing isolation.

As the Pink Moon album sales stuttered to little more than a few thousand copies, Nick Drake retreated to his parents’ home in Tanworth-in-Arden. Sadly it was there, in his childhood bedroom, that he died on the 25th November 1974, aged 26, after taking an overdose of prescribed anti-depressants.

I love Nick Drake’s hauntingly beautiful & deeply sensitive vocals and lyrics……The ephemeral and fragile nature of his lyrics and vocal style mirrored his tragically short life, which ended with his suicide at the age of 26 in 1974. This is why this accolade is so richly deserved.

If you are not familiar with Nick Drake, you should retreat to a darkened room and listen to Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter and I defy this experience not to enrich and change you in some way……..Unlike poor Nick, you will be able to turn the lights on again and continue your life, the richer for this man’s artistic sensibilities and sacrifice….. R.I.P Nick Drake ( 1948 – 1974 )

By Simon|2018-03-07T12:51:45+00:00March 7, 2018|Music, Nostalgia, Retro Music|0 Comments

To cover or not to indulge in cover versions: that is the question?

Can you imagine the music business without cover versions? Yes, many new releases are fresh, original songs, but many are also reworked versions of someone else’s former hit – or miss. Some are fresh and original covers, that do something new with the tune; sometimes so much so that it becomes almost unrecognisable. Others are just a rehash, and barely indistinguishable from the original.

A typical example of the latter is ‘Uptown Girl’, first recorded in 1983. It is something of an anthem of my youth and the uplifting melody and simple premise are very appealing. It was a big hit, making the top 20 bestselling singles list – of the entire decade. To date, well over a million copies have been sold worldwide.

‘Uptown Girl’ was covered by Westlife, who released it in 2001. Now, I can see why Westlife would want to record it, it’s a great tune. But why we would want to buy it, I have no idea. The song is sung in the same way as Joel’s original, but the vocals, and backing music, seem to me to be lacking in a certain something that made the Joel version sing with quality.

Why cover a song, if you’re not going to do anything new with it? What’s the point? For Westlife, the point, presumably, was money. Maybe, they’d also lay claim to attempting to bring a great song to a younger audience. Fair enough, I guess. That doesn’t quite cut it for me, but perhaps that’s my problem, not theirs.

We all seem to claim that the music we grew up with was the best – well, my parents certainly did, singing the praises, in particular, of the Beatles and Deep Purple – among many others – all of whom came from the swinging sixties and glaring, flare-clad seventies. Apparently, my Dad saw Jimi Hendrix perform in Newcastle in the early 1970s. Really? He barely mentions it…

I favour the eighties and nineties, no doubt because I grew up with the music of those decades. Florence and the Machine’s 2009 cover of ‘You Got the Love’ annoyed me intensely; from the get-go I much preferred Candi Staton’s first version from 1986. I was 12 in 1986; by 2009 I was 35. Too old for very much new music perhaps, by then, let alone for substandard (as I saw it) new versions of the tunes that accompanied me, like old friends, through puberty, school, exams and university and into the grown-up worlds of work, travel, relationships and flat sharing.

Cover versions certainly don’t have to be good to be successful. Robson and Jerome’s version of ‘Unchained Melody’ had some sort of appeal that is invisible to the naked, suspecting eyes of many people, yet it was the top-selling single of 1995. ‘Good’ is clearly in the ear of the beholder. No offence Robson, who’s from my own stomping ground – I do love your ‘Tales from Northumberland’, but that hit was just altogether too cheesy for my tastes. But give me pudding over a cheese-fest any day; each to their own. Either way the 1990 re-release of the Righteous Brothers’ far superior 1960s rendition of ‘Unchained Melody’ ( as part of the movie soundtrack from “Ghost” ), made the version by Robson and Jerome redundant.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate all cover versions. I am fond of Alien Ant Farm’s 2001 cover of Michael Jackson’s 1988 hit ‘Smooth Criminal’. It’s a far rockier, grungier version, and I like both more-or-less equally. Both have their own merits, and Alien Ant Farm made the song their own by covering it from a whole new angle.

Only relatively recently, did I discover that The Communards’ chart-topping hit, ‘Don’t Leave me this Way’ was not an original. The song was in fact first recorded in 1975, and was a hit both then and shortly after, in 1997. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ version, the original, reached the top 10 in both the UK and America, peaking at numbers 5 and 3 respectively. Thelma Houston’s rendition was far more popular across the pond than here in Britain; it failed to reach our top 10, peaking at number 13 here, while in America it made number 1. I’m not familiar with the earlier versions, but The Communards’ cover is an absolute triumph. Praise be to the Reverend Coles and Mr Somerville.

The late, great George Michael even experimented with cover versions. He sang ‘Killer’, which had previously been a huge hit for Adams and Seal, in 1991 at Wembley, and it was later released as part of the ‘Five Live’ EP, along with Michael’s rendition of ‘Papa was a Rollin’ Stone’ and two duets – ‘Somebody to Love’ with Queen, and ‘These are the Days of our Lives’ again with Queen and also featuring Lisa Stansfield. All but the latter appeared on ‘Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael’, as well as ‘Don’t Let the Sun go Down on Me’, another duet, this time with Elton John. Michael also, of course, could be said to have covered one of his own songs, when he recorded ‘Freedom ’90’, following Wham’s ‘Freedom’ in 1984. Though the 2 songs are very different, both in terms of tune, lyrics and subject matter, the ’90 in the second title was added to differentiate between them.

Not a lot of time separates The Zutons’ ‘Valerie’ and Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson’s version, but the renditions are very different indeed. I’m a fan of both the 2006 original and the 2007 cover, so perhaps all is not lost. I didn’t stop liking all new music after the 1990s ended, and in fact I liked the cover very much, too. It would be very hard to pick a favourite: both The Zutons and Ms Winehouse’s renditions feature in my personal music collection.

As for a song that sounds like it must be the original, I can’t think of a better example than The Mike Flowers Pops cover of ‘Wonderwall’. Even Noel Gallagher was reportedly asked by the media whether he had indeed penned the ditty. The cover is in the easy listening genre and, although I grew up during the 1990s indie, ‘Madchester’ and Britpop years, I do respect the Flowers version, simply because he dared to put his own spin on a veritable pop classic from one of the UK’s biggest bands ever.

Not all cover versions are released as singles, or make it into the charts, of course. Many covers have a place in popular culture, and our lives, though other means. One of the very best covers I’ve ever heard was an uptempo, swing rendition of Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’, which featured on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, performed by Dave Arch’s orchestra. ‘Wonderful!’, as Brucie himself would have proclaimed.

In the press recently, I read an interview with a semi-professional heavy metal guitarist, who claimed that one of his band’s stock covers was Britney Spears’ ‘(Hit me) Baby One more time’. The mind boggles.

Are cover versions a good or a bad thing? It very much depends on the rendition – and the listener. If I really like the artist, then I’ll probably like the cover. I was never going to dislike George Michael singing any decent song, for example. The best covers, I think, are those that do something fresh and new with the original material. After all, isn’t that what being an artist is all about?

Check out this BBC4 documentary on the best cover versions – “Better than the Original: the Joy of the Cover Version” https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06n9q8y/better-than-the-original-the-joy-of-the-cover-version?suggid=b06n9q8y

This article was written by our guest blogger Polly Taylor @ BloggerByTheSea.com

Check out Polly’s blog……There are some very entertaining and informative articles on a diverse range of subjects & topics. For instance her home made recipes are mouth watering and delicious!!

By Simon|2018-02-21T14:41:40+00:00February 21, 2018|Framed Vinyl & CDs, Framed vinyl singles, Music, Nostalgia, Retro Music, Vinyl Records|0 Comments

Top10 Best Rock & Pop Songs to come out of Newcastle

When it comes to rock and pop music from the 1960s to the present day, the North East of England never seems to get a mention. All the plaudits go to the north west music powerhouses of Liverpool and Manchester.

But let’s spare a thought for Newcastle because this most northern of cities helped shape music, especially in the 1960s and 1980s. The first band from “Geordieland” to come to prominence was Eric Burdon’s blues orientated Animals. The Record Press author rates Eric Burdon’s vocals very highly – in my opinion only matched in the 1960s blues vocals performed by a white man category by Steve Marriott ( Small Faces ) and Steve Winwood ( Spencer Davis Group ).

The 1970s saw something of a hiatus for Newcastle bands, although folk ensemble Lindisfarne had some chart success, whilst Geordie Bryan Ferry’s solo sabbaticals away from Roxy Music spawned some classic cover versions.

However the 1980s were the golden age for dominance of the UK charts by Newcastle bands, with Dire Straits dominating the first half of the decade and the Pet Shop Boys taking over that mantel from 1985 onwards. Dire Straits literally handed over the chart success baton to the Pet Shop Boys in late 1985 when the latter premiered with their zeitgeist classic West End Girls, depicting the rise of the “Yuppie” East End City brokers in Thatcherite London. Dire Straits last big hit, earlier that year, Money For Nothing was also something of a zeitgeist song, depicting the shallow values of 1980s materialism and commercialism epitomised by MTV in the USA.

So although intermittent over the past half century, make no mistake Newcastle bands and solo artists have made a huge impact on British, European and US culture. This is exemplified by this Top10 Best Rock & Pop Songs from Newcastle:

Top10 Best Rock & Pop Songs from Newcastle

1) Animals – House of the Rising Sun ( No1 1964 )

2) Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls ( No1 1985 )

3) Bryan Ferry – In Crowd ( No13 1974 )

4) Alan Price – I Put A Spell On You ( No9 1966 )

5) Dire Straits – Private Investigations ( No2 1982 )

6) Pet Shop Boys – What Have I Done To Deserve This? ( No2 1987 )

7) Animals – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood ( No3 1965 )

8) Dire Straits – Money For Nothing ( No4 1985 )

9) Pet Shop Boys – It’s A Sin ( No1 1987 )

10) Dire Straits – Sultans Of Swing ( N08 1979 )

Framed vinyl singles and framed CDs with a personalised plaque, make unique presents or original gifts for a special celebration / special occasion i.e. a Wedding ( Wedding First Dance Song ), an Engagement Party ( Our Song ), a House Warming Party ( New Home ), a 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th Birthday ( How about the No1 song on the day of birth? ), a Silver, Ruby or Golden Wedding Anniversary, Father’s or Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day. THE PERFECT PERSONALISED PRESENT. ORDER NOW…….. www.myfirstrecord.co.uk

By Simon|2018-02-07T12:19:29+00:00February 7, 2018|Framed Vinyl & CDs, Framed vinyl singles, Music, Nostalgia, Retro Music|0 Comments

Elton John says Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as he quits touring

Elton John has announced he will stop touring to spend more time with his young family.

He made the announcement in New York, explaining he would say goodbye to fans with a series of 300 dates spanning three years. He commented: “I always thought I was going to be like Ray Charles, BB King – on the road forever. My priorities have changed. We had children and it changed our lives. That doesn’t mean to say I’m not going to be creative. But I’m not going to travel.”

Elton John continued: “Last year I picked up an infection and I was very ill and it knocked me sideways,” he admitted. But I still did 96 shows. Believe me – if you ever do 300 shows, you’re not in ill health.”

Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road will kick off in the US this September, just months after he ends his six-month residency in Las Vegas.

He added: “I don’t want to go out with a whimper, but a big bang,” he said, promising “the most fantastic show I’ve ever done”. Significantly he added the caveat that after his tour he might consider another residency “like Kate Bush,” who played 22 dates at London’s Hammersmith Apollo in 2014.

And this is why the Record Press author is sceptical. I think this could be “The Long Goodbye” in the words of the title of Raymond Chandler’s novel. Elton John is a consummate performer and entertainer and when push comes to shove, I suspect he simply won’t be able to quit permanently from live performances.

I’m sure he is genuinely torn between performing and parenthood ( with partner David Furnish ) when he says: “David and I sat down with a school schedule and I said, ‘I don’t want to miss too much of this’. I’m not stopping music. I’ll hopefully be making more records. I’ll be writing more musicals. But mostly, I’ll be taking my kid to soccer academy – which is the most important thing. Life is all about change.”

Elton concluded his press conference by saying he would be “creative up til the day I die” and that his farewell tour would be “a wonderful way to thank people”. But that’s the point, you can take the boy out of Pinner, but you can’t take the performer off the world stage……

Let’s remind ourselves of Elton John’s brilliance, with this Record Press Top 10 Best Elton John Songs

Top 10 Best Elton John Songs

1) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ( 1973 )

2) Candle In The Wind ( 1974 )

3) Little Jeannie ( 1980 )

4) Your Song ( 1970 )

5) Rocket Man ( 1972 )

6) Sartorial Elegance ( 1980 )

7) Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word ( 1976 )

8) Someone Saved My Life Tonight ( 1975 )

9) Tiny Dancer ( 1972 )

10) Crocodile Rock ( 1972 )

What are your favourite Elton John songs? Let us know in the Reply Box below.

Fans of Elton can order your favourite song as a framed and mounted vinyl single. If it’s intended as a gift, it can be personalised further with an inscribed / engraved plaque. ORDER NOW….. www.myfirstrecord.co.uk

Framed vinyl singles and framed CDs with a personalised plaque, make unique presents or original gifts for a special celebration / special occasion i.e. a Wedding ( Wedding First Dance Song ), an Engagement Party ( Our Song ), a House Warming Party ( New Home ), a 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th Birthday ( How about the No1 song on the day of birth? ), a Silver, Ruby or Golden Wedding Anniversary, Father’s or Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day. THE PERFECT PERSONALISED PRESENT. ORDER NOW…….. www.myfirstrecord.co.uk

By Simon|2018-01-25T10:42:52+00:00January 25, 2018|Framed Vinyl & CDs, Framed vinyl singles, Music, Nostalgia, Retro Music|0 Comments

A Christmas No1 is not just for Xmas, but for life!!

The Record Press guest blogger Polly Taylor takes a look at that peculiarly British phenomenon and institution known as the Christmas No1…….

So, Ed Sheeran did it. He secured the coveted Christmas 2017 number 1 spot on the singles chart, despite stiff competition from Eminem, who Ed pipped at the post, forcing the American bestselling artist of the noughties into 2nd place. A campaign to win Wham the top spot saw them take 3rd, behind Ed and Eminem.

Wham peaked at number 2 on the New Year chart a week later, matching the best position ‘Last Christmas’ achieved back in 1984, when the success of the original Band Aid’s ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’ meant that George and Andrew had to settle for number 2. George also sang on the Band Aid record, meaning that he is 1 of only 3 acts ever to have simultaneously featured on the top 2 singles. The other 2 are Ed Sheehan, who has just joined this exclusive club with his own 2017 number 1, ‘Perfect’, and his vocals on Eminem’s track, ‘River’, which took number 2. The Beatles, in 1963 and again in 1967, held the top 2 places on the Christmas charts of those years.

Although I supported the Wham campaign, I was perfectly happy to see Mr Sheeran secure first place. Why? Well, it meant that X Factor didn’t have anything to do with number 1 – nor in fact any of the top 3. The 2017 winners were at number 9 by Christmas, having spent the previous week at number 6, after entering the chart the week before at number 2.

Last Christmas, 2016, Clean Bandit took number 1 and it was Rag ’n’ Bone Man who secured 2nd. X factor winner Matt Terry was at number 8 by Christmas week, having previously peaked at number 3. In 2015, Lewisham & Greenwich NHS choir beat Justin Bieber to the number 1 spot, although he could be comforted by the fact that he held number 3 as well as 2, with ‘Sorry’ and ‘Love Yourself’ respectively.

In contrast to previous X Factor winners, then, over the last 3 years the top 3 have not been held by the X Factor. Before that, they dominated the coveted festive top spot, when Simon Cowell’s darlings quickly followed coming first in TV’s music competition by seizing the Christmas number 1. The chart cherry, on top of winning the X factor (the cake).

Since 2005, over decade ago, the Christmas number 1 has been taken by a succession of victorious X Factor contestants, starting with Shayne Ward, who triggered a 4-year run of success for the show’s winners who followed him – Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson and Alexandra Burke took the top slot in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Then, in 2009, there was a backlash. Some punters were utterly fed up with the X Factor and its perceived effect on the music business. Hankering, perhaps, for the days when the ultimate Christmas present on any artist’s wish-list was the hotly contested seat at the top of the British singles chart, they came out in force – by backing a campaign to get Rage Against the Machine to prime position.

In 2010, Matt Cardle flew the flag for Mr Cowell and bore it all the way to the top of the Christmas chart again, but I think the doubt had started to creep in. There was something else, people who’d grown up with a string of X Factor Christmas number ones began to realise; theirs weren’t the only contenders.

In 2011 and 2012 the hugely popular Military Wives’ choir and the Justice Collective grabbed the festive top slots, both with their charity singles in aid of various Armed Forces and Hillsborough disaster funds. In 2013 and 2014 X Factor winners triumphed once more, but 3 years have now passed since those successes and I think – I hope – that that Christmas N01 spot has become an open contest once more.

Quite rightly so, in my book. It was so exciting, back in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, when I grew up, waiting to see who’d made it. By the time they announced who was number 2, it was all over – weeks of watching Top Of the Pops to hear this year’s festive offerings, picking a favourite, then waiting for the Sunday night chart show with bated breath to see if the nation agreed with you.

I’m not alone, it seems. Last month, the 2017 Christmas top 20 featured an unprecedented 8 ‘old’ Christmas songs – from Band Aid, Brenda Lee, Shakin’ Stevens, Elton John and Chris Rea as well as Wham and the ever-present Pogues and Mariah Carey tunes. The year before there were 4; and in every year for the preceding decade – i.e. between 2005 and 2015, there were between 1 and 3. Is this the start of a new seasonal trend, where the classics make a massive impact on the UK’s Christmas top 20?

It wasn’t to be for Shakin’ Stevens back in 1982 with his ‘Blue Christmas’ EP, which got to number 2; he had to wait until 1985 to make it with ‘Merry Christmas everyone’. In 1987, absolute Christmas classic The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl’s ‘Fairytale of New York’ was beaten into 2nd place by the Pet Shop Boys.

The Pogues are, in fact, the only artists to feature in every Christmas top 20 since 2005. Their position has varied; they climbed to number 3 in 2005, then 6 in 2006 and 4 in 2007. Between 2008 and 2016, they charted yearly between numbers 10 and 20, then in 2017 they climbed into the top 10 once more, spending yuletide at number 7. It is, seemingly the UK’s favourite Christmas song, topping various media polls time and time again, and holding court as the most played Christmas song in Britain.

Mariah Carey, ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ is another massive Christmas hit, but like the Pogues, it didn’t ever reach number 1 on the British singles chart; like them, Mariah only made number 2 in 1994. She has featured in festive top 20s almost every year since, and this single is the 11th best seller of all time. It is astonishing, to me, that both of these ever-popular Christmas classics didn’t even peak at number 1. Can you imagine such songs being released now, tunes that would become irrepressible – and irresistible – festive favourites?

Take That missed out in 1993, when Mr Blobby snatched number 1. Mr Blobby wasn’t the only incongruous one; in 2000 Bob the Builder saw off another boy band, Westlife, after the second half of the 90s was dominated the Spice Girls, who secured 1st place with 3 successive Christmas hits in 1996, 1997 and 1998. In 1997, at least, this was a good thing, keeping the Teletubbies snapping at their towering heels in second place.

Mr Blobby, Bob the Builder, the Teletubbies – bring them on, I say. It just makes the big Christmas No1 reveal all the more thrilling. As long as it’s an open contest open more, to peak on the Christmas chart could once more be a very real dream for up and coming singer/songwriters and bands who play proper instruments. Hallelujah, Amen and thank the Lord for the likes of Ed Sheeran. Perhaps in future he can be joined by more of his kind, and we won’t have to rely only upon the great, but well-worn, Christmas tunes to prop up the festive top 20.

This article was written by our guest blogger Polly Taylor @ BloggerByTheSea.com

Check out Polly’s blog……There are some very entertaining and informative articles on a diverse range of subjects & topics. For instance her home made recipes are mouth watering and delicious!!

By Simon|2018-01-12T10:13:51+00:00January 12, 2018|Music, Nostalgia, Retro Music|0 Comments

Follow Us