Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Another week, another journey through the decades with songs that became hits and others that didn't make it, but are still worth listening to again.

1967: The Box Tops

1972: T. Rex

1978: Buzzcocks

1978: Rick James

1994: Stone Temple Pilots

1991: Nirvana

1969: Dusty Springfield

1980: Stevie Wonder

1981: J. Geils Band

1970: Quicksilver Messenger Service

1979: XTC

Real Life

 

When punk started in the mid 70's Manchester's Buzzcocks were one of the first that made the fusion of of punk and power pop for the blueprint of new wave. Their singer/songwriter Howard Devote left the band to form Magazine, that developed their sound and included art rock into their sound. Their debut album Real Life is a classic in this genre and had any ingredients of new music that should inspire a lot of bands after. This album was on very heavy rotation almost 50 years ago at my place and one of those reasons why I left many other music influences behind. A classic record that should be featured once again. 

New Songs On Sunday

After Bayern Munich lost yesterday, we finish second in the Bundesliga table. Unbelievable when you consider that Stuttgart have been relegated several times in recent years and the fans have only been presented with poor home cooking. Only against this background does this slogan make sense - after all this shit, we're going on a journey.

Last Friday Barry Adamson released Cut To Black his new album. When the storm of punk swept through the UK in the mid-70s, Adamson learnt bass to join Manchester new wave band Magazine. He also helped out briefly with the Buzzcocks and briefly with The Birthday Party in the 80s. When band leader Nick Cave founded The Bad Seeds after they broke up, Adamson stayed on board for three years. No longer just a bass player, he not only played various instruments but also contributed as a songwriter. In recent years, his records have been more orientated towards the film music of the 60s and less towards concise songs. With this record, he has left this path and created a small masterpiece. A mixture of gospel, soul, blues and rock and roll. Since Dexy's Midnight Runners debut I never heard a better homage to soul music.

24 Hour Party People

Last weekend I watched 24 Hour Party People the comedy-drama biopic about the rise of Mancester's popular music scene especially Factory Records once again on television. I think I don't have to say much about Factory Records because a lot of was already said by Adam over the last years. What I can say is that it is always fun to watch Michael Winterbottom's movie because he convey the spirit of music from the first Sex Pistols concert into rave and DJ culture. And it is also a tribute to Tony Wilson without him this probably didn't happened the way it did. The development of this music was the road in music that I decided for me. There are so many bands and songs in this movie that makes me grab out my old records and listen to them once again with a smile on my face.

Monday's Long Song

In 1968 The Velvet Underground released their second album White Light/White Heat a revolutionary record. It was their first record after they ended their collaboration with Andy Warhol and finally could work on their very own sound. Sterling Morrison once said:

"We were all pulling in the same direction. We may have been dragging each other off a cliff, but we were all definitely going in the same direction.

And you can this in almost every song on this album but the quintessence was Sister Ray. Lou Reed talks about drag queens and a failed orgy while the band is jamming on three chords. And this song is an orgy of distorted, feedback-driven and rough sound where you can listen to instruments like you never heard before. One of the reasons Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto formed Buzzcocks were their both interest in this song.

The Velvet Underground - Sister Ray

Sensational First Records

It is almost 40 years ago when one of the most important albums of the post-punk era was released. Real Life by Magazine combined everything that was important in these days. Raised on the ruins of The Buzzcocks Howard Devoto created a very unique mixture of guitar-bass-drum sound similar to punk rock and recruited it with the ingredients of new-wave and a bit of art-rock introduced by Barry Adamson. You can still listen to every song on this album and none of it is boring.

Magazine - The Light Pours Out Of Me
Magazine - Motorcade
Magazine - Recoil
Magazine - Defintive Gaze
Magazine - Shot By Both Sides

Swerve

Their is a record compilation out now I thinking about to buy. Manchester North Of England shows on seven CD's the musical evolution of this city from the early Buzzcocks to Oasis. Filled with bands from the independent era of the mid 70's to the end of the 80's. Many of them are new to me, others I didn't heard before. One of them I remember well because they were played often in various locations in my hometown. Dub Sex was another brilliant and sadly forgotten Manchester band playing alongside with Happy Mondays and Stone Roses when the came through. I still can enjoy their rough industrial sound. Probably one of the essences that made punk great.



The band reunited a few years ago and I found a footage from gig they played in December 2014. Great stuff.

Homosapien

One of the two leaders from the mighty Buzzcocks (the other one was Howard Devoto) released his second solo album back in 1981. Pete Shelley made a fantastic record mixing guitars, synthesizer and electronics to a forward beating sound. The title song of his same titled record  was banned from BBC because of 'explicit reference to gay sex'. But anyway - this song became a smash on the dancefloors.

Enjoy and have a good time

Pete Shelley - Homosapien