Deceased Persons

 

When I was doing some research on the Internet over the past few days, I realized that today is the anniversary of the deaths of two personalities who are inextricably linked to music. On 10 August 2008, Isaac Hayes died of a stroke at his home in Memphis just two weeks before his 66th birthday. Hayes was a soul musician who wrote several chart breakers for Sam & Dave and worked as a member of Bookter T. and the MG's with Otis Redding and Wilson Picket. In 1969 he released his debut Hot Buttered Soul not knowing that this record was his masterpiece. With his distinctive bass-baritone voice and his spoken words I will call him a forerunner of rap and hip hop.

Isaac Hayes - Walk On By

One year earlier on this day Tony Wilson, a British record label owner, radio and TV presenter, nightclub manager and impresario passed away after he suffered a longer time on cancer. Without him Factory records and Hacienda nightclub didn't exist. Manchester's music scene is impossible without him.

Monday's Long Song

 

Vini Reilly aka The Durutti Column were always a band to which I have always felt drawn. He was around in 1978 when Tony Wilson formed the first post-punk band to sign for Factory Records. He was also there when the great Manchester bands where on their peak. There was music galore around but his music was always different to them all. Mostly instrumentals with his guitar and a lot of reverb, sometimes added by a piano. In 1989 he released an album called Vini Reilly and listening to it for the first time I thought now he's got educated. The songs were more composed and included more piano passages and some kind of vocals in the back. It is different but for me a classic album from the late 80's.

The Durutti Column - Finding The Sea. 

Monday's Long Song

 

In 1981 Vini Reilly released as The Durutti Column one of the best post-punk albums ever. LC means Lotta Continua and is the Italian translation of continuous struggle and this album is one of my all time favorites. Vini's songs are so different to everything else that was released in the early 80's. An album full of guitar dominated sounds inspired by punk but also jazz, folk, rock and classical. He was one of the first artists who played at the Factory Club and signed by Tony Wilson for Factory records. That was the time when he got close to Joy Division and it is no surprise that he recorded The Missing Boy after Ian Curtis committed suicide. 

The Durutti Column - The Missing Boy

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.