Demis Roussos 1946 - 2015

Just heard the news that Demis Roussos died yesterday. Not that I was a huge fan of him but he's a one I should write some words about him. He was known in Germany as a one that sung the so called 'Schlager' in the 70s. But back in his origin he used to sing in a progressive rock band - 'Aphrodite's Child' which he founded together with Vangelis. What will be his legacy is the album 666 in which Aphrodite's Child made an adaption of Biblical passages combined with experimental sounds. Their biggest hit was the added video from 'The Four Horsemen'.

RIP

And this song is really experimental song on which a female orgasm is simulated by the Greek actress Irene Papas, who repeated the words 'I was, I am, I am to come' over a sparse percussion track.

Puta's Fever

Back in 1987 Manu Chao, his brother Antoine and his cousin Santiago Casariego founded Mano Negra in Paris. Mano Negra mixed a number of styles: punk rock, flamenco, ska, rai, salsa, reggae and African rhythms as well. For me it was the kind of mixing all the styles to a very own special sound.

The name 'La Mano Negra' (The Black Hand) was a supposed secret and violent anarchist organization that was founded in Andalusia, Spain, at the end of the 19th century. The Spanish Nationals Police accused most of the Spanish anarchists of being part of the organization. In the 1880s, Andalusia had experienced a serve economic crises. Due the resulting misery and famine, farm workers revolted, burning and looting bakeries and numerous orchards. The led to the authorities' carrying out mass arrests and public executions. Despite the debates that took place, for years concerning the existence of this organization, it is now widely recognized in academic circles that was a type of 'false flag' invention by the Sagasta government, in order to suppress peasant revolts in the south of Spain. Chao's parents were political exiles from Span who moved to France, escaping persection from the dictatorship of Franco.

I ever loved their music and it's not important what political statement they did. Their main influence to non English-speaking band in continental Europe was immense. I've been with my brother to their concert promoting Puta's Fever. And I've to say that it was one the best concerts I've ever been. Seldom seen any appearance on stage like they did. All in all it was superb listening to them - unforgettable.

It's the different kind of styles the play and changes by every song. What an array of of styles - calliope-like keyboards, Latin grooves, gospel chorus and dub reggae on one record. Sometimes it happens that you can get it on one record.

Mano Negra - Guayaquil City
Mano Negra - Patchanka
Mano Negra - The Devils Call
Mano Negra - Peligro
Mano Negra - Voodoo

Spring

Yesterday my youngest brother living in Mannheim visited me on his way back from Munich. I was really happy to see and talk to him. Because he's also addicted in music we talked about what was new and impressive during the last year. Then he played an artist that I really forgot over the years. Ben Watt is known as a part of Everything But The Girl with his wife Tracey Thorn. After working with EBTG Watts immersed himself in the world of underground electronic music both as a DJ and a recording artist/producer. Searching for his musical output I found this House track that was played in some clubs I used to got:

Another project was releasing some so called Deep Folk mixtapes. Mostly based on acoustic instruments he made compilations that lasted about 30 minutes and it is a more than relaxing music.

In 2014 he returned to his jazz-folk roots and released his first solo record since 1983 Hendra together with Bernard Butler formerly of the band Suede. I don't know why almost no one named this record last year although is is full of dark, relaxed and inspired folk music played on a very high level.

Thank you, Martin.

Songs The Lord Told Us # 10

Spacemen 3 was an English alternative rock band from Rugby, Warwickshire. It was founded in 1982 by Pete Kember and Jason Pierce. Their style was to be assigned to the space to rock and the shoegazing. In 1991 they resolved and Jason Pierce founded Spiritualized together with Jon Mattock. Besides, they developed from her motto "three chords good - two chords better - one chord best" an independent, uncompromising sound and fell under influence, among the rest, under tape like MC5, The Stooges, 13Th Floor Elevator and The velvet Underground. They released their masterpiece back in 1988 with 'Playing With Fire' an epic album by some weird ones. Differences of opinion between both dominant leaders were every now and then the reason that such an album could originate. It's a compact recording and the gift to their fans. Most of the song on this record were mellow, slower and soft like Spiritualized used to play a few years later. But there was one song on this album that drove me almost crazy when I first listened to it. 'Revolution' is this kind of song you listen for the first time and you'll never forget. A song only played with riffs, echoes and feedback with an steady going bass line (that comes angry to your ears) and lyrics that was written against the politic of Mrs. Thatcher (like most of the bands in this era did). I can remember when I listen to this song for the first time. It was at the end of 1988 and we had in Southern Germany the ability to listen to Alan Bangs (we called him the poor man's John Peel). When he made his last radio show before he was banned from the airplay because his kind of music wasn't compatible to the mainstream he made a two hours set with the music he was influenced and addicted to. Me and a couple of friends listened to this show and I was captured by this song. I thought by myself: This one must be much more an awesome song when you smoked something good.

Tune up loud and give yourself a pleasure while listening to it.
Have a good weekend people

The Foreign Corresondent Returns - Stories About German (Rock) Music # 47

Plan B is a forgotten German band. I only know a few people that can remember their name. They were nearly famous in 1989 when they released their album 'The Greenhouse Effect'. Maybe it depends in the title of their album which had the discourse at that time about the greenhouse effect to the title that they were arranged about the classification as a politically motivated group. But no such thing - Plan B were a guitare-oriented group which had their roots deeply in the early 80s New Wave-scene. When they formed in 1984 they toured with The Clash as their supporting act. A few years later they were the supporting band of The Ramones. I don't know why they didn't made their career in Germany, although they had all: great songs, powerful songs with hooks and dominating guitars. Maybe it's because they were too late at the start with their kind of music. I don't know but I remember when I played 'Discontentment' when I did DJ-ing many people asked me about the artist. This song could be a standard in this genre if it would be released a few years earlier.

Enjoy and have a good weekend mates.

Plan B - Dicontentment

What Happened To Power Pop # 10

Another forgotten band from the early 80s are The Bongos from New Jersey. I recognized them by their first album 'Drums along the Hudson'. It was a band that was stuck in the 70s British sound like T. Rex and the American Byrds as well. This album made great fun at this time with a lot of guitar based songs that lives the spirit of pure power pop. I grabbed this record out a few day ago and listened to it several times and I've to admit that it stood the test of time. Although they are an American band and their sound is like a bit of college they had more to give us (another band that gave me some kind of inspiration were The Feelies, especially their appearance in Jonathan Demme's 'Something Wild'). All in all The Bongos made a few songs that I would like to add to power pop - nothing more or less.

Enjoy and have a good time.

The Bongos - In the Congo

And as a bonus - their version of Mambo Sun by T. Rex

Nyah Fearties

Like Adam I cleaned up my hard drive and found a file that I've forgotten over years. I still remember this record but I couldn't find in my collection any more. Maybe I borrowed it to my brother years ago and didn't got it back again. Anyway, this post is about a band most of my friends could agree with years ago. Nyah Fearties were one more band from Scotland that were great long time ago but had like many others no commercial success. They were not another folk-punk band like The Pogues or The Men They Couldn't Hang. Their music was more raw and grounded than the ones I named. It was a perfect mixture of classic folk ingredients added with heavy influences of northern industrial sound. I once saw them once live in a small club close to my place. It was one of these concerts you went to and expected nothing and you get recompensed with an unforgettable gig. Davy and Stephen Wiseman have played as if it was to her the last time. Seldom saw two guys on the stage playing with this enthusiasm. If you are a little bit of low-fi folk-punk give them a listen.