Hello and welcome to show 116! Firstly, you can listen to the show here:-
Connections 116 11/2/2012
Today's show was just a little bit, but not all, moog inspired and featured that kitsch classic 'Popcorn' in it's original 1969 form, which is a bit busier than Hot Butter's version (See show107)...so to reflect the business, here's a busier picture!! So, let's get to the music...
Hey Hey by Gershon Kingsley (Audio Fidelity Records 1969) Götz Gustav Ksinski was one of the pioneers of the Moog, which at that time was something of a novelty, yet to be fully discovered. At this time, it was not a multi timbral instrument, ie you could only play one note at a time, so overdubbing must have been fairly taxing! Gershon was quite a unique artist in that he could turn his hand to some fairly avant garde (or avant garde a clue!) ideas, beat poetry to Moog music for instance, yet he could turn out a more commercial piece like this album, which is now considered a holy grail of Moog affectionados. Hey hey...it's Gershon Kingsley!! Lovely stuff...On this album, Music to Moog by, he covered two songs by...
Only A Northern Song by The Beatles (Apple Records 1969 (Recorded 1967)) Nothing is real indeed...This was recorded in 1967, I think either during or just after the Sergeant Pepper sessions. The thing about this song is that there is NO true stereo version. I think it's the only one in the Beatles catalogue. Presumably they just forgot to press play and record for that one!! So, to avoid any complication, I've included in glorious Mono... The tune has a very simple melody but is augmented by some frightfully complex organ work, and Paul McCartney playing a trumpet at the song junctions...all because George owned only something like 0.8% of Northern Songs, the Beatles publishing company, which was a vehicle for Lennon/ McCartney songs. Somehow...that fits into a story about a Yellow Submarine...really it does...Ringo played on the album Stephen Stills by Stephen Stills, as did...
Chicago/We Can Change The World by Graham Nash (Atlantic Records 1971) A great album cover, Nash pots Cacti!! This is a nice anthemic, seemingly happy song about some very sinister goings on, but I guess that maketh the good protest song. Rather than being an ad for Chicago, this is about the 1968 Democratic Convention and the Chicago 8. Bobby Seale is the poor bloke who was tied to a chair. There's justice...We can, and should, change the World. Graham Nash was, prior to upping sticks for California, a member of...
the eminent songwriter who worked with Mike Batt, who was the principle voice and songwriter for...
Banana Rock by The Wombles (CBS Records 1974) The Wombles were legends, living legends, legends that will live long after lots of other living legends have died...The Wombles were in reality, a very credible group of session musicians that changed somewhat, but included Chris Spedding and of course, Mike Batt, who recently wrote tunes for the UK Conservative Party, if you please! The genius of having a 'band' based on furry creatures in sweaty suits, means you can put who the hwell you want in them on stage and they can still resemble the Wombles. In 1975, their Wombling public found this out and there was a bit of a PR disaster. Still 2012 is here and apparently The Wombles are on the line up for Glastonbury!! I wonder if they'll womble up the rubbish after they've left!? Mike Batt wrote the soundtrack for an ITV programme (UK) called 'Dream Zone' which included a performance by Ozzy Osbourne, who of course, was a member of...
Paranoid by Black Sabbath (Vertigo Records 1970) Sharon!!! Black Sabbath are the ultimate pioneers of Heavy Metal, in inverted commas. They started with a fairly hippyish name, 'Earth,' which wasn't really cutting the mustard, so they went past a cinema where the film 'Black Sabbath ' was playing and saw that folk would pay a lot of money to get scared and thought therein lay a great idea!! So there you have it, Heavy metals association with all things dark!! This is a bit of a pre cursor to pogo, don't give yourself a headache headbanging now, will you!? The connection? Well, Jeff Fenholt who worked with later incarnations of Black Sabbath had his solo work released on CBS, as did Baris Manco, who was in Mogollar (Often referred to as 'The Turkish Pink Floyd) as was ... (Phew!)
Namus Belasi by Cem Karaca with Mogoller (Yavuz Plaklar 1974) The personification of cool. My loose translation of the lyrics is 'The horses and guns are ours, but if we kill in honour, we kill ourselves...' Cem didn't have a very easy time and for some years lived in then West Germany. He started out in Turkey in covers bands The Dynamites and The Jaguars and then moved to his first Turkish language band, Apaslar...which translates as 'The Rowdies!' Cem is The Daddy of Turkish Rock! The CBS connection leads us to John Peel's Dandelion Records, one of the distributors of which was CBS Records. One person whose first album was on Dandelion Records was....
Wherewithal by Clifford T Ward (Charisma Records 1973) Clifford T was a Drama teacher for a long while whilst he was dabbling in the music industry. At first, he made very little impact, but this was something of a landmark album, that meant he could get out of school and into the Top Of The Pops studio. Another songwriting talent that I fear is oft overlooked, he fell from the public eye for the last 15 odd years of his life down to ill health, regrettably. Now, the connection, Polydor Records also distributed the ill fated Dandelion Records, which lead me to...
Fade To Grey by Visage (Polydor Records 1980) In the grand tradition of the New Romantic movements, this was the era when synthesizers had become far more accessible to the likes of you and me, rather than being the reserve of elitest prog rock type pioneers. There is a general dispute allegedly, as to whose idea it was to place all the French speaking on here, but what does it matter..voila! A New Romantic masterpiece! Visage was later on Radar Records, as was...
I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea by Elvis Costello (Radar Records 1978) No, this cover wasn't a case of bad printing...the first few hundred issues of This Year's Model were purposely graphically wanting!! In the middle of the original LP record, there was a scratched message that you should ring Moira and a phone number...and if you did, you got a free badge!! The irony of Elvis' song of disdain for Chelsea is that at some reception or other for it, he talked to his public, and went to a waiting cab and asked to be taken to...where else? Chelsea!! Elvis sang on a record with Paul McCartney, as did...
I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) by Stevie Wonder (Tamla Motown Records 1972) It takes half the show to say the title, but it's worth it! As far as I know, this was the only cover to feature Stevie without his trademark sunglasses. This was the second of the 5 'Classic' Stevie Wonder albums. It always semmed to me in the 1980's, Stevie's image seemed a bit 'Middle of the Road,' but this run of albums really were 'thinking person's soul,' and are to this day unparalleled! These albums, up to 1974, were produced by the team of Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil, who were big names, producing the likes of Stevie, The Isley Brothers and Gil Scott Heron..and they were the pioneers of T.O.N.T.O...a la...
Cybernaut by Tonto's Expanding Headband (Atlantic Records 1971) TONTO was The Original New Timbral Orchestra, and was 4 synthesizer's put together that were as big as a front room in Cleckheaton!!! The thing with this baby was that you could for the first time, play multiple notes at one time! Amazing stuff. This is a very atmospheric piece of music that reminds me of deserts! Not a tune you hear a great deal on the radio either!! Just the fact that that fthey used Moog technology connects us back to...
Popcorn by Gershon Kingsley (Audio Fidelity Records 1969) The original...a bit busier than Hot Butter's version, an exercise in reverb!! Paving the way for all things synth pop...Long live Gershon Kingsley!!
...and that brings us to the end of another show..hope you've enjoyed!! Spread the love!
TimX
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