February 18, 2015

EP-iphanies: The Sundays’ “Can’t Be Sure” [U.K. 12″]

As you probably know by now, The Analog Kid lives for b-sides and non-album cuts. In this continuing series, I will share some of my favorite EPs and 12″ singles from over the years in their entirety. And since it’s digital, you don’t have to worry about correctly setting the turntable speed to 33⅓ or 45!

SUNDAYS

It’s been almost a year since we heard rumblings that the long-absent English band The Sundays might be planning a return, but unfortunately nothing official has happened as of yet. I suppose the long delay shouldn’t surprise long-time fans like me– after all, it’s been almost eighteen years since the reclusive band’s last release (1997’s Static & Silence), and even that album took five years to make.

Husband and wife David Gavurin and Harriet Wheeler have confirmed that they are working on new material, and I can only hope that one day we’ll get to hear some new Sundays music (and, hopefully, some live dates as well!). In the meantime, take a listen to the band’s 1989 debut single “Can’t Be Sure”– what a wonderful, wonderful pop song. The 12″ also contains the non-album track “Don’t Tell Your Mother,” a song that the band recorded and mixed during one quick studio session in 1988. See, they can work quickly when necessary!

Many artists have tried to emulate the ethereal beauty of The Sundays (I’m looking at you, Dolores O’Riordan), and most have failed. If Harriet and David simply need a little more time to make sure their new music lives up to the extremely high standard set by their first three albums, I will be more than happy to wait.

 

Note: The Sundays were the subject of one of my all-time favorite Analog Kid blog posts, first published back in November of 2013. Check it out if you’d like!

Sunday Morning Sundays

 

Can't Be Sure [U.K. 12_]

The Sundays: Can’t Be Sure [U.K. 12″]

Rough Trade Records, 1989

 

1. “Can’t Be Sure” (David Gavurin/Harriet Wheeler)

Can’t Be Sure

2. “I Kicked A Boy” (David Gavurin/Harriet Wheeler)

I Kicked A Boy

3. “”Don’t Tell Your Mother” (David Gavurin/Harriet Wheeler)

Don’t Tell Your Mother

___________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

Static & Silence

The Sundays: “Cry” (David Gavurin/Harriet Wheeler)

From the album Static & Silence

Geffen Records, 1997

Cry

 

Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We_

The Cranberries: “Sunday” (Dolores O’Riordan/Noel Hogan)

From the album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?

Island Records, 1993

Sunday

 

 

Posted by on February 18, 2015 in Alternative, Pop, Rock and tagged , , , , .

1 Comment

February 12, 2015

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (“Visions Of Excess” By The Golden Palominos)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

Legendary Dallas DJ George Gimarc first introduced me to The Golden Palominos back in 1989. George played “Boy (Go)” on 94.5 The Edge that summer, and of course I was instantly intrigued by the unmistakable voice of Michael Stipe. I immediately made a quick trip to my local Sound Warehouse and purchased Visions Of Excess, the 1985 album from alternative super-group The Golden Palominos.

Stipe sang lead on three songs on Visions Of Excess, but he wasn’t really even a member of the band. The only two “permanent” members of the Golden Palominos were founder/drummer Anton Fier and bassist Bill Laswell. The rest of the musicians varied from track to track and album to album, and the list is an impressive one– in addition to Stipe, Richard Thompson, Bernie Worrell, Chris Stamey, Johnny Lydon, Syd Straw, and Jack Bruce all made appearances on Visions Of Excess.

Lydon provided vocals for “The Animal Speaks,” a song that was likely recorded around the same time that Laswell was producing the P.I.L. classic Album. Stipe also sang on “Clustering Train” and “Omaha” (a Moby Grape cover), but it was Straw who handled the majority of the album’s vocals. Visions Of Excess was Straw’s first appearance on an album, and she would go on to make some fantastic solo records in the late ’80s and ’90s.

I love this entire album, but “Boy (Go)’ is the track that still stands out to me. Stipe sounds energized to be singing outside of his R.E.M. comfort zone, and Richard Thompson’s blistering guitar fills give the song an eerie edge. Thanks again, Mr. Gimarc– I can’t even imagine what my musical landscape would look like today without all of the music you introduced me to on The Edge in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

 

Visions Of Excess

The Golden Palominos: Visions Of Excess

Celluloid Records, 1985

 

1. “Boy (Go)” (Fier/Harris/Stipe)

Boy (Go)

2. “Clustering Train” (Fier/Harris/Stipe)

Clustering Train

3. “Omaha” (Spence)

Omaha

4. “The Animal Speaks” (Kidney)

The Animal Speaks

5. “Silver Bullet” (Fier/Straw/Harris)

Silver Bullet

6. “(Kind Of) True” (Fier/Straw/Harris)

(Kind Of) True

7. “Buenos Aires” (Fier/Straw)

Buenos Aires

8. “Only One Party” (Fier/Harris/Lindsay)

Only One Party

______________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

Surprise

Syd Straw: “Think Too Hard” (Holsapple)

From the album Surprise

Virgin America Records, 1989

Think Too Hard

 

Album

Public Image Ltd.: “Rise” (Lydon/Laswell)

From the album Album

Elektra Records, 1986

Rise

 

Moby Grape

Moby Grape: “Omaha” (Spence)

From the album Moby Grape

Columbia Records, 1967

Omaha

Posted by on February 12, 2015 in Alternative, Rock and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

1 Comment

February 10, 2015

Groovy Tuesday: “Float On” By The Floaters

Every Tuesday, the Analog Kid blog goes back in time and features some of the best groovy R&B/soul songs from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Sometimes you’ll hear songs from individual artists or from a specific year, and other times you’ll get an entire full-length classic LP ripped directly from the Analog Kid’s vast vinyl vault. Warning: by R&B/soul, I also mean disco. I could go all Village People on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!

 

floaters

The Analog Kid Blog first featured “Float On” back in December of 2013 on a Groovy Tuesday blog about the great songs of 1977, but that entry featured the edited 7″ single cut. That minimalist version of “Float On” was good enough to reach #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks in September of 1977, yet it pales in comparison to the smoldering full-length album version.

“Float On” may have been the only hit song for The Floaters, but don’t feel too bad for Ralph, Charles, Paul, and Larry. They may have been kept from the prized #1 slot by tracks from Andy Gibb & The Emotions, but there’s no shame in losing out to songs written by Barry Gibb and Maurice White. Besides, “Float On” somehow managed to encapsulate everything that was so awesome about the ’70s into one twelve-minute smorgasbord of sensuality. Even Barry Gibb and his fabulous chest hair had to be impressed…

 

The Floaters

The Floaters: “Float On” (Marvin Willis/Arnold Ingram/James Mitchell)

From the album Floaters

ABC Records, 1977

Float On

_________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

The Floaters_ Singles & B-Sides

The Floaters: “Float On” [7″ Version] (Marvin Willis/Arnold Ingram/James Mitchell)

ABC Records, 1977

Float On [7″ Version]

 

Flowing Rivers 1

Andy Gibb: “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” (Barry Gibb)

From the album Flowing Rivers

RSO Records, 1977

I Just Want To Be Your Everything

 

Rejoice

The Emotions: “Best Of My Love” (Maurice White/Al McKay)

From the album Rejoice

Columbia Records, 1977

Best Of My Love

Posted by on February 10, 2015 in One-Hit Wonders, Pop, Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

Leave a comment

February 5, 2015

EP-iphanies: The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” [U.S. 12″]

As you probably know by now, The Analog Kid lives for b-sides and non-album cuts. In this continuing series, I will share some of my favorite EPs and 12″ singles from over the years in their entirety. And since it’s digital, you don’t have to worry about correctly setting the turntable speed to 33⅓ or 45!

 

HumanLeague

I have to admit that I’m not always the biggest fan of remixes. I was never really into the new wave dance club scene back in the ’80s (the few who have actually seen me dance know why!), and most of the remixes  seemed to be inferior to the original versions anyway. Remove some guitar, add a few synth blasts, turn up the bass…voilà! Instant club remix!

As a music collector, though, my compulsive need to own everything by my favorite artists is quite strong. Do I really need ten different mixes of Depeche Mode’s “Everything Counts” in my iTunes library? Of course I don’t, but that’s how many I have managed to acquire in my years of collecting singles. I may rarely listen to them (although I must admit a fondness for the 1989 Alan Moulder “Absolut Mix”), but the record collector in me is happy to know that they are there.

Every now and then, though, I stumble upon a remix that I really love– one that stands alone from the original version, and in some way actually enhances my enjoyment of the song itself. Take the “Special Extended Dance Version” of The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me,” for example– this seven-minute-plus remix removes almost all of the vocals, yet the sparseness somehow manages to reveal just how beautifully constructed this song is in the first place. You’ll hear parts you barely (if ever) noticed when listening to the original version, and in the end you’re left with an even greater appreciation for a classic song that you’ve already loved for 34 years.

I ripped this extended version of “Don’t You Want Me” from the original U.S. 12″ single, but I had to use a CD copy of “Love Action” for the b-side as my vinyl had a few too many imperfections. The Analog Kid likes to hear crackles and pops here and there, but sometimes too much is too much! I did clean up the audio on “Love Action” a bit, as my CD copy of Dare! is the original U.S. release from the mid-’80s and it required a few boosts and fades in order to blend with the a-side.

This much is true: I hope you like the “Special Extended Dance Version” of “Don’t You Want Me” as much as I do!

 

Don't You Want Me [U.S. 12_] [320 kbps] 1

The Human League: Don’t You Want Me [U.S. 12″]

A&M Records, 1981

* 320 kbps vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid

 

1. “Don’t You Want Me” [Special Extended Dance Version] (Wright/Oakey/Callis)*

Don’t You Want Me [Special Extended Dance Version]

2. “Love Action (I Believe In Love)” (Burden/Oakey)

Love Action (I Believe In Love)

 

____________________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

Dare!

The Human League: “Don’t You Want Me” (Wright/Oakey/Callis)

From the album Dare!

A&M Records, 1981

Don’t You Want Me

 

Everything Counts [Live] [U.S. 12_]

Depeche Mode: “Everything Counts” [Alan Moulder Absolut Mix] (Gore)

From the U.S. 12″ Everything Counts

Sire Records, 1989

Everything Counts [Alan Moulder Absolut Mix]

Posted by on February 5, 2015 in Alternative, New Wave, Pop and tagged , , , , , , , .

Leave a comment

February 4, 2015

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (“The Plimsouls”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

Plimsouls

The Plimsouls only released two albums and one EP during their early ’80s heyday, but that minimal output was enough to cement the band’s place as power-pop legends. Of course, The Plimsouls are best-known for their 1983 MTV hit “A Million Miles Away, ” a song the band also performed in the cult classic film Valley Girl. The group also contributed their debut single “Zero Hour” to 1982’s The Last American Virgin, a movie that I must have watched about 100 times on HBO during the summer of 1983. (And yes, I still want to kick the crap out of that asshole Rick! After all, someone has to stick up for all of the nice-guy Garys in this world– especially those of us who also happen to be named Gary!)

“Zero Hour” was just one of the many great songs on The Plimsouls, the band’s first full-length album from 1981. Main songwriter Peter Case had a knack for brilliant pop melodies, and one listen to “Now” and “Hush, Hush” will make you understand why Geffen Records jumped all over the band after The Plimsouls was released. Unfortunately, the band only made one record (1983’s Everywhere At Once) for Geffen before Case departed for an eclectic solo career.

The Plimsouls was finally released on CD back in 1992 by Rhino Records, but it’s been out of print for years now. I was lucky enough to find a used copy back in the late ’90s, and I am happy to share this long-lost classic with you here on the Analog Kid blog!

 

The Plimsouls

The Plimsouls: The Plimsouls

Planet Records, 1981

 

1. “Lost Time” (Peter Case/Joey Alkes/Chris Fradkin)

Lost Time

2. “Now” (Peter Case/Joey Alkes/Chris Fradkin)

Now

3. “In This Town” (Peter Case)

In This Town

4. “Zero Hour” (Peter Case)

Zero Hour

5. “Women” (Steve Wright/George Young)

Women

6. “Hush, Hush” (Peter Case/Joey Alkes/Chris Fradkin)

Hush, Hush

7. “I Want What You Got” (Peter Case)

I Want What You Got

8. “Nickels And Dimes” (Peter Case)

Nickels And Dimes

9. “I Want You Back” (Peter Case)

I Want You Back

10. “Mini-Skirt Minnie” (George Jackson/Lindell Hill/Earl Cage, Jr.)

Mini-Skirt Minnie

11. “Everyday Things” (Peter Case)

Everyday Things

_________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

Everywhere At Once

The Plimsouls: “A Million Miles Away” (Peter Case)

From the album Everywhere At Once

Geffen Records, 1983

A Million Miles Away

 

The Plimsouls_ Singles & B-Sides 1

The Plimsouls: “When You Find Out” (Peter Case)

B-side of the 7″ single Now

Planet Records, 1981

When You Find Out

 

The Plimsouls_ Singles & B-Sides

The Plimsouls: “Hush, Hush” [Live] (Peter Case/Joey Alkes/Chris Fradkin)

Hush, Hush [Live]

The Plimsouls: “Dizzie Miss Lizzie” [Live] (Larry Williams)

Dizzy Miss Lizzie [Live]

B-sides of the 7″ single Zero Hour

Planet Records, 1981

 

The Man With The Blue Post Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditiona

Peter Case: “Two Angels” (Peter Case)

From the album The Man With The Blue Post Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar

Geffen Records, 1989

Two Angels

Posted by on February 4, 2015 in Alternative, New Wave, Power Pop, Rock and tagged , , , , .

1 Comment