September 10, 2014

45 RPM: U2’s “Another Day” [Irish 7″]

Here’s your ticket to some of the best (or, perhaps, most infamous) 7″ singles ever released! No adapter is required, although in my opinion the device pictured below is right up there with Jolt Cola as one of the best inventions of the 20th century.

45_adapter

 

U2 surprised everyone with the announcement of a new record yesterday. Even more surprising was the fact the Songs Of Innocence was already available on iTunes. And the biggest surprise? It’s free. To anyone. In the entire world.

super genius

U2 finally woke up and realized that they are never again going to sell ten million copies of an album. The market just doesn’t work that way any longer, and it was pointless for the band to continue living in the past. It has been five long years since the release of No Line On The Horizon, a good album that didn’t sell particularly well. The band seemed to take the sales numbers personally, even though they were playing to sold out stadiums around the world (and raking in millions) in support of it. A follow-up record has been in the works for years, but the band kept scrapping releases. Even die-hard U2 fans were starting to get really pissed off.

And then yesterday, there it was. Out of nowhere. I’ve listened to Songs Of Innocence three times now, and I really like it a lot. It’s no Achtung Baby, but how could it be? That album was released almost 23 years ago, and U2 have been living in its shadow ever since. Yesterday, they stepped into the light. No more worries about album sales– this one is free! Take it, world. It’s yours. Half a billion people around the world use iTunes, and all of them can now own Songs Of Innocence without paying a cent. Many will love it, and many will say it sucks– but at least they’ll be listening to new U2 music, and that’s why this is an absolutely brilliant move by the band.

Since Songs Of Innocence is essentially a concept album about the band’s teenage years in Dublin, I thought I’d feature an artifact from that era in today’s 45 RPM blog. “Another Day” was U2’s first 7″ single release, and it was only available in Ireland. The b-side was “Twilight,” a song that U2 would re-record later that year for inclusion on their debut album Boy. Listen to this rare 45, and then go pick up your own (again, FREE!) copy of Songs Of Innocence on iTunes. I think you’ll hear the connection. And if you don’t, U2 doesn’t really seem to care. At least you’re listening, and that is a very good thing.

 

Another Day [Irish 7_]

U2: Another Day [Irish 7″]

CBS Records, 1980

 

A-side: “Another Day” (U2)

Another Day

B-side: “Twilight” [Original Version] (U2)

Twilight

___________________________________________________________

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.

Songs Of Innocence

U2: “”Raised By Wolves” (U2)

From the album Songs Of Innocence

i-Tunes Exclusive, 2014

Raised By Wolves

 

Boy [Original CD Release]

U2: “Twilight” (U2)

From the album Boy

Island Records, 1980

Twilight

 

No Line On The Horizon

U2: “Magnificent” (U2)

From the album No Line On The Horizon

Interscope Records, 2009

Magnificent

Posted by on September 10, 2014 in Alternative, New Wave, Rock and tagged , , , , , , , .

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September 9, 2014

Groovy Tuesday: Brick’s “Good High”

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 Anita Ward on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!

 

Last Tuesday was not so groovy, as the Analog Kid Blog sadly had to acknowledge the death of Survivor vocalist Jim Jamison. Now that a week has passed, it’s time to get back up on that (funky) horse– and Brick’s 1976 album “Good High” is a great way to do just that. The band’s debut album spawned the hit single “Dazz,” and paved the way for another six albums of Brick’s unique funk/jazz/disco sound.

“Dazz” was the perfect single to introduce Brick to a dance-crazy American audience in 1976. “Jazz dazz disco jazz” summed up the band’s musical identity in one succinctly infectious chorus, and the single went all the way to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Brick only had one other Top 100 hit on the pop charts (1977’s “Dusic” reached #18), but the band continued to have success on the R&B charts well into the ’80s.

Good High was finally released on CD in 2011, but unfortunately that disc is already out of print. I recently ripped the copy below from my original vinyl pressing , and I haven’t been able to stop playing it since. Everybody, go on and dance if you want to– how could you not?

 

he heGood High 1

Brick: Good High

Bang Records, 1976

Vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid

 

1. “Here We Come” (Brown)

Here We Come

2. “Music Matic” (Ransom)

Music Matic

3. “Dazz” (Ransom/Hargis/Irons)

Dazz

4. “Can’t Wait” (Hargis/Ransom/Irons)

Can’t Wait

5. “Southern Sunset” (Hargis)

Southern Sunset

6. “Good High” (Ransom/Hargis/Irons)

Good High

7. “Brick City” (Nevins)

Brick City

8. “Sister Twister” (Ransom/Hargis/Irons/Brown/Nevins)

Sister Twister

9. “That’s What It’s All About” (Brown)

That’s What It’s All About

____________________________________________________________________

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.

Brick

Brick: “Dusic” (Brown/Ransom/Hargis)

From the album Brick

Bang Records, 1977

Dusic

Posted by on September 9, 2014 in Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , .

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September 8, 2014

45 RPM: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ “Jammin’ Me” [U.S. 7″]

Here’s your ticket to some of the best (or, perhaps, most infamous) 7″ singles ever released! No adapter is required, although in my opinion the device pictured below is right up there with Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls as one of the best inventions of the 20th century.

45_adapter

 

When Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers released their Greatest Hits album in 1993, a few big songs from the band were noticeably absent. One of those missing hits was “Jammin’ Me,” a classic Petty rocker that almost made the Top 10 in the summer of 1987. In fact, there were no songs from the fantastic Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough) album on Greatest Hits, making it the only Heartbreakers album unrepresented on the compilation. I am still baffled by that, as I think Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough) is the best Heartbreakers record of the ’80s. It may be all over the map stylistically, but the songwriting is top-notch and the band is in amazing form. The Heartbreakers had just come off of a long tour backing Bob Dylan, and you can tell that the experience raised both their cohesiveness and their chops.

“Jammin Me” was written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell with a little help from that Dylan guy. Vanessa Redgrave may have wondered exactly what she did to justify being taken back with Joe Piscopo, but she shouldn’t have viewed the lyric as a slight– many of the lines in “Jammin’ Me” were simply pulled straight out of the newspaper in a very stream-of-consciousness manner. The song attacked the listener with a barrage of  seemingly unconnected soundbites, and did a brilliant job of simulating the media overkill that really took over in the mid-’80s (and has only worsened since). I can only imagine what Tom Petty thinks of today’s communications saturation– hint: he definitely does NOT post on Twitter.

The b-side of “Jammin’ Me” is the previously unreleased “Make That Connection,” a Petty composition that didn’t make the Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough) album. It was finally released on CD on 1995’s Playback box set.

Note: if you have yet to pick up a copy of the new Heartbreakers record, you need to check it out. I am enjoying Hypnotic Eye more than any record the band has released since the Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough) cassette was perpetually stuck in my car stereo during the summer of 1987.

 

Jammin' Me [U.S. 7_]

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Jammin’ Me [U.S. 7″]

MCA Records, 1987

 

A-Side: “Jammin’ Me” (Tom Petty/Mike Campbell/ Bob Dylan)

Jammin’ Me

B-Side: “Make That Connection” (Tom Petty)

Make That Connection

_______________________________________________________________

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.

Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) 1

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: “Runaway Trains” (Tom Petty/Mike Campbell)

Runaway Trains

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: “It’ll All Work Out” (Tom Petty)

It’ll All Work Out

Both taken from the album Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough)

MCA Records, 1987

 

Hypnotic Eye

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: “American Dream Plan B” (Tom Petty)

From the album Hypnotic Eye

Reprise Records, 2014

American Dream Plan B

Posted by on September 8, 2014 in Rock and tagged , , , , , , .

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September 5, 2014

EP-iphanies: Sinéad O’Connor’s “Three Babies” [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!

 

I first heard Sinéad O’Connor’s voice on “Heroine,” a song from a 1986 film soundtrack from U2’s The Edge. I first saw Sinéad when she performed her debut single “Mandinka” on the Letterman show a year later. She was obviously nervous and her voice was a little shaky, but her presence was still completely captivating. I had already purchased The Lion And The Cobra by that point, and it’s still one of my favorite albums.

Of course, O’Connor would become an international star with the release of that song in 1990. Many still consider her a one-hit wonder, and she does technically fit the description (“Nothing Compares 2 U” was her only Top 40 hit in the U.S.). The truth is that Sinéad has been making great records for more than 25 years now, and that voice is still every bit as powerful as it was back in 1987.

“Three Babies” is one of my favorite tracks from I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, Sinéad’s second album. The 1990 U.K. 12″ for “Three Babies” also includes some wonderful b-sides– there’s a beautiful cover of Etta James’ “Damn Your Eyes,” and The Smiths’ Andy Rourke co-wrote the rocking “The Value Of Ignorance” with O’Connor. There’s also a great live version of “Troy,” perhaps her most intense song.

Sinéad rarely tours the United States, but I was lucky enough to see her live during the summer of 1990 at Dallas’ now-defunct Bronco Bowl. She stopped the show after three songs and announced that she couldn’t continue because her voice was failing. Most of the sold-out crowd was irate, and I suppose that was understandable as no refunds were given. I was certainly disappointed that the performance ended so quickly, but I also know that I saw more intensity in those three songs than most bands give in a two-hour show. It may have been the shortest concert of my life, but it’s a moment that will always be with me.

 

Three Babies [U.K. 12_]

Sinéad O’Connor: Three Babies [U.K. 12″]

Chrysalis Records, 1990

 

1. “Three Babies” (O’Connor)

Three Babies

2. “Damn Your Eyes” (Wyrick/Bogard)

Damn Your Eyes

3. “Troy” [Live] (O’Connor)

Troy [Live]

4. “The Value Of Ignorance” (O’Connor/Rourke)

The Value Of Ignorance

___________________________________________________________

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.

Captive_ Music From The Film

The Edge & Sinéad O’Connor: “Heroine” (The Edge/O’Connor)

From the album Captive

Island Records, 1986

Heroine [Theme From ‘Captive’]

 

Sinéad O'Connor_ Singles & B-Sides

Sinéad O’Connor: “Mandinka” [Extended Version] (O’Connor)

From the U.S. Promo 12″ Mandinka

Chrysalis Records, 1988

Mandinka [Extended Version]

 

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Sinéad O’Connor: “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Prince)

From the album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got

Chrysalis Records, 1990

Nothing Compares 2 U

Posted by on September 5, 2014 in Alternative, Rock and tagged , , , , , .

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September 3, 2014

45 RPM: Fleetwood Mac’s “Seven Wonders” [U.S. 7″]

Here’s your ticket to some of the best (or, perhaps, most infamous) 7″ singles ever released! No adapter is required, although in my opinion the device pictured below is right up there with Donkey Kong as one of the best inventions of the 20th century.

45_adapter

We are only 27 days away from the start of Fleetwood Mac’s On With The Show tour. Christine McVie’s long-awaited return to the band will become official when the Mac take the stage at the Target Center in Minneapolis on September 30th, and as of now I still hope to be in the audience. I can’t wait to see what the band decides to play, especially with all of Christine’s classics back in the mix.

One song I’d really love to hear (even though it’s not a Christine song) is “Seven Wonders,” a Top 20 hit for the band back in 1987. “Seven Wonders” was last played live on the tour in support of Tango In The Night in 1988, although Lindsey Buckingham had already left the band by that point. “Seven Wonders” has never been played live by the “classic” Mac line-up, but I have a strong feeling that may change come September. The song received some major exposure earlier this year when Stevie Nicks made a guest appearance on American Horror Story, and the time seems right for “Seven Wonders” to finally reappear in a Fleetwood Mac live show.

One song that I am pretty sure will not be in the set list is “Book Of Miracles,” the rare b-side to the 7″ Seven Wonders single. It’s a lovely instrumental piece that is credited to both Buckingham and Nicks, and the song has never been released anywhere else– not even on the 4-disc 25 Years: The Chain box set from 1992.

Enjoy the tunes, and wish me luck on my quest to make it to Minneapolis!

 

Seven Wonders {U.S. 7_]

Fleetwood Mac: Seven Wonders [U.S. 7″]

Warner Brothers Records, 1987

 

A-side: “Seven Wonders” (Stevie Nicks/Sandy Stewart)

Seven Wonders

B-side: “Book Of Miracles” (Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks)

Book Of Miracles

_______________________________________________________________

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.

Seven Wonders [U.K. 12_]

Fleetwood Mac: “Seven Wonders” [Extended Remix] (Stevie Nicks/Sandy Stewart)

From the U.K. 12″ single Seven Wonders

Warner Borothers Records, 1987

Seven Wonders [Extended Remix]

Posted by on September 3, 2014 in Pop, Rock and tagged , , , , , , , .

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