Blast From The Past – Be Stiff Tour 1978

Stiff Records

I cannot believe that it is 30 years ago this month that Stiff Records set out on the “Be Stiff” tour of the UK. The tour featured a revue of Stiff artists and travelled around where possible by train it was in reality a modern version of the Motown or stax revues which toured promoting their label’s rosters.

Be Stiff Route 78

Stiff Records were “the” label of the moment having the year before released the classic Damned debut album “Damned Damned Damned” and had just released a series of “picture disc” albums from a variety of unknown artists of varying music styles.

Stiff Picture Discs

Tour Poster

I still listen to music from the artists on the tour, Wreckless Eric is deserving of a post of his own which I will compile soon tying in with his new album.

Of the others I still listen to Rachel Sweets “Fool Around” album and still own the original picture disc so here is here cover of the classic B.A.B.Y

Fool Around - Rachel Sweet

“B.A.B.Y” – Rachel Sweet (MP3)

Listen:-

Next up is Lene Lovich who has never bettered her 1978 album “Stateless”

Now I missed out on the picture disc edition of the album but do have a red vinyl version.

“Lucky Number” – Lene Lovich (MP3)

Listen:-

Rachel Sweet remans my favourite so here is some more background information:-

Rachel Sweet was a 16-year-old with a powerful voice reminiscent of Brenda Lee’s barrelhouse alto when she released her first album in 1978. The album, Fool Around, was notable for her renditions of the country-flavored compositions of her Svengali-like producer, Liam Sternberg, as well as a riveting update of the 1960s Carla Thomas hit “B-A-B-Y.” The highly irreverent label for which she recorded, England’s Stiff Records, made much of her youth, marketing the sex appeal of her voice and perpetrating a jailbait sexpot image for the young singer. She recorded three more albums before abandoning music to focus on acting in movies, including Second Chance with Gene Hackman and Ann Margaret, and television series like Seinfeld. She also did cartoon voiceovers and worked as a television writer, producer, and director on such series as Sports Night, Dharma and Greg, and The Naked Truth.

Born on July 28, 1962, and raised in Akron, Ohio, Sweet’s parents recognized her prodigious vocal talents at an early age. By the time she was six, she was singing in advertising jingles and appearing onstage with Mickey Rooney. She also appeared as an opening act for comic Bill Cosby in Las Vegas. In the early 1970s, her acting talent and innocent appearance won her the lead in the film adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s bestselling novel The Exorcist. Conflicting rumors surround Sweet’s abdication the role to Linda Blair; one is that her mother was shocked by the language (voiced by veteran actress Mercedes McCambridge) and overdubbed to emanate from the young character’s mouth. Another suggests that Sweet removed herself from the project due to language the young actress found objectionable.

In the mid-1970s Sweet recorded several country songs–”Any Port in a Storm,” “Paper Airplane,” and “The Ballad of Mable Ruth Miller and John Wesley Pritchett”–for the Derrick record label in Ohio. In the late 1970s she became the protégé songwriter and producer Liam Sternberg. He wrote and produced several songs with Sweet, including “Truckstop Queen,” about a wealthy woman who waitresses “for fun” at one of the chain of truck stop restaurants she owns. Sternberg sent the recordings to the nascent English label Stiff Records, known for their offbeat humor, indifference to loss or profit, and outlandish marketing ploys.

Stiff included several Sweet songs on the Akron Compilation, which came complete with a scratch-and-sniff album cover featuring a large tire (Akron was the home of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company). Sweet’s songs appeared with contributions from other Akron bands such as Tin Huey, the Waitresses, and Jane Aire and the Belvederes. She appeared on another Stiff compilation, A Bunch of Stiffs, where her songs were included with tracks by Jona Lewie and Micky Jupp.

In 1978 Stiff released Sweet’s debut album, Fool Around, which featured backup musicians consisting of Stiff label mates the Rumour–Martin Belmont, Brinsley Schwarz, Andrew Bodnar, Steve Goulding, and Bob Andrews–a band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s as Graham Parker’s backup. The Rumour turned out to be highly adaptable, abandoning the R&B pub-rock they were accustomed to playing in favor of more country and western-flavored playing on such songs as “Wildwood Saloon.” Several tracks, however, including “Who Does Lisa Like?,” “Cuckoo Clock,” and “Just My Style” rock as hard as anything the Rumour recorded with Parker. Interpreting Sternberg’s songs and the cover of Carla Thomas’ “B-A-B-Y,” Sweet’s voice is remarkably assured for such a young singer.

Critics praised the album, although Ira Robbins and John Walker voiced their disappointment with the American release. “In its original English release, Fool Around is a great-sounding record that has Sweet voicing Sternberg’s vision of the hip girl-child,” they wrote in the New Trouser Press Record Guide. “The American version–remixed, re-ordered and with two different tracks–has much less vitality.” Robert Christgau, the self-anointed “dean of American rock critics,” disagreed, writing on his website, “Two compositions by (ousted?) svengali Liam Sternberg have been replaced on the U.S. release by prime, straightforward rockers. This makes sense. Like Tanya Tucker, Sweet thrives on simple material, and while I like Sternberg’s catchy, thoughtful songs, their fussy, uncolloquial moments don’t suit Sweet’s hot-teen persona … Unfortunately both these songs were left on the LP, while natural Sweet stuff like “Just My Style” and “Truckstop Queen” (on Stiff’s Akron Anthology) were omitted. This doesn’t make sense.” Nevertheless, Christgau graded Fool Around a B+.

In October of 1978 Stiff sent Sweet on a promotional “Be Stiff” tour by train to Scotland. Her backup band was the Records, a British power pop band featuring future solo stars Will Birch and Jude Cole, best known for their hit single “Starry Eyes.” The tour was meant to recapture the excitement of the 1977 Stiff promotional tour that featured Nick Lowe, Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, Wreckless Eric, and Larry Wallis and His Psychedelic Rowdies. Critic Allan Jones was disappointed, however, writing in Uncut: “Exactly a year ago, I was up here [Glasgow] with the original Stiffs Live Stiff Tour … I’m back now with the Be Stiff Route 78 tour, whose less stellar line-up has had critics tutting disparagingly … This is all a bit hard on the current cast–which includes teenage songbird Rachel Sweet, hoary pub rocker Jona Lewie and power poppers the Records … “

In 1980 Sweet released her sophomore effort. Recorded without Sternberg, Protect the Innocent contained such songs as “Fool’s Gold” by Graham Parker, the Velvet Underground song “New Age” by Lou Reed, “Baby Let’s Play House” (made famous by Elvis Presley), Moon Martin’s “I Got a Reason,” Robert Palmer’s “Jealous,” and–the song considered to be the first British punk single (also released on Stiff Records)–the Damned’s “New Rose.” The album also features a seductive song written by Sweet, “Tonight Ricky,” in which she mimics the come-hither breathy vocal styles of Julie London and Marilyn Monroe. The album registered with Trouser Press critic Jon Young, who wrote: “Rachel Sweet’s second album showcases her impressive voice far better than her first one. With all respect to the competent band, it remains for Sweet to find a foil that will challenge, provoke and push her to new heights. If good is so easy, why not great? It’s time someone knocked Linda Rondstadt off her perch.”

In 1981 Sweet either left or was dropped by Stiff. She remained on the label that distributed Stiff Records in the United States, however, and released And Then He Kissed Me that same year. She received airplay largely due to a duet with teen heartthrob Rex Smith, a remake of “Everlasting Love,” which had been a 1967 hit by Robert Knight and an even bigger hit in 1974 by Carl Carlton. The duo also filmed a video of the song. However, the album failed to impress critics or record buyers, the same fate that befell her 1982 release, Blame It on Love, Sweet’s final album.

Notable for songs she wrote herself, Walker and Robbins believed the album displayed “signs of revitalization. Though it sounds Tom Petty-influenced, Sweet wrote the entire album’s worth of catchy material. She may never regain the youthful charm of her debut LP, but at least this LP shows her regaining control over her musical direction.” The critics’ prognostication proved inaccurate, unfortunately, and Sweet abandoned her recording career to pursue acting, cartoon voiceover work (including a rumored stint as the voice of Barbie), and directing, producing, and writing. She temporarily returned to singing in 1988 and 1990, when she contributed her vocal talents to the soundtracks of two John Waters films, Hairspray and Cry-Baby.

by Bruce Walker

New News – Paul Weller

 

Weller At The BBC

Paul Weller At The BBC (Includes exclusive Paul Weller print from the box-set artwork) (4xCD)

Released: November 3, 2008

Tracks

1. Fly On The Wall (Johnnie Walker – Live 5.9.92)
2. Pink On White Walls
3. Amongst Butterflie
4. Wild Wood (Saturday Sequence – Johnnie Walker – 2.10.93)
5. Hung Up
6. Out Of The Sinking (band version)
7. Clues
8. Whirlpool’s End(Lunchtime Show – Emma Freud – 26.10.94)
9. Out Of The Sinking (acoustic version) (Lunchtime Show – 1.11.1994)
10. Broken Stones (band version)
11. Time Passes
12. The Changing Man
13. I Walk On Gilded Splinters(Evening Session – 8.5.95)
14. Broken Stones (acoustic version)
15. You Do Something To Me(Simon Mayo – 12.9.95)
16. Brushed
17. Peacock Suit
18. Up In Suze’s Room
19. Friday Street
20. Mermaids
21. The Poacher(Evening Session Live – 10.6.97)

1. Driving Nowhere (Mark Goodier – 23.11.97)
2. Friday Street – (acoustic version) (Kaleidoscope – Live In The Studio 19.9. 97)
3. Science (Jo Wiley – 1997)
4. Wishing On A Star
5. Thinking Of You (The Drivetime Show With Johnnie Walker – 1.9.04)
6. Corrina, Corrina
7. Early Morning Rain
8. Foot Of The Mountain (Mark Lamarr For Jonathan Ross – 8.1.05)
9. To The Start Of Forever
10. Out Of The Sinking (Janice Long – 4.3.05)
11. Paper Smile
12. Come On Lets Go (The Drivetime Show With Stuart Maconie – 28.7.05)
13. Amongst Butterflies
14. Frightened
15. That’s Entertainment (Mark Lamarr: Sold On Song – 11.2.06)
16. All I Wanna Do (Is Be With You
17. Cold Moments
18. Push It Along
19. Pretty Flamingo (Mark Lamarr: God’s Jukebox – 5.7.08)

1. My Ever Changing Moods
2. A Man Of Great Promise
3. Kosmos
4. Speak Like A Child
5. Just Like Yesterday
6. Work To Do
7. Pity Poor Alfie Royal Albert Hall 13/10/92
8. What’s Goin’ On
9. Uh Huh Oh Yeh
10. Hercules
11. Bull Rush/Magic Bus
12. Above The
13. Everything Has A Price To Pay
14. Headstart For Happiness
15. Into Tomorrow Phoenix Festival 13/7/95
16. Porcelain Gods
17. Stanley Road
18. Can You Heal Us (Holy Man)

1. Shadow Of The Sun
2. I Walk On Gilded Splinters
3. Out Of The Sinking
4. Hung Up
5. Sunflower
6. Broken Stones
7. Fly On The Wall
8. Tales From The Riverbank Victoria Park 8/8/98
9. Peacock Suit
10. Heavy soul
11. Science Radio Theatre 9/11/98
12. I Didn’t Mean To Hurt You
13. Brand New Start
14. Wild Wood
15. Friday Street
16. The Changingman

Release Info

‘Weller at the BBC’ is a stunning 74-track, digitally-remastered, 4-CD hard-back book set of exclusive BBC sessions and live concert tracks from 1990 – 2008, including a lavish 64-page booklet with extensive sleevenotes, new interviews with Paul and others with scores of rare photos from the archive.

“The BBC Recordings is a great tradition. I’ve bought quite a few in the past, from the Hendrix one to The Who to the Small Faces to the Fabs, so for my stuff to be put out alongside them and to be a part of that tradition, it’s definitely something special.” – Paul Weller 2008

“The Changingman” Live From Glastonbury [MP3}

Listen:-

New Music – The Clash

The Clash - Live At Shea Stadium

In 1982 The Clash supported The Who on their “farewell tour” of North America which included a couple of nights at the famous Shea Stadium.

The Clash recorded these concerts and the tapes were lost until found during one of Joe Strummer’s house moves, the resultant album is released shortly and is tipped to join the elite list of classic live albums which include The Who’s own “Live At Leeds”.

Here is “Tommy Gun”

“Tommy Gun” – The Clash (MP3)

Listen:-

Shea Stadium

“Should I Stay Or Should I Go” Live At Shea Stadium Video

Music and Dumbarton FC – Two Passions Collide

Boghead Park

For a long time I have been searching through my boxes of stored CD’s looking for a CD Single by The Supernaturals which had a B-side entitled “High Tension At Boghead” to no avail.

Recently I have been checking out and enjoying the Vinyl Villian blog which features a massive amount of Scottish related music and as a last resort I posted a comment asking if by any chance they had the aforementioned track and to my great pleasure it has been posted today so many thanks VV!!

So finally for your enjoyment here is the aforementioned track from the 1997 single  “Prepare To Land”

“High Tension At Boghead” – The Supernaturals (MP3)

Listen:-

 

Many won’t realise that Dumbarton FC have also been recording artists…..in 1978 caught up in World Cup fever the DFC Squad of ’78 were roped nto a recoring session with Midge Ure to record a “World Cup” song for EMI America entitled “Hey Argentina” safe to say like Scotland it flopped!

At the same session they recorded the same song with alternative lyrics called “The Sons We’re The Ones” only test pressings exist one of which I have somewhere but I do have a MP3 for your enjoyment!

“The Sons We’re The Ones” – Dumbarton FC Squad 1978 (MP3)

Listen:-

Perhaps if we win promotin this year the present squad could mark the event with a new song.

Dumbarton FC 2008-2009

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Ray Wilson – Propaganda Man (Update)

A track from the new album has been made officially available and you can listen to it below.

“Bless Me” – Ray Wilson

Propaganda Man Available November

You can download the above track for free by visiting www.raywilson.net

Propaganda Tour 2008

UK dates to follow.