I AS A POSTSCRIPT to last week’s Item concerning errors and contradictions In Proclaimers press releases issued by Chrysalis, consider the case oi the journalist who secured a meeting with the twins in Birmingham and, seated directly opposite the paIr, began his interview with the classic line, ‘So tell me, guys, how did the pair oi you llrst meet?’ Craig and Charlie apparently haven't stopped giggling since.
I Glasgow’s much talked-about Origin Sins announce their llrst single, to appear some time In November. It’s to be ‘Aphrodisiac Stone’, coupled with . . . coupled with. . . ‘Hawk relusesto tell,’ says the Sins’ manager, ‘Thal’s how much he cares about his public.’ Oh well. They are telling us about a Scottish tour, lined up ior October, and their imminent TV debut, a session on BBC1 broadcast on Saturday 26, the day they play the Garden Festival. Watch out tor it.
I A FURTHER long-awaited release is planned tor next month, when Swamp Trash are due to bring out their new mini-LP, ‘The Bone’, which puts together their excellent Janice Long session and two extra tracks. Any rumours that have suriaced in the meantime about their imminent breakup are completely untrue. So they say.
I ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY ior unsigned young bands, this time lrom the people who put together the “Power Hour’ TV show, previously only available to Super Channel cable subscribers, now aired late-night on Scottish. They‘re looking iorthe best unsigned band around with whom to make a video. Tapes, photo and biog to Chris Smith, Music Box, PO Box 48X, London W1 43x. Enclose an SAE lor return oi tapes.
I VIRGIN SIGNINGS Yeah! Boss, have changed their name to THE HIGHLANDERS alter legal complications. Even the transition was not that easy as an apparently geriatric lolk combo ot the same name already existed . . . In any case the band are set to release their iirst single in October. The selected track is Tell Me Things, which has been remixed by Bill Price, who also mixed the new Love and Money album, Strange Kind at Love, which is released in October.
I LAST SUNDAY was not a particularly happy one lor RICH. Scheduled to support Goodbye Mr MacKenzIe at the Maytair, they turned up to be told by MacKenzie management that they were no longer doing the show . . . apparently a result oi their involvement with Chrysalis, a label which rejected GMM last year. . . Instead oi gigging, the band went tor a meal in Greenock, alter which they were attacked, resulting in vocalist, Paul Grant being hospitalized. Listen wishes him a rapid recovery, and hope that the band's luck turns soon . . .
I MILLIONS LIKE US. the lirst signing
MUSIC LIST/ROCK
on the Circa label no longer are. Scottish singer, John O’Kane and songwriting partner Jeep have gone their separate ways, but Jeep Is currently working with Robinson Reid oi This Way Up on some new songs. This Way Up, however, have not (technically, at least) split up.
ALBUMS
I Robert Cray Band: Don’t Be Alrald ol the Dark (HIghtone/Mercury): Trying to reconcile the pros and cons oi Robert
Cray has always proven dillicult tor me.
Live, the band and the voice are brilliant, but the lyrics and to a lesser extent the songs seemed strangled in a blues tradition that seemed to swamp a real talent.
The representation oi women In the lyrics was always a negative point- and Right Next Door (Because at Me) Is one oi the most sexist songs oi all time. However, this album seems to enact what I had hoped would happen to Cray.
In terms oi both music and lyrics there has been a broadening oi horizons, which helps to make this the deiinitve Cray album to date. The single, Don’t Be Airald oi the Dark and Your Secret's Sale With Me are aided by the presence ol the Memphis brass-proving Cray to be as comiortable with soul arrangements as he is with blues.
There are at course the more predictable songs, complete with excellent guitar playing, which means that old tans are not going to be disappointed, which coupled with the album's other side, suggests that this could be the album to turn Cray irom respected and known musician Into worldwide superstar. Wait and see-but this Is worth a place in most collections. (John Williamson)
I Various: Live in a Scotch Sitting Room (McTape). Local samplers are always patchy allairs, and this compilation produced by the Edinburgh Musicians Collective oi a slzeable number ol its members Is both a head-scratching mixture and an olten-Irustrating example at DIY packaging. The accompanying booklet provides a handy recipe ior Impoverished musicians to stave oii malnutrition on a correspondingly small budget. Never mind, the music Is what matters, and the sixteen bands presented here make up a wide cross-section oi the Edinburgh ‘Indie’ scene, irorn the railroad country blues oi The Clipes to The Slim Cooks' agreeable dish ol jazzed-around pop, which puts me In mind oi groups oi Weekend’s vintage. The Slim Cooks track Is one oi the highlights, and one at the least stylistically representative. More true to the gritty ieel oi most oi the cassette is the Dog Faced Hermans’ live root-raiser ‘Mrs O’Grady', which despite Inaudlble vocals stands head
and shoulders above those who came in their wake. The Hermans play with Intent, unlike many In the current Edinburgh scene, who are content to take to the stage with the barast shreds oi an Identity and no idea how to write songs or Involve an audience- or what they would do It they could. Having said that, there are more than enough moments on this tape to make It worth £3: Call Me Clive are one ol the more musically ambitious groups leatured; The Beautiiul Suit irustratingly only reveal an ankle’s worth at their talents; Therapy’s more orthodox rock structures oilset some oi the more seriously wired and jitterytracks; and We Free Kings bring it to a rousing tinish with a demented version oi Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These Boots . . .’ (Mab)
SINGLES
I Love and Money: Hallelujah Man (Mercury): The lirst new material ior nearly two years, and it is a rellel that this single seems to take up where River oi People, by Iar the best track on their debut album, lelt oil. Choosing a middle course between the rock excess at something like Cheeseburger and the drippiness oi Dear John, this presents a more contemporary and Individual sound, which should open up a place lor them In the quality songwriters market. It is, however, not the most obvious single and may be more at home in the context oi the album, but it anyone at Radio One can appreciate some subtlety then it has a chance. (John Williamson) I Bop Baroque: International (WRC). And in the Minds comer. . . Bop Baroque! Enamoured ol modern guitar sounds, portenlous delivery and most likely the American charts. Which Is a shame, because It's nagging me that there’s a good song locked up in here II it could be done with more adventurous production and more oi themselves in .the arrangement. Have you noticed: no one sounds like a BAND any more? This is just one ol maybe a hundred singles recorded this week where an untried young band have gone In with a producer they don’t know and played the STUDIO. By numbers. (Mab)
PLAYLIST
John Williamson with the weekly Hit List.
1. THE LILAC TIME: Return to Yesterday (Fontana)
2. MAE McKENNA: Nightiallers (Venture, LP)
3. ALL ABOUT EVE: Martha’s Harbour (Mercury, Tin)
4. RIVER OETECTIVES: You Don’t Know A Thing About Love
5. TALKING HEADS: Blind (EMI, Tin) 6. TONI CHILDS: Don’t Walk Away (AaM, LP track)
7. LOVE AND MONEY: Strange Kind oi Love (LP sampler)
8. DOROTHY: Still Waiting (Chrysalis, Tin)
9. FIVE MEN NAMED MOE: She’s On A Mountain (demo)
to. ADELE BERTEI: Little Lives, Big Love (Chrysalis, Tin)
NIGHT
E
FRIDAY 26 Glasgow
I The Alhambra 3] Waterloo Street. 221 3260. Rpm—midnight. Free. Resident DJ with the latest sounds.
I The Batcave at Henry Al‘rikas. llpm—3.30am. £3. Proving very popular so l'm told. hardly surprising. have you noticed their subtle advertising campaign! I Bennets 1 lpm—3.30am. £2. Mainly (iay with Hi-NRG music.
I Cleopatras 10.30am—2.30pm.£3. DisCo sounds.
I Cotton Club I lpm—3.30am. £3. Special drinks promotion night each Friday.
I Delerium at Tin l’an Alley. 10.30pm—3am.£2.50with ticket. lfpfront llouse. Soul and Hip l lop.
I Disco Viva 10.30pm—3am. £3.50. The Disco Viva house disco in full swing. High energy funk and chart sounds with personality DJ.
IFoIIies 10.30pm—3.30am. £3.50. Chart-baseddisco sounds. [ND] INT]
I Fury Murry's I lpm—3.30am. £3.50. ‘Funk on Fridays at l‘urys'. with Radio Clyde DJ Segun who adds a touch ofjau. I The Gun Club at Joe Paparazzi. 10.30pm—late. £3. Fortunately this isno relation to the Gun (‘lub which Fury Murrys gave the boot a couple olmonths back. because this is run by those lovable people from the (iardcn Festival who promise cheap drinks and cabaret.
I Hard Rock
Calle at the Venue. I(Ipm till late. £3.50. Live music and disco.
I Hollywood Studios I(Ipm-3am. £3.50. ()ver 21 House disco. with live acts every other week.
I Knighlsbridge SW1 1lpm~3.30am.()ver 21 night at the newest club in (ilasgow with DJ Eddie (ioldberg. [ND] [NT] |A| I Maylair l lpm-3am. £3.50. ()ver25s night in the ballroom and Radio (‘ity at the (‘ameo Suite. See below.
I Mardi Gras I0.30pm—3.30am. £3 with ticket. Shaft - drinks promotions as well. I Palomino
Club 9pm—3am. £4. Discosounds.
I Panama Jax l0.45pm~-3.30am. £3.50. Soul and mixed chart music with resident DJs. Tommy Arnold or Raymond Davren.
I P1322lil.3(lpm—3.30am.£4. Mixed sounds.
I Radio City at the Mayfair. I(Ipm—2am. £1 .50. Groovy psychedelic revivalist club (aren‘t they all‘.’). Well worth a visit. but it can seem like a Stephen Pastel lookalike competition at times.
I Rattles 10.30—3am. £3. Discosounds with DJ. Roddy Stewart.
I Reggae Club at the Function Suite. Rooftops. I(Ipm—3am. £3.
I Singles Club Vamps Floor at Disco Viva. 9.30pm—2am. Admission by membership — contact venue for details.
I Sub Club 1 lpm—3.3(lam. £3.50;£l .50 before midnight. The concession night at Sub (‘lub with lager only 85p a pint. [A]
I Warehouse llpm—3.30am. £3. Beatbox. £2 with lickct1£3 without. Blend of l louse and (‘ommercial Soul. [A]
I Zap Club at the Briggait. I Ipm—late. £3.50. Cabaret starts at 8pm. Tonight is the Acid House night. with a surprise DJ to be announced. amongst other things.
The List 26 Aug— I Sept I988 63