FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: A Premature Peak: Albums Tracks That Should Have Been Closers

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

PHOTO CREDIT: Sound On/Pexels

A Premature Peak: Albums Tracks That Should Have Been Closers

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GETTING the sequencing of an album…

PHOTO CREDIT: Miguel Á. Padriñán/Pexels

is an artform in itself. Many people do not consider how important it is making sure that the songs are in the right order. Maybe a subjective measure, it is clear that there are certain tracks that should be near the top of an album and those near the end. Ideally, an album should have one of its best tracks at the top. It makes sure you have a strong statement hooking listeners from the start. Also, if you can, ending with the finest song means you end on a high. If you have any weaker songs or those not as immediate or epic, then they could go near the middle. There are artists that get it wrong. Potentially classic albums that have the songs in the wrong place. A few minor tweaks could have made it much better. I have explored this subject before. I have been thinking about albums that have natural album closers that are not where they should be. In the sense that this amazing and finale-worthy song is higher up the tracklisting. This thought was compelled by me listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. It is an album where I think the sequencing is wrong – in spite of Rumours being a classic. The Chain is near the middle of the pack. I am always baffled why this is not the closing song. It is such a fascinating song. It should have ended Rumours. Gold Dust Woman ends Rumours. It is a fantastic song, yet The Chain seems like the perfect way to end a magnificent album. It got me thinking about other albums where the wrong closing track was selected. I have compiled a playlist featuring the songs that should have ended the album. Those finales that never were. Perhaps people will have their own views. Here are my views of the album tracks that should have…

IN THIS PHOTO: Fleetwood Mac circa 1977

BEEN the closers.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: The Glastonbury 2024 Playlist

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

The Glastonbury 2024 Playlist

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EARLIER this week…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa 

music fans got a treat with the release of the Glastonbury line-up. There are still names and more details to come, though we got an array of wonderful names. This year, unlike any other, features two female headliners. Dua Lipa and SZA are confirmed. Shania Twain will also play the legends slot. It is a year when there is gender parity and that all-important recognition of women as headliners. Let’s hope that this is a sign of things to come! I am going to come to  a playlist featuring songs from artists announced so far. It is an eclectic and fabulous line-up. Here, The Guardian discuss this year’s line-up:

“Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA will headline Glastonbury 2024, a diverse spread of A-list artists matched by a strong supporting lineup across the 26-30 June festival including Little Simz, LCD Soundsystem and Burna Boy, plus Shania Twain in the always-jubilant “legend” slot.

Much loved by Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis who once said they can “call in and do the milking any time” on his Worthy Farm site, Coldplay continue their longstanding relationship with the festival, becoming the first act to headline the Pyramid stage five times. They launched themselves into pop-rock’s big leagues with their first headline performance in 2002 when they had only released one album, and have since headlined in 2005, 2011 and 2016, as well as doing a livestreamed performance to an empty Pyramid stage field in lieu of a 2021 festival cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Coldplay’s 2024 performance is a European festival exclusive, and continues their Music of the Spheres world tour which began in March 2022 – already the third-highest grossing tour of all time behind Taylor Swift and Elton John.

Dua Lipa’s billing comes a day after the announcement of her third album Radical Optimism, which is off to a strong start with the singles Houdini and Training Season becoming global hits. She has said it was inspired by “the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm” – perhaps including Glastonbury’s unpredictable weather – and informed by “the music history of psychedelia, trip hop, and Britpop”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Coldplay

She first played Glastonbury in 2016, then in 2017 delivered a star-making set on the John Peel stage (now Woodsies) which saw audiences spilling out of the sides of the tent in the rain. The booking is a rare dance-pop Pyramid headliner, but continues Glastonbury’s broader championing of pop in recent years with the likes of Beyoncé, Adele, Billie Eilish and Elton John.

Versatile R&B singer SZA plays Glastonbury for the first time, and her elevation straight to Pyramid headliner status is the latest rung of a remarkable rise. Songs from her 2022 album SOS – an instant R&B classic that charts relationship strife with remarkable detail and depth of feeling – won three Grammys and she was also nominated for song, record, and album of the year; SOS reached No 1 in the US and No 2 in the UK.

Brightening up Sunday teatime will be Shania Twain, playing the “legend” slot occupied in recent years by the likes of Diana Ross, Kylie Minogue and fellow country music hero Dolly Parton. A recent UK arena tour by Twain was much acclaimed, with the Guardian heralding “two full hours stacked with hits, zany cowboys and aliens staging, and towering self-confidence”, and with nine UK Top 10 hits including That Don’t Impress Me Much and Man! I Feel Like a Woman, Twain has the requisite crowdpleasers for one of Glastonbury’s most beloved slots. Speaking on Radio 2, Twain said the booking “feels like an accolade of sorts, really something that you have to earn – it’s just very rewarding”.

IN THIS PHOTO: SZA/PHOTO CREDIT: Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

Other Pyramid performers include Little Simz in a plum spot preceding Coldplay, plus LCD Soundsystem, Burna Boy, PJ Harvey, Cyndi Lauper, Janelle Monáe and Michael Kiwanuka. Thirteen-member boyband Seventeen become the first K-pop band to perform on the Pyramid stage.

On the second-biggest Other stage, Idles follow the chart-topping success of recent album Tangk with a headline slot, joined by Disclosure and the National. UK rap is represented by D-Block Europe – who recently played four nights at London’s O2 Arena – plus Headie One and the Streets; bands include the Last Dinner Party and Two Door Cinema Club; and there’s a broad spread of pop encompassed by Camila Cabello, Anne-Marie and Avril Lavigne.

Recent winners of the Brit award for best group, Jungle, headline West Holts with Justice and Jessie Ware taking the other slots, while James Blake, Gossip and Jamie xx headline Woodsies. Up the hill on the Park stage, Fontaines DC, Peggy Gou and London Grammar headline, with Glastonbury stalwarts Orbital preceding the latter.

It ends months of speculation about the lineup, which has been announced later than usual, with no places for the rumoured likes of Madonna and Bruce Springsteen. The rumour mill will now turn to the fabled unannounced secret sets, with notable holes in the touring schedules of Glastonbury faves such as the Killers and Kings of Leon.

2024’s festival is the first time in Glastonbury history that two of the three top headliners are female artists, and a turnaround from last year’s all-male trio of Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses and Elton John. That booking was criticised in some quarters, though organiser Emily Eavis defended it as a “pipeline problem” across the music industry and said she was dedicated to diversity – close to half of the overall initial lineup announcement featured female acts”.

From 26th to 30th June, one of the world’s most important music festivals will feature a wonderful mix of young artists and legends. Spanning multiple genres, it is a relief that we have female headliners. Two in fact. We all hope that festivals lime Glastonbury will not waiver and women will be booked as headliners every year going forward. Terrific line-up that should please all music fans, you can hear songs from each of them…

IN THIS PHOTO: Shania Twain/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

IN the playlist below.

FEATURE: Royalties and Loyalty: Recognising and Compensating Songwriters

FEATURE:

 

 

Royalties and Loyalty

PHOTO CREDIT: Janson A./Pexels

Recognising and Compensating Songwriters

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I think that it is a complex issue…

IN THIS PHOTO: Songwriter and artist RAYE at the BRIT Awards on 2nd March, 2024/PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Spicer/WireImage

and there are no quick fixes. Things are pretty bad for artists when it comes to payment. Think about streaming and how they compensate them. Even if streaming figures are high and it seems like an artist is making a lot of money, that does not necessarily ring true. It is worse for smaller artists who do not get massive streaming numbers. The situation is even worse for songwriters. Responsible for the great music we love, I don’t think the industry values them as much as they should do. We need to start recognising the value and importance of songwriters and paying them fairly. RAYE made this point recently at the BRIT Awards. An accomplished songwriter herself, she knows the struggle songwriters face when it comes to getting adequate payment and recognition. Last year, when Spotify raised their prices there was hope that there would be improvement:

“The price increase comes in the wake of Spotify significantly scaling back its gaping money pit of a podcasting division in June 2023. The company has lost money since its launch, reporting an operating loss of €156m (£133m) for the first quarter of this year and an adjusted operating loss of €112m (£96m) for the second quarter.

Spotify’s stock slumped by 14% on 25 July, the day it published its latest financial results, which fell short of what Wall Street analysts were expecting. In an earnings report just after announcing the price rise, Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek described the price rises as a “tool in our toolbox”.

A senior record company executive, speaking anonymously, is deeply cynical about the timing of this move given labels have been calling for this for years. “Spotify wanted to make a big move ahead of their stock price tanking – and they thought it would be good press,” they say. “They poorly timed it for their own stock price.”

But Paul Clements, chief executive of the Music Publishers’ Association, views the price rise as generally positive for songwriters. “An increase in subscription fees will help to increase the amount of royalties that flow through to the composers and songwriters we represent,” he says, although “failure to increase subscription pricing for some 15 years has arguably depreciated the value of music per paid user”. For reference, something costing £9.99 in 2001 would cost £17.87 today”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

If you are not in the business and do not know about the ins and outs, it may seem fairly straightforward. There are a lot of levels to consider. Despite that, it is simple when it comes to songwriters: they are not paid nearly as much as they should be. How often do we think about sopngwriters and what they bring to music? So much glory and focus is on the artists. It does seem that songwriters are at the bottom of the pyramid when it comes to payment and acknowledgment. As NME report, RAYE recently made a great observations about songwriteras ansd how they deserve more. Theindustry needs to make changes:

“The British artist – who took home a record-breaking six BRIT awards this month – said that songwriters are left “fighting over scraps of publishing”.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Star‘s ‘Wired’ column (per MusicNews), the ‘Escapism’ singer said: “For an industry that profits off songs, you got these CEOs and big label execs living in their fat huge Chelsea mansions, living a beautiful life, meanwhile songwriters you are profiting off are broke, can’t afford rent and fighting over scraps of publishing that is sat in bank accounts for two years before they receive a penny, because publishers have kept it in there so they can collect interest and make a whole separate business.”

The artist also broke down the payment model for artists and songwriters, explaining: “Every single song that’s released in the world, there are 100 royalty points.

“The label will take, say, 80 points. The artist, in a good deal, will take maybe 20, 15, or maybe 12 and then producers get four points, but it has to come out of the artist’s points.

“And the songwriter doesn’t even get one point. It’s disgusting, the whole industry is disgusting. That’s one little example of what goes on behind closed doors where there is no accountability.”

RAYE added that the whole situation makes her “very angry”.

At this month’s BRIT awards, RAYE used her Songwriter Of The Year award acceptance speech to call on music executives to allow songwriters to receive royalty payments.

“I think we need to have a conversation,” she said. “I want to normalise giving songwriters master royalty points”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Moose Photos/Pexels

The situation is quite bad at the moment. Like payment for artists, the industry does need to prioritise songwriters and paying royalties. Ensuring that their work is recognised. Billboard recently explained how there is a huge amount of money owed to songwriter from streaming. Despite the fact it is not as easy as the industry correcting things instantly, there needs to be this wake-up call:

“Songwriters and publishers are due nearly $400 million in additional payouts following the Copyright Royalty Board‘s Phonorecord III final determination in August, according to information the Mechanical Licensing Collective (the MLC) released on Friday (Feb. 23).

During the Phono III blanket license period (2021-2022), the MLC reports that digital service providers like Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube and Pandora underpaid rightsholders by $419.2 million — $281 million from mechanical royalties and $137.8 million from performance royalties. Those underpayments were due to the fact that final rates were higher than the interim rates during the more than four-year royalty dispute between publishers and streamers.

However, the DSPs actually overpaid publishers for mechanical royalties during the Phono III historical unmatched period (2018-2020) to the tune of $28.8 million. That would cut down the total bonus owed to songwriters and publishers to roughly $390.3 million.

PHOTO CREDIT: Pew Nguyen/Pexels

The DSPs were given until Feb. 9 to review and adjust their past payments following the CRB’s final determination, though several did not submit the required adjustment reports by the deadline, according to the MLC, which expects adjustments to increase by another $10 to $15 million once those additional reports come in.

The MLC notes that the amounts are estimates only and subject to change pending its official calculations.

“We are extremely pleased that songwriters and music publishers finally will receive the over $400 million they are owed in mechanical and performance royalties from the 2021-2022 period,” said NMPA president/CEO David Israelite in a statement. “Our appellate win upholding the rate increase we achieved in 2018 will finally net music creators and copyright owners the windfall they should have received years ago. The fact that the majority of this adjustment will be distributed by the MLC in a completely transparent and expedient way is another massive benefit of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) and while we would have preferred it be paid sooner, this is a welcome and critical lift now”.

What RAYE said about CEOs and executives earning a lot of money and living a luxurious life whilst songwriters are struggling for scraps should be a real explosion. An awakening that should get a truly massive and quick reaction. I have said how it is a deeper issue with a lot to consider. What is clear is how there is this gulf. So much profiting from songwriters. There is not overstating how vital songwriters are and how phenomenal their work is. Ensuring that they are paid fairly and not ignored should be…

TOP of the list.

FEATURE: Experiments in Sound: Thinking About a Kate Bush Audio Archive

FEATURE:

 

 

Experiments in Sound

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 2011

Thinking About a Kate Bush Audio Archive

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I have mused on this before…

PHOTO CREDIT: Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy

but people are always asking whether there will be anything new from Kate Bush. In terms of an album or a new song at least. We may never know the answer to that. The decision is in Kate Bush’s hands. I have recently published a feature that explored some of the interviews and audio archives from 1980. A year when Kate Bush released her third studio album, Never for Ever. It was fascinating hearing these radio clips. It makes me wonder how much stuff is out there. Throughout the years, there have been so many interviews, T.V. and radio spots. Having that cleaned up and kept somewhere would be beneficial. More than preserving the audio that is already out there, I wonder about things we have not heard. I know, as I have said before, how there are demos of various songs. We get to hear some unofficial videos. In terms of studio insights that Bush has officially released, that is pretty scares. Maybe we will never get something as golden as studio chatter. What about various versions of songs? I know that Kate Bush is not keen on opening the vaults and giving up unfinished or imperfect songs. She has done some reissues. Her studio albums remastered and back out there. I don’t think that she is averse to looking back. So long as fans get to benefit and they have her albums in her hands. As Ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day, Kate Bush clearly loves physical music and knows how vital it is that fans have access to her incredible records. Maybe the thought of having digital scraps or works in progress may seem like the opposite of a vinyl album.

That being said, it is unlikely that we will ever get anything in visual form for Before the Dawn. That residency turns ten later this year. Many want to see the filmed version. Bush has said it is very unlikely she will release it. There has been no new music since 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. No real fresh or unheard songs. That is fair enough if Bush does not want to record new music. The thing is, consider all the takes that took place through her albums and how much is saved. We do know that the ballad, Never for Ever, was recorded for the Lionheart sessions in 1978. Never included on the album because Bush did not like the vocal this, alongside so much potential brilliance not heard, would be a wonderful treat. As she is a big fan of artists like The Beatles, she will know that they have reissued their albums with demos and outtakes. Fans get to see the process and how these great songs came together. A bigger picture of an album. I think it would compel fans new and old to explore the oriignal albums. There might be a fine line between giving everything away and just enough. Where is the line?! Many would claim that all the older takes have been deleted or are in the hands of EMI. I think that Kate Bush would have access to this. Even if not, EMI would know where that archive is. Perhaps not a vault like Prince’s, there is going to be plenty of interesting audio clips that we have not heard. At least a few songs that have not been heard or are in very basic form. Once was the time when Kate Bush only wanted authorised material out. That is understandable. Anything extra or not related to what she was completely happy was would be a distraction or distillation of her process and wonderful albums. However, all these years later, there is a new generation discovering her music.

Maybe it is me dreaming and imaging just how much is available. So many different takes of classic Hounds of Love songs. A lot from great albums such as The Dreaming. I know there were multiple takes of Wow (from Lionheart). When Bush was producing Never for Ever and later albums, she would go through multiple takes to get the right sound. Use different musicians. A Steely Dan approach to getting everything just so. They must be somewhere! In lieu of new music and another album, it would be a nice compromise between a new album and the mastered and reissued originals. It does feel like a shame that there is a lot of recorded stuff that has not been revealed. This year is one where people will wonder about a new album. It is unlikely we will get one. Bush’s albums have been reissued. I am not sure what else might come out. With no plans for anything Before the Dawn-related, it would be awesome if there was some form of unheard material coming out. I don’t know. The more I read about Kate Bush and her albums, the more I learn about the songs and their evolution. How everything came together. We can read about those moments and the process. I would love to see even a few unheard songs or demos come out. The fantastic Never for Ever given a green light by Kate Bush. Rather than simply dig through everything and put it into the world, a carefully curated and selected assortment of rarities would delight fans. I don’t think that it would take anything away from her music or seem money-grabbing. Instead, it is a way of this legendary artist who clearly loves her studio albums and wants people to hear them to give fans windows into the songs. Maybe something non-album that has been discussed but not released. So many Kate Bush fans hope that it…

COULD happen one day.

FEATURE: All Her Love: Kate Bush: Humanity and Charity

FEATURE:

 

 

All Her Love

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in an alternate publicity shot for 2005’s Aerial/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton

Kate Bush: Humanity and Charity

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I came across a video…

that I had read about but never seen before. When it comes to Kate Bush and charity/humanity, this is a subject that I have written about before. I can’t recall the last time I did, though I have definitely discussed her altruism and consideration for others. How she has raised money for charity and how there is always this thing inside her that looks out for others. It seems like a very timely moment to discuss such things. As we see genocide happening in Gaza, I have been thinking about Kate Bush and how she must be feeling. Someone who has donated her time and words in the past to atrocities and injustices. The video about Kate Bush I am referring to is 1990’s Prisoners of Conscience. Amnesty International broadcast five minute spots on BBC television in the U.K., in which celebrities discussed the plight of political prisoners. On 12th June, 1990, Kate Bush talked about two of them: Hong Song-Dam, a South Korean artist who was released from prison in the early 1990s, and Chang Ul-Gyun, also from South Korea. As I said, I had never seen the video before but I know Bush had filmed it. It got me thinking about that particular moment and how she gave her voice in 1990. Someone who wanted to help out. It happened since and happened before. The 1990 video is quite stirring and eye-opening. Bush has raised money for charity and has put signed goods up for auction in order to raise money. I will talk more about the altruism and the fact that she has given her time to various causes and events.

In terms of charity fundraising, in 2019, Bush announced that £61,000 had been raised for CRISIS (Kate Bush fans also added £650 to that total). A charity that is aiming to end homelessness, the money was raised from a pop-up shop in London. It was a wonderful idea and a marvellous cause. Earlier this year, Bush donated  a number of signed Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) C.D. singles to the annual Cabaret vs Cancer charity music auction. If you didn’t know, Cabaret vs Cancer was set up in 2016 and raises money through cabaret and burlesque shows as well as themed online auctions to help people coping with the effects of cancer. Kate Bush News reported on it. I have mentioned before how Bush allowed the use of her song, This Woman’s Work, for an NSPCC advert. Not to repeat what has come before in my features – I did one in 2020 and another the following year covering this -, but Bush supported Ferry Aid in 1987. That charity raised funds for a recent ferry disaster in Belgium. I have written about how Bush spent a portion of her thirtieth birthday raising money for charity. On 30th July, 1988, at Blazers Boutique, Bush was photographed where she was raising money for AIDS victims on behalf of the Terrence Higgins Trust (celebrities appeared in shops at Covent Garden, London as shop assistants to sell T-shirts and raffles. The money that was generated from this, plus 5% of the shops' takings, were donated to the charity. I have discussed Kate Bush the activist and her amazing charity work. There are so many different sides to her when it comes to it. Many might associate Kate Bush with the music, though when you think about all that she has done for charities and various causes through the years, it is truly inspiring.

In recent years, she has been engaged with charity and lending words to support the NHS and their amazing work during the pandemic. Bush’s recent Christmas message was about the state of the world and how things are quite bad. She was trying to find positives, yet she acknowledged how awful things are. Her heart was very much with those affected by war and conflict. Mentioning  War Child, UNICEF and the NSPCC, it was another incident of Kate Bush very much putting others first. Tying back to that video of 1990 which I mentioned, one of the defining aspects of Kate Bush’s personality is how giving she is. The fact that her heart always goes out to people going through struggles. Whether it is homelessness or they are in a violence-afflicted country, she really does do as much as she can to help. Some might say that someone so wealthy could donate a lot and do more. Kate Bush has given so much of her time through the years. She sort of reminds me of Taylor Swift now or Paul McCartney. Artists who have done a lot for charity and various causes. Although, when you look at both examples, I think Kate Bush stands on her own. Someone perhaps more engaged for a number of different causes and charities. Whether it is speaking out about South Korean political prisoners or recognising the plight of homelessness in the U.K., Kate Bush is thinking of others. Someone who is very relatable. I think we consider her to be someone who maybe is in a privileged position and, like many major artists, does not really connect with those less fortunate. This is not the case with Kate Bush.

Right now, with what is happening in Gaza, one can only imagine how Kate Bush is reacting. I get the feeling that she will donate items or merchandise to raise money to help those affected. The genocide there got me thinking about Kate Bush and how, through the years, she has spoken against this kind of thing. The fact she donates money and time. I have not even mentioned all the times she gave her time for charity. Kate Bush has worked for numerous charity causes, including Amnesty International, Ferry Aid, Greenpeace, The Prince’s Trust, and Comic Relief. Also, in November 1979, Bush played a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of the London Symphony Orchestra. I wanted to revisit this particular subject, as it is one of the bets things about Kate Bush. Giving her words, time and money for those less fortunate. Many big artists might feel conflicted or like they cannot get involved in some causes as it might seem political or they are choosing a side. For Kate Bush, she is about humanity and supporting those in need. It is amazing that, in 1990 – not too long after the release of The Sensual World -, Bush did a video for Amnesty International! Over thirty years later, she is still supporting those who are affected by warfare and violence. I think we will hear more from her when it comes to charity. Bush’s various charity work and support for humanitarian causes/relief has made me think more about what I can do. It is a time when we cannot afford to be inactive. Bush’s Christmas message nodded to the climate crisis and, although not explicitly, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Since then, the genocide in Gaza has intensified. It is a horrible thing to witness. Thinking about Kate Bush and her past altruism and support of charities has inspired me. How she very much has sympathy for those around the world who are going through immense struggles and upheaval. The wonderful Kate Bush always gives…

ALL of her love.

FEATURE: For Peace: The Artists Pulling Out of Music Festivals and Showing Solidarity with Palestine

FEATURE:

For Peace

PHOTO CREDIT: Alfo Medeiros/Pexels

The Artists Pulling Out of Music Festivals and Showing Solidarity with Palestine

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AT this moment…

IN THIS PHOTO: BIllie Elish at the Oscars on Sunday, 10th March, 2024/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

it is clear that there is genocide happening against the Palestinian people. Gaza is being ravaged and destroyed! No matter how many news sources call it a ‘war’, that is not what it is . Israel are the aggressors and there is no fighting back and aggression from Palestine. Instead, there is this demolishment and destruction that is claiming so many lives. It is genocide. Something that is not being stopped by world leaders. No matter how many call for a ceasefire – and, to be fair, some are only calling for a temporary one -, it is quite ineffective and late. Nothing is really being done to ensure that the violence ends soon. It is causing a lot of anger and division. Whilst there are those who highlight how there is a rise in antisemitism and violence against Jewish people, those who are focusing on the actual problem and more important thing look at the way Gaza is being ravaged. I do not have a lot of time for those who turn the sympathy on Israel and make it about them. Anyone who has this bizarre and sick one-sided perception. A clear case of those not caring about people in Gaza and thinking like what is happening should be. There is no doubt that there is antisemitism happening, yet it is such a minor issue. Israelis not having their homes destroyed and lives taken away. The media too is covering this in a way that seldom points the finger at Israel and calls it what it is. Not that many major artists have called out Israel and stood firmly for a ceasefire. I know they have record deals and the label might not want them being political.

IMAGE CREDIT: Nadine Shah

The thing is it is not a political thing. This is a moral choice. If it were a war and both sides were aggressive and destroying one another, you could be seen as taking a side in a complex affair. When you have one side committing genocide, there is no politics. It is a humanitarian issue where you either sit with those committing murder or the people who are affected. It does seem a bit shocking that there has not been a more vocal response from the music world. Saying that, there is an evening of fundraising happening on 18th April that will support those in Gaza. Artists such as Nadine Shah are involved. Billie Eilish wore a pro-Palestine pin to the Oscars recently. In fact, they were Artists4Ceasefire pins. She was not the only one wearing one. This sense of protest and outrage has impacted festivals. U.S. festival SXSW have seen artists pulls out. Although the U.S. has pledged support and President Biden wants an end to the terror, the U.S. provides financial support to Israel. There is this real lack of strong commitment from the U.S. in terms of ensuring a ceasefire happens. The BBC reported on the artists who are boycotting SXSW:

“Belfast band Kneecap have pulled out of South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas over the arts festival's sponsorship with the US Army.

The group is the latest to cancel their sets at the event in protest against the military's support for Israel in the war in Gaza.

Other artists who've announced they won't be performing include Lambrini Girls, Scowl and Sprints

The festival, which runs until 16 March in the city of Austin, celebrates film, comedy and music and attracts more than 300,000 people each year.

In a statement shared on social media, Kneecap said they cancelled their three sets at the festival "in solidarity with the people of Palestine".

The trio said they did it to highlight the "unacceptable" links between the military and SXSW - which lists the US Army as a "super sponsor" on its website.

They said they "cannot in good conscience" attend the event, even though pulling out would have "a significant financial impact" on the band,

But they said it wasn't comparable to the "unimaginable suffering" in Gaza.

A brick building on a long street with security personnel outside and white barriers in front with SXSW printed on them in black. A large, green vertical sign with the word "Paramount" is attached to the front of the building. In the distance we can see orange and white barriers, showing that the road has been blocked off to allow pedestrians to move around freely.

Israel launched a campaign in the Gaza Strip after Hamas - the group which runs the territory and which the UK government says is a terrorist organisation - attacked Israel on 7 October, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 253 others were taken hostage.

More than 30,000 people in Gaza have been killed since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

America is Israel's biggest military backer, providing billions of dollars in defence aid every year, and a number of weapons Israel is using in the conflict, including jets and bombs, are US-made.

Brighton-based duo Lambrini Girls announced on Saturday they'd also be boycotting SXSW.

They said their last-minute decision was due to them looking for a way to keep their "moral integrity intact and not have to repay thousands of pounds at the same time".

"That really just isn't possible. Money has to be repaid and we can't affiliate ourselves whatsoever with SXSW," they wrote.

Both acts say they considered other options to show their support for Gaza, including protests on stage or performing at unofficial events, but decided against it.

Other acts to pull out include Sprints, Scowl, Gel, Okay Shalom and Squirrel Flower.

In a post on Instagram, New York-based singer-songwriter Okay Shalom said the decision "cost a dream" but that it was "the right thing to do".

Indie rocker Squirrel Flower said she was withdrawing her "art and labour in protest" but would still be playing unofficial showcases.

The US military is also playing a role in humanitarian efforts in Gaza, where the United Nations has warned famine is "almost inevitable" and that children are starving to death”.

I think we are going to see more festivals impacted by artists refusing to play because of the genocide in Gaza. Whilst some huge artists have not said anything (or not much) about what is happening, there are those who are speaking up. Very much showing their sympathy with those being impacted by Israel’s invasion and genocide. NME published a feature also highlighting the way SXSW is seeing artists leave and show their disgust with the U.S.’s involvement in the genocide - and how SXSW are in sponsorship with the U.S. army:

“NewDad, Cardinals, Enola Gay and Rachel Chinouriri have become the latest artists to boycott this year’s SXSW festival.

The artists join the likes of Kneecap, Sprints, Lambrini Girls, Scowl, Gel, Okay Shalom and Squirrelflower in pulling out of performing at the festival due to the event’s association with the US army and weapons companies amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The annual music, culture and arts showcase takes place in Austin, Texas from March 12-14.

In a joint post on social media, Cardinals, Enola Gay, Gurriers, NewDad and Sprints wrote:

“To be clear, we, as ‘Music From Ireland’ bands will be partaking in any official SXSW shows. We stand in complete solidarity with Palestine and others who have spoke out against, and boycotted SXSW.

“Sponsorship of the festival from the US army as well as defence contractors/those sending arms to destroy innocent lives is an act we find disgusting and reprehensible. It is inherently wrong to taint the celebration of art with links to the genocide going on in Palestine.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Rachel Chinouriri/PHOTO CREDIT: Parri Thomas

They added: “We will make joint statements at the Music From Ireland showcase at the Velvet Room at 8pm on Thursday 13th and again at what would have been the Full Irish Breakfast showcase on Friday 15 at the Flamingo Catina at 1pm.

You can see the full post here:

In a separate statement on Instagram, Enola Gay said that it was “impossible to perform at a festival where the US Army are a ‘super sponsor’ meaning SX will be platforming defence contractors…” You can read their full statement here:

While Rachel Chinouriri said: “As an artist I have always shared what I have been through, however, this topic is extremely triggering for me as the daughter of two child soldiers. I have grown up seeing the permanent effects war has had on people mentally, emotionally, physically, and to the loved ones around the people who have lived through a war in any capacity.

“Because of this, war is an extremely triggering topic that I find emotionally difficult to speak about but hope to share the experiences one day when I am ready to approach the topic. I am 100 per cent anti-war and do not want any association with war in any capacity”.

It is good that artists are taking a stand and making a moral choice. Festivals and music fans are being affected when artists boycott. It makes it very evident that more needs to be done. A ceasefire does need to occur. Kudos too artists showing their support in other ways. Fundraising and wearing pins that call for a ceasefire. I don’t think we will see an end to the genocide anytime soon. In the meantime, scores of people every day are being killed in Gaza. It makes me wonder whether something big needs to happen in the industry. A worldwide fundraiser that is similar to Live Aid. A massive show of solidarity for those being affected. Of course, the people of Gaza need peace and aid rather than music. Regardless, this support from the industry goes a long way. We all hope that there is peace…

PHOTO CREDIT: Alfo Medeiros/Pexels

VERY soon.

FEATURE: Behold the Girl: Why Rina Sawayama’s Words Should Resonate in the Industry

FEATURE:

 

 

Behold the Girl

IN THIS PHOTO: Rina Sawayama/PHOTO CREDIT: Charlotte Patmore

Why Rina Sawayama’s Words Should Resonate in the Industry

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ONE of this country’s…

infest and most original artists is Rina Sawayama. She is someone who is hugely accomplished yet does not quite get the airplay she deserves. In terms of getting her music out there. A wonderful artist who released her debut album, SAWAYAMA, in 2020. Hold the Girl came out in 2022. I think the latter should have been nominated for a Mercury Prize. Someone who should be on everyone’s radar, she is an exceptional talent who is among the greatest in the world. NME shared excerpts from an interview that Sawayama recently gave to The Independent. There were some words from it that really hit hard. Whilst her words around mental health and struggle are not new to artists, Sawayama is someone who has faced hostilities and discrimination. An artist that deserves a lot of love and support:

“Rina Sawayama has said she can’t release her next album “under my current conditions”.

The popstar opened up about the status of her album whilst sharing an interview she gave to The Independent as part of International Women’s Day (March 8), which revolved around women’s experiences with sexism and misogyny in the music industry.

In the caption, Sawayama admitted her “mental health has been awful” in the past year, and said: “I’ve been lucky to have found ways to keep my business afloat and support myself as well as my team, but when it comes to new music I can’t release another album under my current conditions.

“I feel really trapped and don’t know what to do.”

The comments come amidst Sawayama’s public battle with her label Dirty Hit, which is co-founded by The 1975‘s manager Jamie Oborne. At Glastonbury 2023, Sawayama called lead singer Matty Healy out for his controversial comments made on The Adam Friedland podcast whilst introducing her song ‘STFU’: “Tonight this goes out to a white man that watches ‘Ghetto Gaggers’ [porn] and mocks Asian people on a podcast. He also owns my masters. I’ve had enough.”

Each member of The 1975 has a stake in Dirty Hit, with Healy previously serving as creative director for four years before stepping down from the role in April 2023.

In her Independent interview, Sawayama also shared she has “felt intense racist misogyny in a way that I’ve never felt before” since summer last year. Though she did not name Healy during the interivew, she said: “In public and private I feel as though I’ve been repeatedly gaslit, disrespected, ignored, even cyber-bullied for calling out blatant racist and sexist behaviour.”

“I just want to leave this world a fairer, safer and kinder place for future generations to live in,” she continued. “That’s always been my mission from the start and I’ve always used my voice for this, but time and time again, women are punished for inconveniently holding a mirror up to men who were not willing to be held publicly accountable”.

I was affected by that news and what Rina Sawayama is facing. The fact that she is feeling really trapped. Her experience and story is one that is going to relate to other artists. That they are struggling with mental health and cannot put music out. Also, the racism and misogyny that Sawayama has felt will also be something that applies to other artists. The industry is making steps when it comes to improving things. Ensuring that it is a safer and more equal space. That women especially are not subjected to misogyny and abuse. On her Instagram, Rina Sawayama expanded on what she said in the interview. What she has experienced in the industry. Stereogum highlighted what was written. More words that are hard to see and should raise questions about the industry and what many women face:

“Sometimes the bigger you get, the more misogynists you have to work with. The bigger you get, the less you can say, the more there is to lose, the darker it gets, honestly. I have been shocked and disheartened to learn from artists much more successful than me that it does get worse at the top. It gets worse because you actually get to see how many misogynists make it through in higher positions of power. So many men you’ve heard awful things about are there, near the top in every single section of the industry.

I’ve often wondered if the key to women succeeding in this industry in its current state is not just about being talented and hardworking, but also being able to work despite the rampant endemic misogyny and racism. You have to have a lot of mental strength (or just be able to not engage with it) to carry on doing this work.

A lot of artists start young so perhaps have almost no context as to how unique this industry is in that way. I signed my first album deal at 29, I’ve worked in other industries before then. This is not normal. It’s fucked up”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Zarina Khalilova/Pexels

We all hope that Rina Sawayama releases a third studio album very soon. She is this phenomenal artist who is no doubt an inspiration to so many. We have just celebrated International Women’s Day. Although there has been progress and certain areas are acknowledging women in a way they have not done in years previous – such as at award ceremonies -, there is still a lot of work that needs doing. Rina Sawayama’s experiences with misogyny and racism should raise alarms. How there needs to be a lot more done. How misogyny affects so many artists. And, as it seems, those at the top are not immune to it. This all has a massive impact on mental health. If artists like Rina Sawayama feel unable to release music and are in a position where they are struggling and speaking out against misogyny and racism, then this should call into action accelerated change. Earlier in the year, the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee report on Misogyny in music was stark reading. It shows how the music industry is a space where women are lacking support and have to face such discrimination and abuse. Measures are in place and there is this outcry following the report’s publication. You wonder, as many of the gatekeepers and industry heads are men, whether there is this compunction and desperation to make radical and fast changes. To really make tackling issues like misogyny and racism a priority. The fact that Rina Sawayama has spoken out makes me think about the Misogyny in music report and how the industry still has this massive issue. It is always so upsetting and infuriating when have amazing women in the industry that are struggling and unable to release music because of what they are facing. These emotional and gut-wrenching stories from the likes of Rina Sawayama need to be…

A thing of the past.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: Easter-Ready Songs

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

PHOTO CREDIT: Alena Koval/Pexels

Easter-Ready Songs

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AS it is Easter Sunday…

PHOTO CREDIT: Alena Koval/Pexels

on 31st March, I thought it would be a good idea to compile a playlist of songs appropriate for the day. Whether the day holds religious significance or it is more about the chocolate, it is one that many people look forward to. One of those big holidays that delights children and adults alike. Because of that, the songs below are ready-made for Easter. I am going to take this more from the chocolate/Easter egg side of things for the mixtape. Below are songs that you may be familiar with. There are some that are going to be a bit new and might be fresh to your ears. As we look ahead to 31st March and a day that will have different significance to many people, I wanted to look ahead and get in the spirit. This playlist combines some great songs that brings Easter to you…

PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Gouw/Pexels

A bit earlier.

FEATURE: Groovelines: The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love

FEATURE:

 

 

Groovelines

The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love

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THIS year is a big anniversary year…

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles leave London airport in 1964 (left-right: John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and George Harrison)/PHOTO CREDIT: AP

for The Beatles. Their final-recorded album, Abbey Road, was released in September 1969. We are looking to its fifty-fifth anniversary. The band’s third studio album, A Hard Day’s Night, was released on 10th July, 1964. I am going to look at the album – and the film of the same name – closer to the sixtieth anniversary. Its first single, Can’t Buy Me Love, was released in the U.K. on 20th March, 1964. I wanted to mark its sixtieth anniversary through this Groovelines feature. Learning more about the song and its background. I am going to start off by referencing . The single was released four days earlier, 16th March, 1964, in the U.S. I am going to start with Beatles Bible and their article on one of The Beatles’ finest moments. A song that topped the chart in the U.S. and U.K. It is one of the band’s defining songs in my view:

“Paul McCartney: vocals, bass

John Lennon: acoustic rhythm guitar

George Harrison: lead guitar, rhythm guitar

Ringo Starr: drums

Norman Smith: hi-hat

‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ was The Beatles’ sixth British single, released with the b-side ‘You Can’t Do That’. It was written while the group were in Paris for a 19-date residency at the city’s Olympia Theatre.

Personally, I think you can put any interpretation you want on anything, but when someone suggest that ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ is about a prostitute, I draw the line. That’s going too far.

Paul McCartney, 1966

The song is believed to have been written at the Hotel George V in Paris. The Beatles had an upright piano moved into the corner of their suite, to enable them to work on songs for their forthcoming début film.

‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ is my attempt to write a bluesy mode. The idea behind it was that all these material possessions are all very well but they won’t buy me what I really want. It was a very hooky song. Ella Fitzgerald later did a version of it which I was very honoured by.

Paul McCartney

Many Years From Now, Barry Miles

Written by Paul McCartney, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ became the first of the group’s singles to feature just one singer. John Lennon may have felt his position as The Beatles’ leader was threatened by the move; following the release of the single, Lennon wrote the majority of songs on the A Hard Day’s Night album.

That’s Paul’s completely. Maybe I had something to do with the chorus, but I don’t know. I always considered it his song.

John Lennon, 1980

All We Are Saying, David Sheff

‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ featured twice in the A Hard Day’s Night film. The first was a scene in which they escape from the television studio to fool around in a field; the other involved the group running to and from a police station, with law officers in hot pursuit.

It was the first film for which I wrote the score, and I had the benefit of having a director who was a musician. We recorded the songs for the film just as we would ordinary recordings, and Dick [Lester] used a lot of songs we’d already recorded. ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, for example, which was used twice in the picture.

George Martin

Anthology

In the studio

‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ was mostly recorded on 29 January 1964 at EMI’s Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris. It was completed in just four takes following the recording of ‘Sie Liebt Dich’ and ‘Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand’, which finished ahead of schedule.

As if forty-odd shows weren’t enough, Brian would also arrange all these other duties, like writing and recording sessions. While we were in Paris, we ended up re-recording ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ and ‘She Loves You’ in German: ‘Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand’ and ‘Sie Liebt Dich’ by Die Beatles. Our producer, George Martin, came over for the recording at the Pathé Marconi studio, and at the same time we put down the basic tracks for ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’.

Paul McCartney

The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present

George Martin suggested during preliminary rehearsals that they begin the song with the chorus. The decision was later described by writer Ian MacDonald as a change “so obvious that they would have made it themselves had they tried the tune out earlier”.

I thought that we really needed a tag for the song’s ending, and a tag for the beginning; a kind of intro. So I took the first two lines of the chorus and changed the ending, and said ‘Let’s just have these lines, and by altering the second phrase we can get back into the verse pretty quickly’. And they said, ‘That’s not a bad idea, we’ll do it that way’.

George Martin

Anthology

The first two takes of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, the second of which can be heard on Anthology 1, were recorded in the bluesy style in which the song was originally conceived. Paul McCartney taped a guide vocal which was later replaced at Abbey Road.

John Lennon and George Harrison’s backing vocals, in which they sang “Ooh, satisfied”, “Ooh, just can’t buy” in response to McCartney’s lead lines, were swiftly discarded. As was Harrison’s original guitar solo, though it can still be heard underneath the version he later overdubbed, due to microphone ‘bleed’.

We took the tapes from that back to England to do some work on them. I once read something that tries to analyse ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, talking about the double-track guitar – mine – and saying that it’s not very good because you can hear the original one. What happened was that we recorded first in Paris and re-recorded in England. Obviously they’d tried to overdub it, but in those days they only had two tracks, so you can hear the version we put on in London, and in the background you can hear a quieter one.

George Harrison

Anthology

The second solo was recorded on 25 February 1964 – George Harrison’s 21st birthday – the same day that McCartney taped his final lead vocals.

The mono mix also included a hi-hat overdub recorded by studio engineer Norman Smith. This was done on 10 March 1964, while The Beatles were filming A Hard Day’s Night.

It had the same level of excitement as previous Beatles singles and was quickly slated to be an A-side, but first there was a technical problem to be overcome, discovered when the tape was brought back and played at our studios. Perhaps because it had been spooled incorrectly, the tape had a ripple in it, resulting in the intermittent loss of treble on Ringo’s hi-hat cymbal. There was tremendous time pressure to get the track mixed and delivered to the pressing plant, and due to touring commitments the Beatles themselves were unavailable, so George [Martin] and Norman took it upon themselves to make a little adjustment.

As I eagerly headed into the engineer’s seat for the first time, Norman headed down into the studio to overdub a hastily set-up hi-hat onto a few bars of the song while I recorded him, simultaneously doing a two-track to two-track dub. Thanks to Norman’s considerable skills as a drummer, the repair was made quickly and seamlessly.

Geoff Emerick

Here, There and Everywhere

Chart success

By the time ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ was released, The Beatles were a bona fide worldwide phenomenon. The song topped the charts of almost every country in which it was released.

Issued in the USA slightly earlier than in Britain, it sold over two million copies in its first week, and was awarded a gold disc on the day of its US release, 16 March 1964.

It set four records on the Billboard Hot 100. The first was the biggest jump to the top spot, up from number 27. The Beatles also held the entire top five positions on the 4 April 1964 chart – ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ was accompanied by ‘Twist And Shout’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ and ‘Please Please Me’. Such an achievement has never been equalled.

The single did really well for us, getting to number one n the UK and US at the same time. And then, funnily enough, it was knocked off the number one spot in the UK by ‘A World Without Love’, a song I wrote for Jane Asher’s brother Peter.

Paul McCartney

The Lyrics: 1956 To The Present

‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ gave The Beatles a record-breaking three consecutive number one singles, the previous ones being ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ and ‘She Loves You’. Furthermore, during the song’s second week at the top, from 11 April, the group had 14 songs on the Hot 100 simultaneously.

In Britain the single was released on 20 March 1964. It broke fewer records, but was still a phenomenal smash hit. ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ had advance orders of over one million, and became the group’s fourth UK number one single”.

There is not as much written about Can’t Buy Me Love as there should be. From the first album where John Lennon and Paul McCartney were learning more on original moment, 1964 was a year when Beatlemania was in full swing. It was the start of a huge time for them. When the album and film of A Hard Day’s Night came out, it was at a time when they were near the peak of their fame. I think that Can’t Buy Me Love is one of their best songs. Ultimate Classic Rock discussed, in 2021, how Can’t Buy Me Love changed everything for Paul McCartney:

“The Beatles took Paris by storm as they played 18 days of concerts in January 1964 at the Olympia Theater.

They stayed at the iconic George V hotel, now a Four Seasons property and the gold standard of luxury in the city since its construction in 1928. The accommodating staff granted a request for a piano in the Beatles' suite, where Paul McCartney began to experiment with some blues phrasing. The result was the first draft of a future hit called "Can't Buy Me Love."

They were on a roll. The Beatles landed their first chart-topping song in America at the end of December 1963 and were on their third in the U.K. with "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." Now, demand for the latest material from McCartney's hit songwriting partnership with John Lennon was at a fever pitch.

At the same time, EMI was determined to make the Beatles happen in as many territories as possible. That's how the Fab Four found themselves in the EMI Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris to record German-language versions of "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand."

When the session wrapped up early, they decided to record the song McCartney had been working on in the hotel, the first version of "Can't Buy Me Love." This marked the first time that a song was written solely by McCartney, despite the continuing Lennon/McCartney credit. "That's Paul's completely," Lennon told David Sheff in All We Are Saying. "Maybe I had something to do with the chorus, but I don't know. I always considered it his song."

Did its apparent catchiness and the band's decision to record "Can't Buy Me Love," rather than other tracks they'd been working on, spark a sense of friendly rivalry in Lennon? Whatever the case, Lennon went on a creative tear, writing nine of the 13 songs that would comprise 1964's Hard Day's Night album.

Lennon had re-assumed his role as group leader, but McCartney was clearly in ascension: This was also the first single on which only one member of the group sang the lead vocals.

In fact, there were a series of firsts. "Can't Buy Me Love" marked the first time McCartney tried to write with a 12-bar blues riff. It was their first song recorded outside the U.K. This was also one of the first pop songs to start with the chorus, after producer and fifth Beatle George Martin decided the song needed a quick boost.

Finally, "Can't Buy Me Love" is one of the first songs, but not the last, on which Ringo Starr isn't the only drummer. Studio engineer Norman Smith added the hi-hat cymbal work, after a tape snafu caused the original recording to lose the necessary treble. The Beatles were busy filming the accompanying Hard Day's Night movie, and couldn't get Starr back into the studio.

Paired with Lennon's "You Can't Do That," "Can't Buy Me Love" was certified with a gold plaque on the day of its March 16, 1964 release in the U.S. The song sold a two million copies in the first week alone, while quickly shooting to No. 1 after arriving on March 20 in the U.K. At that point, the Beatles had a whopping 14 singles in the Hot 100 – including the entire Top 5.

As for its meaning, McCartney said he was open to others' interpretations of "Can't Buy Me Love" – but only to a point. "When someone suggests that 'Can't Buy Me Love' is about a prostitute, I draw the line," McCartney told American journalists in a 1966 news conference. "That's going too far."

McCartney soon found himself in America for the first time, basking in the glow of a huge hit while tooling around Miami in a shiny new sports car – and he couldn't help but offer an impish addendum.

"I remember meeting this rather nice girl and taking her out for dinner in this MG in the cool Florida night, palm trees swaying," McCartney later told Barry Miles. "You kidding? A Liverpool boy with this tanned beauty in my MG going out to dinner. It should have been 'Can Buy Me Love,' actually".

I love how it was writing and the romance it projects. When The Beatles were in Paris and staying at the five-star George V Hotel, there was an upright piano moved into one of the suites so that Lennon and McCartney could write. Feeling the pressure to keep the pace up and following in the recent U.S. number one, I Want to Hold Your Hand, the two came up with this masterpiece. With some adaption and changes from producer George Martin, they had this amazing single that ended the first side of A Hard Day’s Night. In my mind, this song scored the most memorable scene from the A Hard Day’s Night. When the guys broke free and were running around a field jumping and larking about. The sense of escape and joyfulness from the song! One of the most popular of The Beatles’ track, it was released on 16th March, 1964 in the U.S. and four days later in the U.K. Compelling to celebrate its approaching sixtieth anniversary, I hope that you have learned more about this incredible song -if you knew relatively little beforehand. Released in a year when The Beatles went stratospheric, it was a clear sign that the band were changing…

POPULAR culture and the world around them.

FEATURE: Thirty Years On: Remembering the Great Kurt Cobain: Rolling Stone’s January 1994 Interview with the Icon

FEATURE:

 

 

Thirty Years On: Remembering the Great Kurt Cobain

Rolling Stone’s January 1994 Interview with the Icon

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IT is not something to look forward to…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean Cobain attend the 10th Annual MTV Video Music Awards on 2nd September, 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Ron Galella/Wireimage

in the same way I would an album anniversary or even an artist’s birthday. When we mark the anniversary of a death, obviously, there is sadness. It may seem a little grim, though it is important to mark the importance of artists. On 5th April, it will be thirty years since Kurt Cobain died. One of the finest songwriters of his generation, as the lead of the mighty Nirvana, he inspired legions of fans. An astonishing and compelling figure who was complex yet brilliant, I see articles that explore his legacy. How he was this voice for other people. Those who felt alienated. The godfather of Grunge music, you also felt like he was glad that the genre was dying. Someone who supported L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ rights and was a big champion of women’s rights, this is someone who would be idolised and celebrated today. Recording three studio albums with Nirvana – the final, In Utero, came out in 1993 -, he was touring with the band not long before his death. Prior to 5th April, I will write another feature with a playlist and some of his prime songs. Some deeper cuts too. An examination of his influence and importance. I wanted to focus on an interview published by Rolling Stone in 1994. I have removed some of the questions and answers, as they do refer to suicide. Whether Cobain felt like taking his own life. Whether he felt his music would send out bleak messages or that his fans would feel suicidal. They were not to know it at the time but, so close to his suicide, it seems quite inappropriate and upsetting hearing Cobain asked about the subject. At a point in time – early-1994 – when the band were promoting their final album and there was no understanding how long Nirvana would continue and whether Kurt Cobain would write more material, it was this strange time. Grunge was almost dead and you felt like Cobain would have moved more into solo songwriting. Perhaps done something different.

A reason why I want to highlight the interview is to capture this iconic artist speak freely. Asked about his career and where he was now. As Rolling Stone caught Cobain whilst he was touring with Nirvana, it is a fascinating insight into the life of an artist who was adored and worshipped but perhaps felt like he wanted to step away from the stage. Almost thirty years since we lost Cobain, it is important to concentrate on the good. How much he gave to the world in his twenty-seven years. One of the greatest songwriters ever without a doubt:

“A shirtless, disheveled Kurt Cobain pauses on the backstage stairway leading to Nirvana‘s dressing room at the Aragon Ballroom, in Chicago, offers a visitor a sip of his après-gig tea and says in a drop-deadpan voice, “I’m really glad you could make it for the shittiest show on the tour.”

He’s right. Tonight’s concert — Nirvana‘s second of two nights at the Aragon, only a week into the band’s first U.S. tour in two years — is a real stinker. The venue’s cavernous sound turns even corrosive torpedoes like “Breed” and “Territorial Pissings” into riff pudding, and Cobain is bedeviled all night by guitar — and vocal — monitor problems. There are moments of prickly brilliance: Cobain’s sandpaper howl cutting through the Aragon’s canyonlike echo in the tense, explosive chorus of “Heart–Shaped Box”; a short, stunning “Sliver” with torrid power strumming by guest touring guitarist Pat Smear (ex-Germs). But there is no “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and when the house lights go up, so does a loud chorus of boos.

According to the Cobain press myth — “pissy, complaining, freaked-out schizophrenic,” as he quite accurately puts it — the 26-year-old singer and guitarist should have fired the soundman, canceled this interview and gone back to his hotel room to sulk. Instead, he spends his wind–down time backstage, doting on his daughter, 1-year-old Frances Bean Cobain, a petite blond beauty who barrels around the room with a smile for everyone in her path. Later, back at the hotel, armed with nothing stronger than a pack of cigarettes and two minibar bottles of Evian water, Cobain is in a thoughtful, discursive mood, taking great pains to explain that success doesn’t really suck – not as much as it used to, anyway – and that his life is pretty good. And getting better.

“It was so fast and explosive,” he says in a sleepy, gravelly voice of his first crisis of confidence following the ballistic success of Nevermind. “I didn’t know how to deal with it. If there was a Rock Star 101 course, I would have liked to take it. It might have helped me.”

“I still see stuff, descriptions of rock stars in some magazine — ‘Sting, the environmental guy,’ and ‘Kurt Cobain, the whiny, complaining, neurotic, bitchy guy who hates everything, hates rock stardom, hates his life.’ And I’ve never been happier in my life. Especially within the last week, because the shows have been going so well — except for tonight. I’m a much happier guy than a lot of people think I am.”

Cobain took some long, hard detours to get there over the past year. The making of In Utero, Nirvana’s long–awaited studio follow — up to Nevermind, was fraught with last–minute title and track changes as well as a public scrap between the band, its record label, DGC, and producer Steve Albini over the album’s commercial potential – or lack thereof. Cobain’s marriage to punk-noir singer Courtney Love of the band Hole – dream fodder for rock gossips since the couple exchanged vows in February 1992 — made headlines again last June when Cobain was arrested by Seattle police for allegedly assaulting Love during a domestic fracas. Police found three guns in the house, but no charges were filed, and the case was dismissed.

Last year, Cobain also made a clean breast of his long-rumored heroin addiction, claiming he’d used the drug — at least in part — to opiate severe, chronic stomach pain. Or as he puts it in this interview, “to medicate myself.” He’s now off the junk, and thanks to new medication and a better diet, his digestive tract, he says, is on the road to recovery.

But the roots of his angst, public and personal, go much deeper. Born in the logging town of Aberdeen, Wash., Cobain is — like Nirvana’s bassist, Krist Novoselic, drummer Dave Grohl and a high percentage of the band’s young fans — the product of a broken home, the son of an auto mechanic and a secretary who divorced when he was 8. Cobain had early aspirations as a commercial artist and won a number of high-school art contests; he now designs much of Nirvana’s artwork. (He made the plastic-fetus collage on the back cover of In Utero, which got the record banned by Wal-Mart.) But after graduation, Cobain passed on an art-school scholarship and took up the teen-age-bum life, working as a roadie for the local punk band the Melvins (when he was working at all) and applying himself to songwriting.

“I never wanted to sing,” Cobain insists now. “I just wanted to play rhythm guitar — hide in the back and just play. But during those high-school years when I was playing guitar in my bedroom, I at least had the intuition that I had to write my own songs.”

For a long time, after Nirvana catapulted from junior Sub Pop-label signees to grunge supergods — they won the Best Band and Best Album trophies in our 1994 Critics’ Poll — Cobain could not decide whether his talent was a blessing or a curse. He has finally come to realize it’s a bit of both. He is bugged that people think of him more as an icon than a songwriter yet fears that In Utero marks the finish line of the Nirvana sound crystallized in “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Cobain remains deeply mistrustful of the music business but says he has done a complete U–turn on his attitude toward Nirvana’s mass punk-wanna-be flock.

“I don’t have as many judgments about them as I used to,” Cobain says, almost apologetically. “I’ve come to terms about why they’re there and why we’re here. It doesn’t bother me anymore to see this Neanderthal with a mustache, out of his mind, drunk, singing along to ‘Sliver.’ That blows my mind now.

“I’ve been relieved of so much pressure in the last year and a half,” Cobain says with discernible relief in his voice. “I’m still kind of mesmerized by it.” He ticks off the reasons for his content: “Pulling this record off. My family. My child. Meeting William Burroughs and doing a record with him.”

“Just little things that no one would recognize or care about,” he continues. “And it has a lot to do with this band. If it wasn’t for this band, those things never would have happened. I’m really thankful, and every month I come to more optimistic conclusions.”

“I just hope,” Cobain adds, grinning, “I don’t become so blissful I become boring. I think I’ll always be neurotic enough to do something weird.”

Along with everything else that went wrong onstage tonight, you left without playing “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Why?

That would have been the icing on the cake [smiles grimly]. That would have made everything twice as worse.

I don’t even remember the guitar solo on “Teen Spirit.” It would take me five minutes to sit in the catering room and learn the solo. But I’m not interested in that kind of stuff. I don’t know if that’s so lazy that I don’t care anymore or what. I still like playing “Teen Spirit,” but it’s almost an embarrassment to play it.

In what way? Does the enormity of its success still bug you?

Yeah. Everyone has focused on that song so much. The reason it gets a big reaction is people have seen it on MTV a million times. It’s been pounded into their brains. But I think there are so many other songs that I’ve written that are as good, if not better, than that song, like “Drain You.” That’s definitely as good as “Teen Spirit.” I love the lyrics, and I never get tired of playing it. Maybe if it was as big as “Teen Spirit,” I wouldn’t like it as much.

But I can barely, especially on a bad night like tonight, get through “Teen Spirit.” I literally want to throw my guitar down and walk away. I can’t pretend to have a good time playing it.

But you must have had a good time writing it.

We’d been practicing for about three months. We were waiting to sign to DGC, and Dave [Grohl] and I were living in Olympia [Wash.], and Krist [Novoselic] was living in Tacoma [Wash.]. We were driving up to Tacoma every night for practice, trying to write songs. I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it [smiles]. When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily I should have been in that band — or at least in a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.

“Teen Spirit” was such a clichéd riff. It was so close to a Boston riff or “Louie, Louie.” When I came up with the guitar part, Krist looked at me and said, “That is so ridiculous.” I made the band play it for an hour and a half.

This is the first U.S. tour you’ve done since the fall of ’91, just before Nevermind exploded. Why did you stay off the road for so long?

I needed time to collect my thoughts and readjust. It hit me so hard, and I was under the impression that I didn’t really need to go on tour, because I was making a whole bunch of money. Millions of dollars. Eight million to 10 million records sold — that sounded like a lot of money to me. So I thought I would sit back and enjoy it.

I don’t want to use this as an excuse, and it’s come up so many times, but my stomach ailment has been one of the biggest barriers that stopped us from touring. I was dealing with it for a long time. But after a person experiences chronic pain for five years, by the time that fifth year ends, you’re literally insane. I couldn’t cope with anything. I was as schizophrenic as a wet cat that’s been beaten.

How much of that physical pain do you think you channeled into your songwriting?

That’s a scary question, because obviously if a person is having some kind of turmoil in their lives, it’s usually reflected in the music, and sometimes it’s pretty beneficial. I think it probably helped. But I would give up everything to have good health. I wanted to do this interview after we’d been on tour for a while, and so far, this has been the most enjoyable tour I’ve ever had. Honestly.

It has nothing to do with the larger venues or people kissing our asses more. It’s just that my stomach isn’t bothering me anymore. I’m eating. I ate a huge pizza last night. It was so nice to be able to do that. And it just raises my spirits. But then again, I was always afraid that if I lost the stomach problem, I wouldn’t be as creative. Who knows? [Pauses] I don’t have any new songs right now.

Every album we’ve done so far, we’ve always had one to three songs left over from the sessions. And they usually have been pretty good, ones that we really liked, so we always had something to rely on — a hit or something that was above average. So this next record is going to be really interesting, because I have absolutely nothing left. I’m starting from scratch for the first time. I don’t know what we’re going to do.

What kind of mail do you get from your fans these days?

[Long pause] I used to read the mail a lot, and I used to be really involved with it. But I’ve been so busy with this record, the video, the tour, that I haven’t even bothered to look at a single letter, and I feel really bad about it. I haven’t even been able to come up with enough energy to put out our fanzine, which was one of the things we were going to do to combat all the bad press, just to be able to show a more realistic side of the band.

But it’s really hard. I have to admit I’ve found myself doing the same things that a lot of other rock stars do or are forced to do. Which is not being able to respond to mail, not being able to keep up on current music, and I’m pretty much locked away a lot. The outside world is pretty foreign to me.

I feel very, very lucky to be able to go out to a club. Just the other night, we had a night off in Kansas City, Mo., and Pat [Smear] and I had no idea where we were or where to go. So we called up the local college radio station and asked them what was going on. And they didn’t know! So we happened to call this bar, and the Treepeople from Seattle were playing.

And it turns out I met three really, really nice people there, totally cool kids that were in bands. I really had a good time with them, all night. I invited them back to the hotel. They stayed there. I ordered room service for them. I probably went overboard, trying to be accommodating. But it was really great to know that I can still do that, that I can still find friends.

And I didn’t think that would be possible. A few years ago, we were in Detroit, playing at this club, and about 10 people showed up. And next door, there was this bar, and Axl Rose came in with 10 or 15 bodyguards. It was this huge extravaganza; all these people were fawning over him. If he’d just walked in by himself, it would have been no big deal. But he wanted that. You create attention to attract attention.

Where do you stand on Pearl Jam now? There were rumors that you and Eddie Vedder were supposed to be on that Time magazine cover together.

I don’t want to get into that. One of the things I’ve learned is that slagging off people just doesn’t do me any good. It’s too bad, because the whole problem with the feud between Pearl Jam and Nirvana had been going on for so long and has come so close to being fixed.

It’s never been entirely clear what this feud with Vedder was about.

There never was one. I slagged them off because I didn’t like their band. I hadn’t met Eddie at the time. It was my fault; I should have been slagging off the record company instead of them. They were marketed — not probably against their will — but without them realizing they were being pushed into the grunge bandwagon.

You’ve also gone on record as being a big Beatles fan.

Oh, yeah. John Lennon was definitely my favorite Beatle, hands down. I don’t know who wrote what parts of what Beatles songs, but Paul McCartney embarrasses me. Lennon was obviously disturbed [laughs]. So I could relate to that.

And from the books I’ve read — and I’m so skeptical of anything I read, especially in rock books — I just felt really sorry for him. To be locked up in that apartment. Although he was totally in love with Yoko and his child, his life was a prison. He was imprisoned. It’s not fair. That’s the crux of the problem that I’ve had with becoming a celebrity — the way people deal with celebrities. It needs to be changed; it really does.

No matter how hard you try, it only comes out like you’re bitching about it. I can understand how a person can feel that way and almost become obsessed with it. But it’s so hard to convince people to mellow out. Just take it easy, have a little bit of respect. We all shit [laughs].

In Utero may be the most anticipated, talked-about and argued-over album of 1993. Didn’t you feel at any point during all the title changes and the press hoopla stirred up by Steve Albini that the whole thing was just getting stupid? After all, it is just an album.

Yeah. But I’m used to it [laughs]. While making the record, that wasn’t happening. It was made really fast. All the basic tracks were done within a week. And I did 80 percent of the vocals in one day, in about seven hours. I just happened to be on a roll. It was a good day for me, and I just kept going.

So what was the problem?

It wasn’t the songs. It was the production. It took a very, very long time for us to realize what the problem was. We couldn’t figure it out. We had no idea why we didn’t feel the same energy that we did from Nevermind. We finally came to the conclusion that the vocals weren’t loud enough, and the bass was totally inaudible. We couldn’t hear any notes that Krist was playing at all.

I think there are a few songs on In Utero that could have been cleaned up a little bit more. Definitely “Penny Royal Tea.” That was not recorded right. There is something wrong with that. That should have been recorded like Nevermind, because I know that’s a strong song, a hit single. We’re toying with the idea of re-recording it or remixing it.

You hit and miss. It’s a really weird thing about this record. I’ve never been more confused in my life, but at the same time I’ve never been more satisfied with what we’ve done.

Let’s talk about your songwriting. Your best songs — “Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” “Rape Me,” “Penny Royal Tea” — all open with the verse in a low, moody style. Then the chorus comes in at full volume and nails you. So which comes first, the verse or the killer chorus?

[Long pause, then he smiles] I don’t know. I really don’t know. I guess I start with the verse and then go into the chorus. But I’m getting so tired of that formula. And it is formula. And there’s not much you can do with it. We’ve mastered that — for our band. We’re all growing pretty tired of it.

It is a dynamic style. But I’m only using two of the dynamics. There are a lot more I could be using. Krist, Dave and I have been working on this formula — this thing of going from quiet to loud — for so long that it’s literally becoming boring for us. It’s like “OK, I have this riff. I’ll play it quiet, without a distortion box, while I’m singing the verse. And now let’s turn on the distortion box and hit the drums harder.”

I want to learn to go in between those things, go back and forth, almost become psychedelic in a way but with a lot more structure. It’s a really hard thing to do, and I don’t know if we’re capable of it – as musicians.

Songs like “Dumb” and “All Apologies” do suggest that you’re looking for a way to get to people without resorting to the big-bang guitar effect.

Absolutely. I wish we could have written a few more songs like those on all the other albums. Even to put “About a Girl” on Bleach was a risk. I was heavily into pop, I really liked R.E.M., and I was into all kinds of old ’60s stuff. But there was a lot of pressure within that social scene, the underground-like the kind of thing you get in high school. And to put a jangly R.E.M. type of pop song on a grunge record, in that scene, was risky.

We have failed in showing the lighter, more dynamic side of our band. The big guitar sound is what the kids want to hear. We like playing that stuff, but I don’t know how much longer I can scream at the top of my lungs every night, for an entire year on tour. Sometimes I wish I had taken the Bob Dylan route and sang songs where my voice would not go out on me every night, so I could have a career if I wanted.

So what does this mean for the future of Nirvana?

It’s impossible for me to look into the future and say I’m going to be able to play Nirvana songs in 10 years. There’s no way. I don’t want to have to resort to doing the Eric Clapton thing. Not to put him down whatsoever; I have immense respect for him. But I don’t want to have to change the songs to fit my age [laughs].

The song on In Utero that has whipped up the most controversy is “Rape Me.” It’s got a brilliant hook, but there have been objections to the title and lyric — not just from skittish DJs but from some women who feel it’s rather cavalier for a man to be using such a potent, inflammatory word so freely.

I understand that point of view, and I’ve heard it a lot. I’ve gone back and forth between regretting it and trying to defend myself. Basically, I was trying to write a song that supported women and dealt with the issue of rape. Over the last few years, people have had such a hard time understanding what our message is, what we’re trying to convey, that I just decided to be as bold as possible. How hard should I stamp this point? How big should I make the letters?

It’s not a pretty image. But a woman who is being raped, who is infuriated with the situation . . . it’s like “Go ahead, rape me, just go for it, because you’re gonna get it.” I’m a firm believer in karma, and that motherfucker is going to get what he deserves, eventually. That man will be caught, he’ll go to jail, and he’ll be raped. “So rape me, do it, get it over with. Because you’re gonna get it worse.”

What did your wife, Courtney, think of the song when she heard it?

I think she understood. I probably explained it better to her than I’ve explained it to you. I also want to make a point, that I was really, honestly not trying to be controversial with it. That was the last thing I wanted to do. We didn’t want to put it out so it would piss off the parents and get some feminists on our asses, stuff like that. I just have so much contempt for someone who would do something like that [to a woman]. This is my way of saying: “Do it once, and you may get away with it. Do it a hundred times. But you’re gonna get it in the end.”

People usually assume that someone who has sold a few million records is really livin’ large. How rich are you? How rich do you feel? According to one story, you wanted to buy a new house and put a home studio in it, but your accountant said you couldn’t afford it.

Yeah, I can’t. I just got a check a while ago for some royalties for Nevermind, which is pretty good size. It’s weird, though, really weird. When we were selling a lot of records during Nevermind, I thought, “God, I’m gonna have like $10 million, $15 million.” That’s not the case. We do not live large. I still eat Kraft macaroni and cheese — because I like it, I’m used to it. We’re not extravagant people.

I don’t blame any kid for thinking that a person who sells 10 million records is a millionaire and set for the rest of his life. But it’s not the case. I spent a million dollars last year, and I have no idea how I did it. Really. I bought a house for $400,000. Taxes were another $300,000 — something. What else? I lent my mom some money. I bought a car. That was about it.

You don’t have much to show for that million.

It’s surprising. One of the biggest reasons we didn’t go on tour when Nevermind was really big in the States was because I thought: “Fuck this, why should I go on tour? I have this chronic stomach pain, I may die on this tour, I’m selling a lot of records, I can live the rest of my life off a million dollars.” But there’s no point in even trying to explain that to a 15-year-old kid. I never would have believed it.

Do you worry about the impact that your work, lifestyle and ongoing war with supercelebrity are having on Frances? She seemed perfectly content to toddle around in the dressing room tonight, but it’s got to be a strange world for her.

I’m pretty concerned about it. She seems to be attracted to almost anyone. She loves anyone. And it saddens me to know that she’s moved around so much. We do have two nannies, one full–time and another older woman who takes care of her on weekends. But when we take her on the road, she’s around people all the time, and she doesn’t get to go to the park very often. We try as hard as we can, we take her to preschool things. But this is a totally different world.

In “Serve the Servants,” you sing, “I tried hard to have a father/But instead I had a dad.” Are you concerned about making the same mistakes as a father that might have been made when you were growing up?

No. I’m not worried about that at all. My father and I are completely different people. I know that I’m capable of showing a lot more affection than my dad was. Even if Courtney and I were to get divorced, I would never allow us to be in a situation where there are bad vibes between us in front of her. That kind of stuff can screw up a kid, but the reason those things happen is because the parents are not very bright.

I don’t think Courtney and I are that fucked up. We have lacked love all our lives, and we need it so much that if there’s any goal that we have, it’s to give Frances as much love as we can, as much support as we can. That’s the one thing that I know is not going to turn out bad.

What has been the state of relations within Nirvana over the past year?

When I was doing drugs, it was pretty bad. There was no communication. Krist and Dave, they didn’t understand the drug problem. They’d never been around drugs. They thought of heroin in the same way that I thought of heroin before I started doing it. It was just really sad. We didn’t speak very often. They were thinking the worst, like most people would, and I don’t blame them for that. But nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Since I’ve been clean, it’s gone back to pretty much normal.

Except for Dave. I’m still kind of concerned about him, because he still feels like he can be replaced at any time. He still feels like he . . .

Hasn’t passed the audition?

Yeah. I don’t understand it. I try to give him as many compliments as I can. I’m not a person who gives compliments very often, especially at practice. “Let’s do this song, let’s do that song, let’s do it over.” That’s it. I guess Dave is a person who needs reassurance sometimes. I notice that, so I try and do that more often.

With all of your reservations about playing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and writing the same kind of song over and over, do you envision a time when there is no Nirvana? That you’ll try to make it alone?

I don’t think I could ever do a solo thing, the Kurt Cobain Project.

Doesn’t have a very good ring to it, either.

No [laughs]. But yes, I would like to work with people who are totally, completely the opposite of what I’m doing now. Something way out there, man.

That doesn’t bode well for the future of Nirvana and the kind of music you make together.

That’s what I’ve been kind of hinting at in this whole interview. That we’re almost exhausted. We’ve gone to the point where things are becoming repetitious. There’s not something you can move up toward, there’s not something you can look forward to.

The best times that we ever had were right when Nevermind was coming out and we went on that American tour where we were playing clubs. They were totally sold out, and the record was breaking big, and there was this massive feeling in the air, this vibe of energy. Something really special was happening.

I hate to actually even say it, but I can’t see this band lasting more than a couple more albums, unless we really work hard on experimenting. I mean, let’s face it. When the same people are together doing the same job, they’re limited. I’m really interested in studying different things, and I know Krist and Dave are as well. But I don’t know if we are capable of doing it together. I don’t want to put out another record that sounds like the last three records.

I know we’re gonna put out one more record, at least, and I have a pretty good idea what it’s going to sound like: pretty ethereal, acoustic, like R.E.M.’s last album. If I could write just a couple of songs as good as what they’ve written . . . I don’t know how that band does what they do. God, they’re the greatest. They’ve dealt with their success like saints, and they keep delivering great music.

That’s what I’d really like to see this band do. Because we are stuck in such a rut. We have been labeled. R.E.M. is what? College rock? That doesn’t really stick. Grunge is as potent a term as New Wave. You can’t get out of it. It’s going to be passé. You have to take a chance and hope that either a totally different audience accepts you or the same audience grows with you.

And what if the kids just say, “We don’t dig it, get lost”?

Oh, well. [Laughs] Fuck ’em”.

On 5th April, it is thirty years since the world lost one of its most compelling and astonishing artists. I was impacted by Nirvana as a teenager. 1991’s Nevermind and 1993’s In Utero are among the greatest albums of that decade. Perhaps the level of fame and expectation resting on Cobain’s shoulders was a lot. There was so much love for him around the world. I don’t think the world will ever see anyone like him. On 5th April, rather than mourn and look back, it is important to celebrate his music and what he gave to the world. He truly was a phenomenal human. It is true that Kurt Cobain was…

ONE of the greats.

FEATURE: you should see me in a crown: Billie Eilish’s Phenomenal Debut Album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, at Five

FEATURE:

 

 

you should see me in a crown

Billie Eilish’s Phenomenal Debut Album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, at Five

_________

I am excited to look ahead…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Rachael Wright for ELLE

to the fifth anniversary of a major debut album. One of the world’s best songwriters and most celebrated young artists, Billie Eilish released WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? on 29th March, 2019. Produced by her brother Finneas O’Connell and released through Darkroom and Interscope, Eilish (Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell) was aged seventeen at the time of her debut album’s release. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? was written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, who produced it at his small bedroom studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Reaching number one in the U.K. and U.S. and hugely critically acclaimed upon its release, this wonderful album made a claim, pretty late on, as being among the best and most important of the last decade. Ahead of the fifth anniversary of a major debut from a genius modern artist, I wanted to source a couple of reviews and interviews around it. I am starting out with ELLE and their interview from 29th March, 2019. I have recently looked at WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. As it is five soon, I felt it necessary to come back to it again. As there is talk of a third Billie Eilish album coming soon – following 2021’s Happier Than Ever -, it is interesting looking back at her debut:

“Billie Eilish has to watch The Office while she does everything. “When I wake up, I put on The Office. If I’m making a burrito, I turn on The Office,” she says. The only scenario in which the 17-year-old singer-songwriter might not be streaming an episode is while working. “I need the distraction so I don’t think,” she says. “It’s like therapy for me. I have way too much to think about and people [I don’t want] to disappoint.” When asked whom, specifically, she is worried about letting down, she says, “Myself, mainly…and the whole world.”

She’s being hyperbolic, of course, but not by much. Eilish has 14.1 million followers (and counting) on Instagram. Her songs, including those from her 2017 debut EP, Don’t Smile at Me, have been streamed more than 5 billion times. As of this writing, the video for “Bury a Friend,” the third single off her first studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, has been out just over a week and viewed more than 35 million times—one million more than it was an hour ago. Eilish wasn’t exaggerating about The Office, either: She’s watched every episode of every season, 11 times over.

We’re sitting at the dining room table of the Los Angeles home where Eilish (full name: Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell) was raised. Her hair is blue, and her outfit—baggy knit pants and an oversize turtleneck—is white. Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird, and father, Patrick O’Connell, pop in and out, corralling the dog—who growls a lot but is harmless—and checking to make sure we have water. This is the house where Billie was homeschooled, and where she still records with her older brother, Finneas O’Connell.

“Here’s the thing with homeschooling,” Eilish says, twiddling a tube of Aquaphor in her fingers, her Invisalign on the table next to her cell phone. “It gave me time to actually realize what I wanted to do early on. Music was never a hobby. It was always there.” It became a career when she and Finneas uploaded a haunting pop song called “Ocean Eyes” to SoundCloud. Within 24 hours, it went viral. Eilish was just 13 at the time, and she’s been on a high-speed trajectory ever since, this year especially. Just a few days into 2019, her name found its way onto the Coachella lineup flyer—in the second-largest font size. In March, she released her first full-length album. This summer, she’ll embark on her fourth sold-out North American tour.

It’s a lot, and Eilish is handling it…okay. “Honestly, I feel myself losing it a little, but I have my brother—we write everything together; he produces my stuff—and my mom and dad tour with me. When I’m away from home, at least I have my home with me, in a way.” Finneas has since moved out of the house, but they still make music in his old bedroom. “This is where we recorded every single thing we’ve done,” she says, holding the door open so I can take a peek. The room is just barely big enough to fit a bed, a keyboard, and a desk. Suddenly, the intimacy of her new album makes perfect sense. It opens with the siblings laughing about Eilish’s pre-recording ritual—“I have taken out my Invisalign!” she says. Song nine, “My Strange Addiction,” is laced with clips from her favorite TV show (The Office, in case anyone forgot).

When she’s not touring, Eilish still sleeps right across the hall. “You want to see?” she asks, opening the door. She climbs onto her bed and pulls back a Louis Vuitton scarf tacked to the wall. Behind it are words, phrases, drawings, and other scribblings. She points to a few markers taped nearby for easy access. “I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and just find a place to write,” she says. It’s still light outside now, but her room is dark due to shoe racks obscuring the windows. Her closet would make Marie Kondo proud—the top row is a neon rainbow organized by color, and the bottom is black and white—but there are piles on the floor. “Where am I supposed to put any of this?” she says.

Her room might be full of pricey designer goods, but her prized possession is her notebook, which she keeps hidden. “There’s a lot of personal stuff in here that I don’t even want my parents to read,” she says, pulling the slim volume out from its secret location. “This is my brainchild, the weird monsters I’ve dreamed about.” She flips through the pages, pausing on a poetry fragment near the front. “This is from years ago,” she says. A few pages later: “This is really hormonal 13-year-old Billie. Really sad, really heartbroken.

Oh my God!” She laughs—she’s landed on a page that says, in large letters illustrated in pencil, “I’m sad.” Sketches fill some of the pages, including one of a yellow outfit similar to the one she wore in her “Bellyache” video. “I always dress like this, and I always have,” she says of her style, a high-low hybrid of shiny accessories and oversize athletic wear, often monochromatic or highlighter-hued. “I want to be looked at. I want to be remembered. Even before I was an artist, I wanted to go out and see people’s heads look up.”

These days people look, sometimes too much. “I can’t really go anywhere, because I will get mobbed,” Eilish says. “I can’t get mad, though—if I decide to go out in public, I have to expect that to happen. But when people show up at my house or drop things off on my porch, that’s not okay.” She shrugs. She could go on, but such talk is “a waste of everyone’s time,” she says. Her fan base might be growing exponentially, but her family keeps her grounded. Eilish catches me taking one last peek inside Finneas’s room before heading out. “People always ask, ‘How does it feel to have started out in your brother’s tiny room, and now you’re in the big studio?’ ” she says. “But I’m not. I’m still in the same room”.

There was a lot of press attention around Billie Eilish in March 2019. This was not her first release. She has put out E.P.s prior to the arrival of WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. Her debut E.P., dont smile at me, came out in 2017. Not just an American artist popular in her own country, Eilish already had a large fanbase around the world before her debut album came out. The Guardian spoke with her at the end of 2019. They named her their artist of the year:

“Billie Eilish was a star long before 2019. For a lot of 13- and 14-year-olds she was a game-changer the moment her song Ocean Eyes appeared on Soundcloud in 2015: an artist who spoke directly to her audience because she was her audience, a teenage girl who had co-written the song as a piece of homework and uploaded it for her teacher to access. But 2019 was the year that Eilish’s impact on pop became unavoidable: a show-stealing performance at Coachella; the youngest person to be nominated for all four biggest Grammy categories; the loud praise of fellow musicians from Tyler, the Creator to Thom Yorke; and a raft of younger artists operating under her influence.

Most importantly, the release of her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, confirmed her as the most exciting pop artist of her age: a dark, adventurous, eclectic set of songs, that appeared blithely unconcerned with chasing trends. Recorded at home by Eilish and her elder brother Finneas, without co-writers or big-name producers, it showed that, in a world of pop stars desperate to be seen as auteurs, Eilish genuinely is one – a fact underlined by her directing the impressively disturbing video for single Xanny. She turned 18 yesterday.

Billie, you’re the Guardian’s artist of the year and 2019 looks like when your career went crazy. Does it feel that way?

It was pretty steep, but it still felt gradual to me, even if it didn’t seem that way to the public. Everyone suddenly thinks I’m famous, but, you know, I was 13 when Ocean Eyes came out. Then again, that’s a lot faster than some people. They spend 20 years and for me it happened in three. But every moment this year has made me feel – “What the fuck is going on?” – in good ways and bad.

You’ve been very open about struggling with depression at the start of the year. Was there a moment where you thought you might give up making music, or was that what kept you going?

I don’t know. People talk about how making music is healing; I think listening to music is healing, but I don’t think making music is. It doesn’t heal to make music for me, but there are so many other things that do. The main thing is thinking about what I do for a living, having that be the thing that makes me remember what I have.

The fandom you inspire is intense. Is it difficult to deal with?

It’s crazy. Fandoms are a really insane thing. It’s strange growing up as a fan, wishing my favourite artist would do this or that, and now being on the other side. Now I understand why my favourite artist couldn’t do this, or couldn’t be this way when I wanted them to be. And it’s a big responsibility, but the fans are the reason that you’re anywhere, pretty much, and they actually have my back most of the time. So yeah, I love them. It’s a lot of responsibility, but I just live with it, you know?

You clearly don’t have a standard teenage life. How do you find space to live a “normal” one?

A normal life – I never wanted that. It’s not like this life is what I was dreaming of growing up, but all the things that were considered normal growing up I never liked doing … I can’t explain it without sounding so annoying! I’m pretty OK with the way things are. I wouldn’t want anything else. Even when parts of what I have now aren’t what I want, I don’t really care – it all goes into having this other thing that I literally couldn’t have dreamed of having.

Your brother was saying your next album is going to be more experimental …

It’s funny, he actually called me right after that article came out: “Billie, I did not say you are making experimental music, I literally just said we’d been experimenting on new stuff.” We’re just, like, seeing what we can and can’t do; we’re making the same Billie Eilish shit, it’s just growing.

He’s been working with other artists – Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello. Do you see a point where you could work with someone else, or is your relationship too close?

I don’t enjoy working with other people. Finneas is really good at writing music, really fast, so he can sit down with anyone and write something. For me, it’s never been a comfortable thing, so it can’t be someone random I work with. I’m not opposed to it, I just don’t see the need right now. You know, he’s not working with other people because he hates me.

Plans to celebrate your birthday?

I’ve wanted to be 18 my entire life, and a couple of months ago I realised how much I like being 17. And I’m worried at the same time that people who like me, like me because I was young. And now I’m not going to be, they’ll all be like “meh”. So I don’t know. I’m confused. It’s like when somebody turns 18, the whole world’s against them”.

I want to come to a couple of positive reviews for WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. One of the most acclaimed albums of 2019, I still think that it hits hard in 2024. A magnificent and fully-realised debut album from Billie Eilish. She went on to become Glastonbury’s youngest-ever headliner in 2022. This remarkable young artist demonstrating such astonishing talent. This is what Rolling Stone had to say about WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. They were deeply impressed and stunned:

“Billie Eilish is a 17 year-old homeschooled choir singer turned pop music prodigy. And she’s every bit as awesomely messed up as that pedigree implies: She’s the demon spawn of Lana Del Rey’s California dreams, who first compared a sweetheart’s gaze to napalm skies on her arresting 2016 single gone viral, “Ocean Eyes.” She later entertained fantasies of killing her friends on the guitar n’B song “Bellyache,” and warded off new ones throughout the rest of her 2017 EP, Don’t Smile at Me.

Yet, the smirking candor of her music sucks you in anyway: at the onset of her noirish major label debut, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? she offers a generous, audible slurp; “I’ve taken out my Invisalign,” she says. alluding to a specific brand of braces. “And this is the album!” Dental guard: off. Fangs: out.

Recorded with the help of her older brother Finneas in their family home in Los Angeles, it’s an album full of dressed-down avant-pop with D.I.Y. immediacy and intimacy that can still hold its own amid Top 40 maximalists like Ariana Grande and Halsey. Eilish’s sound is hyper-modern, but still feels classic; evoking another Billie in history, she sets the jazz-aware swing in her vocals over skittering trap beats and doo-wop piano asides. Yet for reasons that are unclear — perhaps her taste for the macabre, or her aesthetic as a tomboy par excellence — Eilish’s roguish pop has lead to a double life on the male-heavy rock and alternative charts.

Eilish claims she endured recurring night terrors while recording the album — recalling visions, some real and some imagined, of abductions, severed heads, school shootings and Los Angeles in flames. When she poses the question, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? it’s a personal one: to make peace with the twisted, dystopian Gotham that’s become her reality, where there is no Batman to save her, Eilish writes herself into characters who toe the line between good-bad and cartoonishly evil. She recalls DC Comics ass-kicker Harley Quinn in the slinky track “Bad Guy,” playing a comic book villain in a voice that suggests Lorde’s rascal kid sister: “I’m a make-your-momma-sad type, make-your-girlfriend-mad type, might-seduce-your-dad type,” she boasts — and with a single, sardonic “Duh,” she just narrowly gets away with it. (“That’s what I’ve been doing recently,” she told Rolling Stone last month: “Honing in on people’s fears.”)

More formidable is the sawing dubstep crawl of “You Should See Me In a Crown,” inspired by the villain Moriarty in the BBC show Sherlock. The song is matched in menace by the Takashi Murakami-animated video, in which Eilish sprouts eight legs and chomps a city to smithereens. Yet she turns that nightmarish girl monster against herself in “Bury A Friend,” adopting a skittish iambic pentameter as she repeats “I wanna end me” over a muted goth-R&B throb. In the 20 years since its inception, never has a teen pop star so gone dark — closely paralleling the anti-pop Boogeyman of Marilyn Manson’s Antichrist Superstar.

In spite of her most dastardly intentions, Eilish can’t help but draw back the curtain at times and let you in. Take the glimmer of sincerity in the high-drama ballad “When the Party’s Over,” where she painstakingly wishes to be more than a party of one; or her latest single, “Wish You Were Gay.” Lest the queer-baiting title steer you off track, Eilish means to profess her love for a boy whose lack of reciprocity she finds suspect. (One is always free to choose their own adventure, of course.) But in lieu of accepting that he’s just not that into her, Eilish resorts to a conclusion that’s easier on the ego: “To spare my pride,” she sings, “To give your lack of interest an explanation/I’m not your type/Maybe I’m not your preferred sexual orientation.”

Yet for every time she lets her guard down, she bounds back coolly, with a strategically distancing, impish snark. In “Xanny” she says a hard no to drugs, if only out of respect for friends she’s lost to them: “I can’t afford to love someone who isn’t dying by mistake/In Silverlake,” she sings with the kind of wry, eye-rolling detachment most strongly fermented in adolescence. It’s moments like these when Eilish isn’t at all someone you want to fear; she’s someone you want to root for”.

I am going to get to a review from NME. I have perhaps not done full justice to the impact and scope of WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. As its fifth anniversary occurs on 29th March, it is important to recognise this major work from a truly special artist. Someone whose voice and songwriting style is so strong and distinct:

“Some artists defy descriptions. Or, at least, their inspirations, methods and expressions are often so astounding, it’s futile to try and label what they actually sound like. This line of thought, among many, is something that is becoming routine when the name Billie Eilish is mentioned. There’s plenty of talk about her “vibe” and “aura”, but little in the way of nailing down what the hell a Billie Eilish’s song is all about.

There are plenty of reasons for that. One being that the 17-year-old’s releases have been intermittent – an EP and a smattering of singles – and the other, more importantly, is that once you try to describe why something is so good, it immediately becomes an impossible task that does justice to nobody. If the previous three years had meant that people knew the name, and not the sound, then the US teen’s debut album ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ will go someway to defining it.

This album is, thankfully, a remarkable effort from an artist whose sound has become in danger of being camouflaged by hype. Her debut EP, 2017’s ‘Don’t Smile At Me’ remains a strong effort, built around her viral and breakout single of the previous year, ‘Ocean Eyes’; that record contains moments of real charm, like the bubblegum-pop ‘Bellyache’ or the brooding, bolshy ‘COPYCAT’ – though a cohesive and extensive collection it is not.

Scarcity has had little impact on her success. Since ‘Don’t Smile At Me’ was released, it has been lingering in the charts both sides of the Atlantic for the best part of a year, and she’s become both an Instagram icon (15.1 million followers at the the time of writing) as well a key spokesperson amongst her generation. Now, in March 2019, she’s undoubtedly the most-talked about teen on the planet – everyone’s got a take on, be it about her styling or attitude.

Rest-assured: ‘When We All Fall Asleep…’ is worth the wait and exceeds the hype, but the sense of occasion hasn’t quite filtered down to Billie. On the 12-second opening track ‘!!!!!!!’ she jokes about taking out her retainer, and announces that “this is the album”, before she and Finneas O’Connell – co-writer, producer and older brother – descend into laughter.

The sense of their bedroom studio is all over this album. When there’s a hint of bombast, it’s soon disregarded in favour of the playful and DIY atmosphere that’s been cultivated in her and Finneas’ lab. Second half highlight ‘My Strange Addiction’, the closest thing Billie has ever come to writing a pop song that could have been sung by someone else, is interspersed with audio from a cult episode of The Office (the American version is one of her favourite shows). Likewise, on the thrilling, thumping opening track ‘Bad Guy’, where Billie’s vocals playfully joust with the looped bassline for her heaviest and club-ready track yet, there’s a moment after the chorus where the hubbub halts and an assured “duh!” from Billie hits you around the chops. And hen the bass kicks in again. Of course it was going to be this good. Of course they’re going to have a ball making it.

As the 14 tracks whittle along, that elusive and definable ‘sound’ starts to show itself. It’s remarkably agile; ‘Xanny’, a three-part soundclash, is perhaps the best example of the sonic palette that’s dipped into. The layered falsetto vocal trickery opens the song, while a wicked bassy onslaught warps the vocals into a slithering beast. By the end, the two coalesce into a surprisingly schmaltzy finale. The same formula is revisited and recalibrated on the previously released ‘You Should See Me In A Crown’ and ‘Ilomilo’, and the G-Funk nodding ‘All Good Girls Go To Hell’.

One aspect that needed no further development: her astute lyrical skills. Each track is laden with Blilie-isms that’ll make for plenty of Instagram-caption barbs – from the profound to the playful. On ‘Xanny’, she laments the prescription medication’s impact and the ensuing crisis on youth culture: “In the second-hand smoke, still just drinking canned coke, I don’t need a Xanny to feel better”. The chorus to ‘All The Good Girls Go To Hell’, meanwhile, proves itself a sparkling gem with jaunty piano and stuttering beats: “All the good girls go to hell / Because even God herself has enemies”.

There’s little to plausibly fault on the record. Previous singles are included sparingly (2018’s ‘When The Party’s Over’ and ‘You Should See Me In A Crown’), and there’s a real level of intrigue waiting on every song, partly as only two new songs (‘Bury A Friend’, ‘Wish You Were Gay’) got a pre-release. It’s an album that moves with purpose and knows when to hold the listener tight, or grab them by the scruff of the neck and drag them into her world. That said, one nitpick is the pacing towards the end, with the final three songs – ‘Listen Before I Go’, ‘I Love You’ and ‘Goodbye’ – providing an melancholy end close to an otherwise thrilling album.

‘When We All Fall Asleep…’, then, ticks all the boxes for a memorable and game-changing debut album. It’s enjoyable and familiar, but retains Billie’s disruptive streak. It’s a brave and resounding first step for an artist with bags of potential and over the next decade, you’ll no doubt see popular music scrabbling to try and replicate what this album does on every level. There’ll always be copycats, as Billie noted on her 2017 song of the same name, but none will be able to reach these heights any time soon”.

A global superstar and one of the most inspiring artists of her generation, there are eyes on Billie Eilish this year. After contributing the song, What Was I Made For?, to the Barbie soundtrack, she has won awards for that track. A magnificent songwriter, singer and director, we are going to see her progress and continue to make amazing music for decades more. The hugely eclectic and fascinating WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? is an album that you need to hear. Truly announcing a biblical talent, I absolutely love Billie Eilish’s debut album. I think that it is one of the finest debut albums…

OF the past couple of decades.

FEATURE: From Its Home in Greater Manchester… Rounding Up the Amazing 6 Music Festival

FEATURE:

 

 

From Its Home in Greater Manchester…

IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne/PHOTO CREDIT: Darren Skene (via Lauren Laverne)

Rounding Up the Amazing 6 Music Festival

_________

I am writing this…

IMAGE CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

on 10th March. Today is the final day of the 6 Music Festival. You can see videos from some of the sets that have taken place since Thursday. I am going to drop in a fair few videos for this feature. In addition to bringing in some details and highlights from the festival, I am also going to drop in some reviews. As I am typing this, I know a lot of people are looking forward to a busy final day. Some incredible artists and D.J.s have thrilled the passionate gig-goers at some wonderful venues through Salford and Manchester. I will include as much detail in as I can. This has been one of the best and most memorable 6 Music Festivals. You can follow BBC Radio 6 Music on Instagram and catch photos and videos from the festival. It has been a wonderful and much-needed celebration.

IN THIS PHOTO: Young Fathers/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

On its tenth anniversary, headline performance from the likes of The Smile ad Gossip will live long in the memory. In its permanent home of Greater Manchester, we can look forward to many years of a unique festival. One that highlights artists and D.J.s equally. A space for a variety of talent to perform in these distinct and energised venues. I am going to bring in some videos and photos from each day of the festival (from Thursday 7th to Saturday 9th). There are a couple of reviews to consider. I will start off by brining in some press release and detail about this year’s festival. How this past few days has witnessed some amazing talent stun and amaze those who have been in attendance:

“The incredible line up for this year’s BBC Radio 6 Music Festival, which takes place from Thursday 7 – Sunday 10 March in Greater Manchester, was announced live on air this morning by Lauren Laverne (7.30am–10.30am).

The station’s flagship live music festival, which is now based permanently in Greater Manchester, will once again feature performances you won’t see anywhere else, new music debuts, unique collaborations and surprise guests. The artists who will perform at O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester include:

Thursday 7 March

Young Fathers, performing a unique collaboration with the Hulme and Moss Side based NIA community choir, supported by Hak Baker and SHERELLE (DJ set)

Friday 8 March

Gossip, with their first UK show in four years and giving 6 Music the global premiere of unreleased material as well as celebrating International Women’s Day, supported by CMAT and AFRODEUTSCHE (DJ set)

Saturday 9 March

The Smile and the London Contemporary Orchestra with a world exclusive performance and the first time the Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner project have performed with an orchestra. The Smile will be supported by Jordan Rakei and Mary Anne Hobbs + Anna Phoebe (a unique hybrid performance featuring a DJ set from Mary Anne and Anna playing live violin and viola)

Further shows include a BBC Music Introducing night at Band on the Wall and New Music Fix Live at YES, the first time the 6 Music Festival has visited the venue. Club nights will include Indie Forever at Band on the Wall and Rave Forever at Archive, Depot Mayfield Manchester in partnership with the Warehouse Project. There will also be Morning After Mix Live events on the Saturday and Sunday at RAMONA: Jamz Supernova will broadcast her 6 Music show from the venue on Saturday 9 March (1pm-4pm), which will feature a live DJ set from Konny Kon (Children of Zeus), and Cerys Matthews will present from RAMONA on Sunday 10 March (10am-1pm), with a live DJ set from Femi Koleoso of Ezra Collective.

DJs playing across the city at the festival during the weekend include:

Lolly Adefope, Space Afrika, 96 Back, Daphni, Lily Fontaine (English Teacher), Mary Anne Hobbs, I. JORDAN, Femi Koleoso (Ezra Collective), Amy Lamé, LCY, Mica Levi, Rainy Miller, Not Bad For A Girl, DJ Paulette, Emily Pilbeam, salute, DJ Seinfeld, Nathan Shepherd, Iceboy Violet, Yyre and Konny Kon (Children of Zeus).

Young Fathers says: “A 6 Music stage has been given to us and the door of endless possibilities has been opened. Beyond anything else it will be a night to celebrate a wide mix of folk coming together. GERONIMO!!”

Hak Baker says: “6 Music has been a long-time supporter but I feel since the birth of my debut you lot have just taken it to another echelon. I just can’t thank you enough for broadcasting my messages on the airwaves. Outside East London, Manchester, home of theHaçienda, has long been my fave city. We always sell out over there and we always have it large, most importantly so bringing it heavy on March 7 2024. Couple of newbies no one’s ever heard and a few more tricks up the old wizard sleeve. Hold on to ya hats!!”

Gossip, who will be performing never heard before tracks, says: "We're so excited -Manchester is going to be the first to hear our new record live! Such a special crowd, we've missed you so much and can't wait to be back!"

CMAT says: "My performance at the 6 Music Festival will be the best show you’ll see in your whole entire life!  Expect camp, gay people, energy, country music as well as mediocre guitar playing from me and very good guitar playing from other people. When I was making my first album and listening to 6 Music most days, Iggy Pop played one of my songs on his show. I heard it from the other room and ran in to hear Iggy Pop’s mouth forming my name - it was a crazy day for the parish."

During an on air interview with Lauren Laverne, The Smile says: “ARRGGGH - we’ve got a lot of work to do to prep for the 6 Music Festival as it’s one thing to do it in the studio, but it’s another thing to do it live. We’ve decided to work with the London Contemporary Orchestra on the performance but as they’re all incredibly versatile musicians, we’ll figure it out!”

Jordan Rakei says: “I’m really excited to play in Manchester again because it’s one of the earliest shows I can remember after moving to the UK in 2015, so I can’t wait to show love to the city that showed me love when I first moved over. I’ll be playing new music as well as some of my favorite older songs. I’ll also be bringing my biggest band I’ve ever had, there will lots of singers on stage so I’m super excited!  I’m a massive fan of 6 Music because whenever I turn the radio on, I always hear something progressive, which pushes me to discover new music in all different fields, sounds and genres. It’s somewhere I tap into to learn something new because it’s very easy to get caught up in what you know. So it’s such an honor to be at a festival championing new music like this… so super grateful!”

Lauren Laverne says: “We can’t wait to kick start the 6 Music Festival and find out what some of our favourite artists have in store for us - in a busy festival season this is a chance to see and hear something brand new! See you there!”

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Samantha Moy, Head of 6 Music says: “The 6 Music Festival is always a very special moment in our year and we can’t wait to bring our audience some truly unique performances. Come and join us! ”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham says: “It’s fantastic to see the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival returning to Greater Manchester this year. We’re immensely proud of our musical heritage, but also the phenomenal depth of talent and the exciting independent scene across our city-region right now. As BBC Radio 6 Music has always supported new and alternative artists, it’s a perfect fit for the festival to have its permanent home here for years to come.

“There’s so much new Greater Manchester music out there right now that deserves to be heard, which is why it’s so important to develop platforms for emerging artists. That’s precisely what we’ve been celebrating with the Mayor’s Artist of the Month on BBC Radio Manchester, and like BBC Radio 6 Music, we want to help those acts get on and reach new audiences”.

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On Thursday, the brilliant Hak Baker and Young Fathers played at Victoria Warehouse Manchester. Young Fathers performed a unique collaboration with the Hulme and Moss Side based NIA community choir. It was a perfect way to kick off the festival! Two of our best artists, these were early highlights. Manchester Evening News reviewed the Friday and Saturday nights of the 6 Music Festival. Gossip  headlined on the Friday. CMAT was in amazing form too. Before moving on, CMAT was interview on Friday about appearing at the 6 Music Festival. She spoke with Craig Charles and Matt Everitt in separate chats (you can listen to the Craig Charles interview in full here. It begins at 41 minutes in to the programme):

“Craig Charles: “Tell us the story you just told us about Yard Act!”

CMAT (laughs): “No! I couldn't possibly. I couldn't, I don't know anything about Yard Act. I've never heard of those people before in my life! I definitely didn't go on an absolutely insane night out a couple of nights ago with the two backing singers.” 

Craig: “And stayed out until 9 o'clock in the morning?” 

CMAT: “No, no…” 

Craig: “That would never happen!” 

CMAT: “No that didn't happen.” 

On making her new album: 

CMAT: “It was intense, so my producer is a Norwegian man called Mattias Tellez, who has kids so his kind of rule was if I'm gonna make this album with you we have to be in the studio Monday to Friday, 9-5, because I have to go home to my kids. I was like “yeah ok”. But that's really the opposite of most studio experiences and it was weird to go from me and my normal personality of constant touring and drinking and carousing to basically doing an office job where I had to make the saddest songs I've ever made in my life. And also I was in Norway which is weird because it's really expensive there so I couldn't really eat food properly […] I also lived in a hotel because they don't really do Airbnb, so living in a hotel with no oven or microwave or nothing, so I was just eating crackers and cucumbers and this fish paste every day! Like I didn't eat any hot food for like a month.” 

 

Craig: “You spoke to Chris Hawkins on his show not too long ago. And you sounded pretty determined to meet Kylie at the BRITS. Did that happen?” 

CMAT: “It didn't happen, it didn't happen. I've been reluctant to tell people cause I knew it would break their hearts. She was sitting two tables away from me and I could have thrown a bread roll at her if I wanted and her hair was so fluffy! And someone came over at the start and said she’d really like to meet you. Can we organise it and I was like yeah! But the minute the BRIT Awards started, they were using her in every skit [..] She didn't have a moment to breathe the poor woman. People were crowding her as well. I didn't want to go near her in that context but…” 

Craig: “You also mentioned how your nanna’s your ultimate fan and is all over Instagram in support of you. What was her reaction to you going to the BRITS.” 

CMAT: “We’ve actually probably had a bit of a falling out about it, I'm not gonna lie. My nan is not happy with me, she's not happy about the bum.” 

Craig: “Is it because of the dress?” 

CMAT: “Yeah, well she's not happy because I told her she had to lay off the fan groups on Instagram. I was like, “it's a bit weird nanny you've got 16 other grandchildren and you pretend that they don't exist because I'm the only famous one”. So we had a bit of a falling out about that. And then I've heard through whispers that she's not happy about the dress. [...]” 

Craig: “Can you explain to the listeners who don't know what we are on about, about the dress?” 

CMAT: “So I wore a dress to the BRITS […] I also just thought it would be funny and fun and I thought people would enjoy it which at the actual BRIT awards they did. It was a wonderful experience. I was walking around and really famous people were just laughing and me as I was just walking away from them, it was really funny. Just like, I was leaving a trail of laughter behind because they wouldn't have seen from the front. And then they'd see from the back and be like oh my god! What's Paloma Faith wearing?? Was actually one thing I heard and I was just like… love that!”

CMAT: “We did have like rulers and measurements and we were really debating on how far the line should go in order for it to be a fashion moment or for it to be a public nudity moment so we were really careful about it. I'm quite surprised at the level of unhappiness [...] going around on Instagram.”

IN THIS PHOTO: CMAT and John Grant/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

On advice for other artists: 

CMAT: “Yeah, my number one piece of advice cause I think it is the thing that has benefitted me the most.. Don't be afraid to be bad! Like, I think it's really important, especially when you're really young, that whatever it is your writing whatever it is you’re coming up with you need to just publish it you need to publish it you need to get it out there put it on YouTube, put it on Tik Tok put it on whatever. Some people are gonna hate it, and you will slowly but surely learn when someone is being a hater or when someone is a bit right when you know “ok this is a criticism I get over and over again maybe this is something I should work on”, you have to be public. If you're gonna be a person who writes your music and creates your music and not just an innocent bystander then you have to just suffer the consequences of being bad sometimes. Even now I still write bad music but I think I'm good at knowing when not to release it at the moment, that'll change but you just have to not be afraid of what people are gonna think of you. I think it's really, really important.”

On touring and Yard Act

CMAT: “I was gonna say I've been on tour since 2021 I don't really think we’ve stopped at all! I love it, I actually… I'm in a much better place with it now than I was before because I really enjoy the shows. But it is difficult, it is you know… we’re talking about Yard Act earlier on. I became friends with them during the year that they did… I think they did 140 shows that year and I did like 110. So we were constantly at each [...] the small festivals and constantly bumping into each other because we were all bedraggled and twitching and like ill…” 

Craig: “How do you pace yourself? How do you stop being bedraggled and twitchy and ill?” 

CMAT: “I think the more experienced I became the easier it was for me to get on stage. So like now for example one thing that's definitely helped is my band is very dry. We dont drink on show days. We don't do anything on show days because it's like “ok if we’re fully sober on stage the shows are just going to be better and also we’ll wake up the next morning and not want to die. So that helps you look forward to the next show. You're not disgustingly hungover and wanting to just lie in bed for the whole day you know, you have a bit of get up and go. And you know the thing to keep in mind especially when you're doing headline tours is people have paid to see you no matter if I’m in Dublin doing a show in front of six thousand people or if I'm in Cologne and there are a hundred people there they've all paid to see the same show so you have to just put on the same show otherwise it's not fair. And that makes you really good as well, that makes you a much, much better live musician.”

IN THIS PHOTO: CMAT/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

CMAT’s words taken from an interview with BBC Radio 6 Music’s Matt Everitt

Ahead of her appearance at the BBC 6 Music Festival in Manchester, the Irish artist explained how isolated she felt in the Dublin music scene at the start of her career.

CMAT: “I think the thing that I found myself was alone, right? When I was 18 and I was starting out, I didn't know a single other woman that was doing music. Seriously. In Dublin, there was not a single other one. I found the only other person that was doing music at the time, like doing gigs and open mics and stuff, a woman called Éna Brennan - an amazing, contemporary composer and string arranger - but I literally found the only other woman and put her in my band. It was just like it was a wasteland.

“Being perfectly honest with you, and this is not a popular thing to say, but the real thing I felt was that I was this tokenistic prize of property. The minute that someone found out that there was a woman singer/songwriter in Dublin, I was suddenly getting booked for every support slot under the sun because they wanted to make themselves look good by having a woman on their line-up. But they may not have listened to my music, and certainly I wasn't getting booked or encouraged to be a headliner.

“This is a very nuanced conversation but that was an argument very early on, people were like, “There should be more women on this festival line-up!” and then festival organisers would come out and say, “There are no women! Where are the women?” But you have to dig and become a fan and make the effort and connect to people's music that's outside of your realm of comfort. You know you have to try, but also don't just be booking people that you don't know because they're a woman.”

She also explained that the lack of female producers and studio engineers means that many female musicians have to adapt their behaviour in order to get their curative voices heard.

CMAT: “In the words of Garth Brooks, everything that is a blessing is a curse. I have never had the opportunity to work with a woman who is a producer or women who are studio engineers, which is absolutely shocking and appalling. But the flip side of that is - when you’re a woman in a situation where there's a room full of men, there is a kind of ‘sink or swim’ thing that happens. Which is you either allow men to walk all over you and talk all over you, or you learn really quickly and very aggressively to stick up for yourself. And I actually think that if I had been in a comfortable environment very early on, I may not have learned how to be the director of my own music and be the basically co-producer of all my records.

IN THIS PHOTO: CMAT alongside Matt Everitt/PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Everitt/BBC Radio 6 Music

“I personally have never let anyone tell me what to do in my whole entire life because I'm quite militant. My label AWAL has been extremely respectful. My first record, I just delivered it to them. I was like, “Here's the record I wanted to make!” But I know that with major labels - and I have lots of friends who on majors - that is not their experience. People not being allowed to release albums that are made, and it's sitting there for five years. So that must be such a painful experience. The fact that you trust someone, that you sign with them, and then they're like, “Okay, go make your records” and then you make it. And then they say, “It's not really that convenient for us to release it right now.” actually think it's like borderline abusive.”

Matt Everitt: “Obviously at the BRITS, Raye wins big, and the story of her record being sat on, you think “Oh, this is a one off thing” But that's not the case? You're hearing from other people where the same thing has happened?”

CMAT: “Raye's the only one who came out publicly and talked about it. I actually know personally three off the top of my head, other people that were attending the BRIT Awards that have had people forcibly sit on their records for numbers of reasons. Raye is the only one who's come out and said it because she did scorched earth thing with Polydor and she absolutely should have done. But it's so commonplace. Not my experience, but I've been witness to it.”

Matt: I have to ask you about the BRITS controversy now the dust has settled.

CMAT: “Oh, my bum? It's still it's still picking up steam every day, you know? The BRITS posted a video of me twirling around on the red carpet yesterday, and it has 750 comments and everyone is furious. And I think it's wonderful. I think it's so good. Like, so the worst thing anyone can say about me is that they don't like my bum crack? I must be an amazing human being. I've never done anything wrong! It's like the things that people get upset about is so silly. One thing I find really interesting is that loads of people in the comments are like, “She's attention seeking! She's an attention seeker!” So? Yeah, that's my job!”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Anna Phoebe with Mary Anne Hobbs/PHOTO CREDIT: Darren Skene

On Saturday, The Smile were headliners. Jordan Rakei was playing that day too. It is worth mentioning the D.J. talent on each night. SHERELLE played a set on Thursday. AFRODEUTSCH was on the Friday. Band on the Wall’s Indie Club Night featured Nathan Shepherd, Amy Lamé, Lolly Adefope, English Teacher’s Lily Fontaine and Emily Pilbeam. From O2 Victoria Warehouse, Mary Anne Hobbs and Anna Phoebe were together for an incredible set. Again, check out the action here. In their five-star review, Manchester Evening News provided their take on Gossip headlining on Friday:

“We’re just a song-and-a-half into the Gossip’s headline set at Victoria Warehouse on Friday night and frontwoman Beth Ditto has already stripped down to her bra and underwear after waltzing onto the stage in a shimmering pink skirt. “I’m not trying to be subversive,” she tells the packed out BBC Radio 6 Music Festival crowd. “I’m really not. I'm just trying to be comfortable.”

Setting the tone for what the rest of the night will entail, it’s still hard to believe it’s been 18 years since the American indie rock band first broke onto the scene with their seminal anthem Standing In The Way of Control. Thanks to its inclusion in E4’s Skins in 2006, the song became the unofficial soundtrack to the lives of students up and down the country - frequenting the playlist of many a hazy night at Manchester venues like, in my own personal experience, Fifth Avenue and Poptastic.

But a lot has happened for Gossip in the time between then. They’ve released a number of albums, had a reshuffle of band members, disbanded, gone solo and reformed. Following a 12-year hiatus, where it once looked like Gossip would never cross paths again, the Beth Ditto-fronted band are back where they belong with the upcoming release of sixth album Real Power later this month. And they’ve chosen the Manchester venue to debut a number of songs from the collection as part of the BBC festival.

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Joined with support from Afrodutsche and the amazing Kate Bush-esque vocals from Irish songstress CMAT, who delivers a soulful and energetic set that is just as barmy as it is poignant (featuring line-dancing and an emotionally stellar duet with John Grant), the band arrive on stage with a lot to prove. It’s been a while, and in these cases, there’s always a worry that sometimes the magic of that era could have been lost in transit. Thankfully, these fears are thrown away the moment Beth, guitarist Nathan Howdeshell and drummer Hannah Blilie all head out to first track Love Long Distance.

The three-piece are also joined by Beth’s fiance Ted Kwo, who takes on the role of touring bassist. Throughout the show, Beth breaks in-between each number to recall a story or two - one moment sees her share fondness for Stoke-on-Trent while later on, knowing the show is being broadcast on BBC Radio 6, she bluntly asks: “Can you say pubic hair on the radio?”. She does it anyway.

IN THIS PHOTO: Gossp’s Beth Ditto/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

Throughout the show, the rest of the band tries to bring her back to the forefront of what they’re here to do: perform some songs. And they mostly manage to get Beth back on track. The set list spans Gossip's back catalogue, with tracks including Move in the Right Direction and Men In Love, with Beth fully accepting that she knows the audience are here for the hits. “I know what it’s like,” she says as she recalls going to shows where bands will perform entire new album to unimpressed audiences. So, it's no surprise then that later in the show, Beth decides to cut one of the newest songs mid-way through after admitting she can’t remember the words.

While the show, with its many interludes and unintentional costume changes, might frustrate some in the audience, for most, it’s just a firm realisation that this is Beth and the gang in their element. In fact, she admits throughout the show that this, their first show in the country in four years, is a special and emotional one for them, which may add to the often derailed, yet endearing, nature of the show.

And for those wondering if Beth’s vocals still stand the test of time - you can be safe in the knowledge that they absolutely do. Her soulful powerhouse vocals are rough-around-the-edges yet smooth like honey at the same time. They can go from bellowing out numbers like Listen Up to doing an impromptu cover track of Dolly Parton’s 9 To 5. And when she forgets the words to another track, she wears the error confidently on her sleeve as she says: “This is real."

As this is the 6 Music Festival, there are also surprises in store for the audience. The impeccable Alison Moyet joins the band on stage for not one but two renditions of Yazz’s Situation, after Beth becomes too emotional during the first performance and forgets the words. Thankfully, Alison is happy to stick around for round two.

IN THIS PHOTO: Gosspi’s Beth Ditto and Alison Moyet/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

Heavy Cross, another of the band’s songs that I can distinctly remember shuffling along to at 2am in the basement of Poptastic’s indie room, also earns a roaring reaction from Manchester. The stomping of feet in unison is infectious, as is the vocal relay between Beth and the audience.

To absolutely no surprise, Standing In The Way Of Control is kept until last and it is the song that, quite rightly, makes the most noise. Written in response to the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 which, if approved, would have outlawed same-sex marriage In America, the song is laced with power and anger. Thankfully, despite its endorsement by President George Bush at the time, the bill never made it out of the US committee.

Whilst Beth admits on stage she first had concerns about whether the song's meaning still rang true today, she realises it has become an important rally call for those who are still fighting for who they are today. As much, every word in the song is screamed with intent from her and the crowd.

And just when you think the encore can’t get any more powerful, a number of activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community bombard the stage with placards and signs, saying everything from ‘God loves lipstick lesbians’, ‘protect trans rights’ and ‘Black, Brown, queer here’ to even ‘Gossip suck’. Interlaced with Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit the show turns into a rally cry that is there to remind Beth, and the audience, that the power of the song, perhaps unfortunately, still exists today. And maybe, in a number of ways, it holds even more strength and meaning today than it did 20 years ago”.

Before wrapping up, and another five-star review from Manchester Evening News, The Smile were tremendous headliners on Saturday. It seems like this is one of the most impactful festivals 6 Music have ever mounted. Sets of the very highest order:

“They were the linchpins of one of the most respected rock bands on the planet - but they're not quite done yet.

Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood have teamed up with Sons of Kemmet drummer Tom Skinner to form supergroup The Smile. And in a world exclusive performance at Greater Manchester's Victoria Warehouse on Saturday (March 9), they joined forces with the London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO) to headline what was an utterly mesmerising final night of the BBC 6 Music Festival.

For one hour and 40 minutes, the audience were stunned as they watched Radiohead reincarnated. The 20 songs they performed may have all been written and released under the banner of The Smile, but they all sound reminiscent of Radiohead's unrivalled repertoire.

Radiohead, which first rose to global fame in the 1990s with the hit single 'Creep', has radically reinvented its sound over the years. Unlike any other side project its members have worked on so far, The Smile sounds like the latest reinvention of Radiohead itself.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Smile/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

Thom and Jonny, worked their magic on stage as they showcased the project which emerged from the pandemic while their sound technicians scuttled around them, repeatedly rearranging the set up to meet the multi-instrumentalists' needs. Both in their fifties, the two masters in their field were flanked by musicians on either side who execute their experimental sensibilities with expert precision.

But it was the musicians behind them that made their headline performance at BBC 6 Music festival really special. The LCO recreated the atmosphere in the band's recordings in a way that only a live orchestra could, remaining on stage until the final songs of the set.

IN THIS PHOTO: Pip Millett and Jordan Rakei/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

The Smile's performance was preceded by New Zealand-born musician Jordan Rakei whose unorthodox rhythms seem to borrow from Radiohead's style. He shared his excitement about supporting such a class act, telling the audience that he is a fan of 'you know who'.

Presumably, he was referring to Radiohead, rather than The Smile. But any fan of the band which has not performed live since 2019 would be foolish to dismiss The Smile as yet another side project its members have been working on - this feels like the real deal”.

Now almost ended for another year, there are so many highlights and incredible moments that we can take away from it. In the warm and embracing Greater Manchester, I know people who travelled up there to see their favourite acts. It was another tremendous 6 Music Festival. If you, like me, were not able to attend in person, you can see performances on BBC iPlayer, in addition to BBC Radio 6 Music’s Instagram and the BBC Music YouTube channel. Even if the music has stopped, the buzz and electricity from the four-day event will endure…

FOR weeks to come.

FEATURE: A Big Part of Kate Bush’s Story… Producer Andrew Powell at Seventy-Five

FEATURE:

 

 

A Big Part of Kate Bush’s Story…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush photographed in March 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Mirrorpix

Producer Andrew Powell at Seventy-Five

_________

I have mentioned him…

a bit when speaking about Kate Bush’s first two studio albums, The Kick Inside and Lionheart. Even if their association was brief, there is no denying that Andrew Powell was hugely important. A classically trained musician and superb producer, he was the man who was at the helm for those two incredible first two albums. Maybe fans have a mixed reaction to him based on the sound of the albums and Bush wanting to solo produce fairly soon after 1978. She would do for her fourth studio album, The Dreaming (1982). Even if Kate Bush could have produced her first couple of albums and had more input, it was felt by EMI that she needed a professional for those works. Rather than it being a case of this slightly older and more experienced producer stuffily calling the shots and there being this sort of divide and wall between them, there was a lot of collaboration and leeway. Bush assisted with Lionheart’s production. There was communication and respect though, in hindsight, Kate Bush probably felt like she was an ingénue – someone who needed guiding and was restricted to sticking to the microphone. Not really given too much access to the control room and the mixing desks. She was there for mixes and stayed up through the night to hear Wuthering Heights come together. I know that there would have been suggestions from Bush about her first two albums. Andrew Powell taking that on board and the music being worked and shaped accordingly. Maybe the biggest decision he made for The Kick Inside and Lionheart was the choice of band.

Kate Bush would have favoured more input from her KT Bush band members. Del Palmer, Vic King and Brian Bath played with her in a serries of small gigs prior to her getting into the studio to record The Kick Inside. Again, more experienced musicians were chosen. Among them was the late Ian Bairnson and stalwarts like David Paton and Duncan Mackay. Andrew Powell played on a few tracks himself. Bush’s brother, Paddy, was on her debut album mind. He would appear on all of her studio albums bar her most recent, 50 Words for Snow (2011). By Lionheart, there was a bit of crossover between Kate Bush’s band and the ones that were chosen by Andrew Powell and EMI.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Also, Bush’s mentor David Gilmour would have favoured musicians who had a bit more experience. If Bush corrected things by 1980’s Never for Ever and made sure that she had more say and fingerprints on her music, one cannot overlook the importance of Andrew Powell. If his production is more studied and different to Kate Bush’s, the fact that The Kick Inside and Lionheart sound like they do and have endured is because of him. His intuition and experience when it came to the music. Born in Surrey, England, Powell soon relocated to Wales. He is still working today. After leaving the University of Cambridge, his first professional role was as a soloist at the BBC Proms. He went on to work with several orchestras, including Covent Garden's. Powell also had begun to work as a session player. He founded the group, Come to the Edge, alongside Robin Thompson and Morris Pert. As producer, Powell’s first commission was the debut album for Cockney Rebel. He worked with other artists, such as Leo Sayer, Donovan, Al Stewart, David Gilmour and Chris Rea.

That bit of biography is adapted from Wikipedia. Good and solid pedigree as a producer. It would have been David Gilmour who knew that Andrew Powell was the man who could get so much from Kate Bush’s distinct and extraordinary music. A reason I am writing about him now is that he turns seventy-five on 18th April. I am going to move away from 1978 and Kate Bush’s earliest work for a bit. I felt it worth returning now to mark the upcoming birthday of Andrew Powell. Someone who is very important in Kate Bush’s history and development. I guess a lot of people do not really know much about Andrew Powell. In terms of the press and promotion for The Kick Inside and Lionheart, he was not really featured. We do not have photos from the studio or any video. Regardless, his role is clear. Someone who was instrumental in crafting these incredible albums. I am going to come to some interviews where Andrew Powell talked about Kate Bush and working with this hugely promising young artist. Ending with a segment from his official website where a fan asked him questions about Kate Bush and a particular song from the Lionheart sessions that was never released. Let’s start out with an article from Article from Electronics & Music Maker, October 1983:

“Kate Bush

It was about this time that I was introduced to Kate Bush. I remember Dave Gilmour (of Pink Floyd) playing me a demo of 'The Man With A Child In His Eyes', and my only reaction was 'when do we start?' As it turned out, we recorded that song and 'Berlin' soon afterwards, when Kate was still only about 16. The same recordings were used on 'The Kick Inside', although the rest of the album was recorded some time later when Kate had finally signed to EMI.

Kate used the time between making those first recordings and signing up to very good effect. I think a lot of artists would have begun to despair or maybe thrown in the towel altogether, but she remained calm and during that time her writing matured a good deal: she wrote some brilliant songs.

Production

'The Kick Inside' represented my first venture into production, and oddly enough I didn't feel the need to do orchestral arrangements for every song. Some of the tracks on side two are more or less just piano and vocals, which is the way Kate writes them, of course. I kept them sparse because it was something of a change for me, and I think they worked very well on the whole.

From the beginning, Kate was very interested in the mixing and production side of things, and by the time we came to do 'Lionheart', she was assisting me to quite a large degree. I'm very proud of some of the things on that album, especially the arrangements on 'Wow' - a lot of people reckon that to be one of the best things I've done.

I always thought Kate was one of those people who wanted to do everything herself, and it came as no surprise to me to see that she'd done the last album entirely on her own. She's very much a perfectionist, and a very talented one at that; working with her was a real pleasure, and I learnt a lot from it”.

In 2018, Music Aficionado spoke with the great Andrew Powell. I have sourced this interview previously when I featured Andrew Powell. As this amazing producer and musician is turning seventy-five, it is well worth revisiting. I love how he came to meet Kate Bush (then Cathy) and those promising first steps:

“As usual, I saved the best for last. This is how Andrew Powell described the beginning of one talented lady‘s a recording career: “David Gilmour phoned me one day, and invited me for lunch at the Pink Floyd’s office in Bond Street, London. When I arrived there, he introduced me to Kate Bush (or Cathy, as she was then known.) She was a very quiet, but obviously thoughtful, young girl. He played me some of her songs, and I was impressed by her vivid musical and lyrical imagination. We talked about which songs to do – I took a tape away, and we had a further discussion a few days later. We agreed on 3 songs to record, and David handed the project over to me. I booked some time at AIR London Studios in Oxford Circus with the renowned Geoff Emerick as engineer (who, to my great embarrassment, wasn’t credited on the album), and booked a rhythm section consisting of Barry de Souza on drums, Bruce Lynch on bass, and Alan Parker and Paul Keogh on guitars. Kate would play piano, although I played both piano and electric piano on Berlin (later renamed to Saxophone Song). We had another session a few days later with the orchestra, who played on Berlin, and also played The Man with the Child in His Eyes – Kate played piano and sang live with the orchestra. If she was nervous, it didn’t show. Geoff, who was assisted by Peter Henderson, did great mixes of all 3 titles (the other one was called Humming – it was never released) and David took the tape to Bob Mercer at EMI, who signed her.” Kate Bush was 16 when she recorded these early demo tapes. The rest is history”.

The Kick Inside, Kate Bush’s debut album, was the first major project for Andrew Powell as a producer, and he is all over that album arranging the orchestral tracks, playing bass on Wuthering Heights and keyboards on other songs. The album is wonderful start to finish, but the hits are the real winners and represent some of Powell’s best work as arranger. The Man with the Child in His Eyes, written by Bush at the age of 13(!), features her playing the piano, accompanied by an orchestra arranged by Powell. The interplay between the piano, orchestra and her vocals is classic. Powell said of her singing on that song: “I still rate it as the best vocal sound I’ve ever heard from Kate“.

The album’s big hit was of course Wuthering Heights, the song that created history in British music – the first song composed and performed by a female singer to top the charts. Kate Bush on the song: “I wrote it in my flat, sitting at the upright piano one night in March at about midnight. There was a full moon and the curtains were open, and every time I looked up for ideas, I looked at the moon. Actually, it came quite easily. I couldn’t seem to get out of the chorus – it had a really circular feel to it, which is why it repeats. I had originally written something more complicated, but I couldn’t link it up, so I kept the first bit and repeated it.” Powell brought rookie engineer Jon Kelly, who was assistant engineer for Geoff Emerick at AIR studios in London. Like his mentor who got his break with the Beatles about 10 years earlier, Kelly could not hope for a better initiation as a principal engineer: “I give full credit to Andrew Powell and the great musicians, who were very supportive, while Kate herself was just fantastic. Looking back, she was incredible and such an inspiration, even though when she first walked in I probably thought she was just another new artist. Her openness, her enthusiasm, her obvious talent — I remember finishing that first day, having recorded two or three backing tracks, and thinking ‘My God, that’s it. I’ve peaked!'”

The great musicians Kelly mentions were all very familiar to Andrew Powell. Bass player David Paton and guitarist Ian Bairnson were both in the band Pilot and later joined the Alan Parsons project. Paton worked extensively with the band Camel in the 1980s and 1990s. Bairnson had success with Paul McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre and played on additional Kate Bush albums. The drummer on Kate Bush’s debut was Stuart Elliott who was part of Cockney Rebel and later worked with Powell on Year of the Cat and many of the Alan Parsons Project albums. He continued to work with Kate Bush on four more albums and hits including Babooshka, Running Up That Hill, Hounds of Love and Cloudbusting. Elliott later recalled the recording sessions: “The album The Kick inside was not at all demanding in any sense. It is one of very few albums I have ever done where there was instant chemistry between the whole band in response to Kate’s brilliant music. Kate made it very easy for us in that she performed the songs live on piano and vocal during all takes so following her and adding our own interpretation to her songs was all that was needed. Thankfully it just fell together without any verbal guidance from either Andrew or Kate.”

Wuthering Heights is rather complex for a pop song, thus rarely covered over the years. The chorus has a rhythm that changes from 4/4 to 3/4, throwing off many unsuspecting listeners and musicians. Amazingly the vocals for the song were recorded in a single complete take without overdubs, a fit unheard of with today’s pop singers.

Andrew Powell produced one more album for Kate Bush, Lionheart, released later in 1978. For Powell it was somewhat a lesser achievement: “Kate hadn’t been allowed enough time off from promotion work to write new songs, so we ended up using some which had been short-listed for The Kick Inside. There were probably a couple of songs which, with hindsight, shouldn’t have made it onto the record.” Still, there are gems on that album and although it does not feature an orchestra as widely at the debut album, Powell’s services were needed on the energetic single Hammer Horror. Not as commercially successful as the previous hits, but a great song nonetheless.

When asked on his website about the methodology of creating an arrangement, Powell answered: “As far as a ‘methodology’ is concerned – I don’t really have one. Every song and artist is different, and needs a different approach. I have been asked before how I get my ideas for arrangements, and I can’t really explain it – it just happens when I absorb myself in the song – there is no set or pre-conceived method.” Method there isn’t, but the results are there. The arrangements Powell created in the 1970s for the artists mentioned in this article helped create some of the best songs of that decade”.

I am going to end very soon. Looking ahead to 18th April, I do hope there is acknowledgement of Andrew Powell on his seventy-fifth birthday. Someone who was a big part of Kate Bush’s early career. I hope that he talks about Kate Bush more. Reflects on working with an extraordinary artist. In a section of his website where people can ask Andrew Powel questions, this one caught my eye:

“Darrell from the USA submitted the following enquiry:

Dear Mr. Powell,

I hope this email finds you well, amid the unprecedented concerns of this pandemic. I have a few questions regarding your work with Kate Bush if at all possible. I have been a fan since I was a teenager. Your work as a conductor, arranger, composer and record producer, amongst other things, is iconic. Thank you! Here are my main Kate Bush questions:

1. Do you remember what the unreleased song 'Never For Ever' was about and sounded like? Was it upbeat or more ballad-like? Did you arrange the orchestration and conduct it?

2. I know 'Blow Away' was on the 'Never For Ever' album, but was this an earlier song that you also arranged? I noticed that you have conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, and wondered when Kate sang it for their 75th anniversary, whether you arranged the orchestration and conducted it then? This was in 1979 a year before it was released in 1980.

3. Is it right that you played the piano for 'Saxophone Song' on 'The Kick Inside'? I could go on of course, but those would be my main questions. Thank you for your time in reading this.

All the Best,

Darrell

Answer

Dear Darrell,

Thank you for your questions, and your generous comments about my work. To answer your three questions:

1. Yes I remember the song very well. It was probably my favourite song which we recorded for the “Lionheart” album, but, unfortunately, wasn’t included on the record in the end, because Kate wasn’t 100% happy with her vocal. It was a beautiful ballad - Kate sang it at the piano - and was just for Kate with her piano, (no rhythm section) and a large string orchestra. We recorded Kate at Superbear Studios in the South of France, and the orchestra parts at the original AIR studios in Oxford Circus, London. I think it may have been the best arrangement I ever did for Kate - Kate loved it too - so I wish it could be allowed to see the light of day sometime. It was a great, and very intimate, song.

2. No, I’m not sure that I had even heard “Blow Away” before that album was released; and, yes, I have conducted the London Symphony Orchestra on several occasions, but was not there with Kate at their 75th birthday celebrations.

3. Yes, it is right. I did play the piano with the rhythm section, and also played the electric piano part on the song afterwards as an overdub. This again was at the original AIR studios, with the late, great Geoff Emerick engineering.

Best,

Andrew”.

I wanted to celebrate Andrew Powell and his production work with Kate Bush. Even if it was brief, his impact was huge. Someone who definitely should be recognised. Someone who speaks fondly of his time working with Kate Bush through 1977 and 1978, it is great that he is around and can recall his time with a music icon. When it comes to Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside and Lionheart, Andrew Powell definitely played…

SUCH a key role.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Amelia Coburn

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Amelia Coburn

_________

I have bene waiting…

to feature Amelia Coburn for a while now. I was waiting for a few more interviews and reviews to come online. She is an amazing artist that people should check out. Her debut album, Between the Moon and the Milkman, came out on 8th March. I shall come to a couple of reviews for it soon. If you are not aware of Amelia Coburn, then this recent interview from NARC. should provide some guidance and background. The Middlesbrough artist and ukulele virtuoso is a distinct and hugely impressive talent:

“People say good things come to those who wait and that most certainly rings true to fans of Middlesbrough singer-songwriter Amelia Coburn. The artist has been wowing audiences around the UK with her captivating live performances, beautiful songs and weird and wonderful lyrically painted worlds for a decade or so, and is now finally set to release her debut album.

It’s not as though Amelia hasn’t been doing much in the time she decided to pick up an instrument to now; she’s made the final of the BBC Folk Awards, received praise from the likes of Folk Radio, Songwriting Magazine, BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson and BBC Radio 2’s Mark Radcliffe, toured across the UK, made various festival appearances and supported the likes of The Wedding Present, Ashley Campbell and the late folk legend Vin Garbutt.

Amelia has been writing songs since she was 15, and alongside mastering and reinventing the ukulele she has also been evolving as an artist and being more honest in her songwriting, as she goes on to explain: “If we discount the terrible songs I wrote when I was 15 (they are hidden away nicely in the vaults), I don’t think much has changed, but I do think my voice and lyrics have evolved and matured. My early songs leaned more on the whimsical and slightly ‘twee’ side, whereas as I have gotten older and more cynical, the themes delve deeper into personal matters and, I guess, the nature of existence.”

This patient and organic artistic progression that Amelia has been on, as well as the conditions of being “100% happy with all the songs, having enough money to fund the recording process, and finding the right collaborator” being met, has finally resulted in Between The Moon And The Milkman, which is set for release on Friday 8th March. This collection of tales conjures up a variety of characters inspired by literature, film and, something that Amelia is very passionate about, travel.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a burning desire to see the world. Not only because I want to eat my way around it and try every dish possible, but I enjoy meeting new people from different places and hearing their stories. This is why I chose a degree in Modern Languages at University. As part of my studies, I spent a year living in Paris, Mexico and Russia and some of the characters I encountered made their way onto the album.”

There’s plenty there for fans of folk but you can see that Amelia is not tied to the genre and alongside the olde English Baroque-pop moments, there’s a notable feel of the golden-age of Hollywood, New York city swing and more artsy, explorative elements of music, which Amelia confirms. “Before I got into my ‘cool’ music era, my walls were covered in posters of Liza Minelli, Julie Andrews and Doris Day. As an adult, this morphed into a love for Tin Pan Alley jazz and the more theatrical side of pop, like Rufus Wainwright and Divine Comedy”.

Very soon, Amelia Coburn will be touring and playing at some great spaces. If you are able to see her and she is near you then do get out and support her. Coburn’s debut album will get an airing. This incredible artist bringing her music to the people. I can imagine how evocative it is in the live arena. I am going to end with a couple of reviews for one of the best albums of this year so far. Recently, the video for Sleepy Town was released. One of the standout tracks from Between the Moon and the Milkman, CLASH spotlighted its release for a feature last month:

“Amelia Coburn has shared new single ‘Sleepy Town’.

The songwriter has a remarkable sound, one that feels curiously out of step with her peers. Harking towards something ageless, Amelia’s work has the feeling of a Ben Myers novel – folk-derived, framed by tradition, but totally distinct.

Debut album ‘Between The Moon And The Milkman’ is out on March 8th, produced by Bill Ryder-Jones. The Wirral studio boffin is effusive in his praise of her work, commenting…

“I’ve never in my life worked with someone quite like Amelia and I still can’t quite put my finger on what she is! That’s a compliment by the way – she came in with these incredibly clever, moving songs that just blew me away… It would’ve taken me a day to record just her and her uke but she wanted a bigger sound, so we had a lot of playing around with these arrangements.”

New song ‘Sleepy Town’ is out now, flitting between the English folk songbook, aspects of Tom Waits, and even some instrumentation lifted from ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’.

Amelia Coburn comments…

“I hate staying in the same place for too long, and this track is about getting itchy feet and wanting to see the world. Although it has all the foundation of a country song, Bill pulled sonic inspiration from Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus in Furs’ (a band we both love!), which gives it true grit – see what I did there?”.

The New Age Mag were among those to show some love for Amelia Coburn and Between the Moon and the Milkman. Now that it is out there in the world and is getting all of this love, it will bring her music to new fans. People who are not familiar with her will come into contact with her stunning songs:

“Despite her debut album not being out year, Amelia Coburn is still a critically celebrated and awarded artist, having made the final of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and winning UKE Magazine’s Breakthrough Artist Award. Amelia’s distinctive vision and voice, her talent for compelling storytelling, and her gorgeous playing of the ukulele leave us with much to be excited for regarding this upcoming release!

Talking about the album herself, Amelia says that “I know it’s a cliché for an artist to say they’ve been on a journey… but I’ve truly been on several of them to reach the point of releasing my debut album. I spent almost two years working and living in Paris, St Petersburg and Mexico City – all while keeping my eyes and ears open to the sights, sounds & unusual characters inhabiting these lands that were once so unfamiliar to me. I’ve been able to fill my songs with these rich details, as well as drawing inspiration from literature, the golden age of film & musicals and the rugged North East landscape where I was forged.”

As Amelia says, the album in itself is such a journey, through time and place. The way in which these cities, Paris, St Petersburg and Mexico City, come to life so distinctly on the record whilst still feeling like Amelia was in total control of the stories she is telling of them is a true testament to her creative control and narrative power: even the worlds contained within these larger than life cities are seen by us through her eyes. Despite these various cities that act as backdrops of the construction of this album, and are crucial parts of the stories and melodies woven throughout, the North East of England truly remains at the heart of this project. Lyrics like “in our pride this lion’s heart shall not admit defeat” from Please Go Gently and “the Tees and Tyne are on the run / From this land towards the rising sun” from Sleepy Town, as well as Amelia’s accent that remains distinct throughout, dedicate a love and dedication to this often-overlooked and stereotyped part of England.

There is also just a characteristic tenderness that saturates the album, that remains ever present. Moreover, a consciousness of love and the natural world woven into the clear inspirations of literature, film, and music – products of the human mind – that which is manufactured and that which runs natural, wild and unregulated contrast and complement each other so wonderfully on Between The Moon and The Milkman. On tracks like See Saw, one of my favourite tracks, Amelia takes us on a fairground ride, shows us the world as if through an optical illusion; shows us her world of melancholic magic.

Amelia worked closely with producer and songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones who said of her: “I’ve never in my life worked with someone quite like Amelia and I still can’t quite put my finger on what she is! That’s a compliment by the way – she came in with these incredibly clever, moving songs that just blew me away… It would’ve taken me a day to record just her and her uke but she wanted a bigger sound, so we had a lot of playing around with these arrangements. Honestly, the whole process was just very natural and came together without any fuss. I found the making of the record and Amelia herself so inspiring and I really hope people get the chance to see and hear this incredibly talented artist doing her thing… which is beautifully mad, funny, intelligent and earnest in the best possible sense.” As Ryder-Jones identifies, there is something definite and individual about Amelia that, whilst difficult to wholly identify, makes her a wonderfully exciting new talent in alt-folk! To listen to Between The Moon and The Milkman is to be moved, to be inspired, to enjoy yourself! She also has live dates approaching in May and June across the UK so be sure to get tickets!”.

I am going to end with a review from Louder Than War. There have been a lot of different perspectives and approaches to Amelia Coburn’s debut album. I think that everyone needs to hear it as soon as possible. We have this remarkable young artist in our midst. One that is going to be releasing music for years to come:

“Award-winning Teesside songstress Amelia Coburn releases her eagerly awaited debut album, Between The Moon and The Milkman, on 8th March

From sinister encounters amid the bustle of Mexico City to reading Soviet-era satire under the Atlas Mountains via an essential stop at Dublin’s premier Leprechaun Museum, Amelia Coburn’s debut album Between The Moon and The Milkman is an astonishing collection of songs and stories, all told with the unmistakable profile of Coburn’s North East homeland on the horizon.

For some, Middlesbrough’s Amelia will be a new name, for others, especially fans of The Wedding Present, it will be very familiar, after drawing much praise for her cover of My Favourite Dress amongst several others first posted online (included The Jam, David Bowie, Radiohead, The Stone Roses and The Specials). Around the time the multi-linguist was finishing University in 2020, she began releasing some of her own songs; and now, after spending time working and travelling abroad she’s releasing her debut album; having found a kinship in the studio with producer and like-minded, free-thinking songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones.

Before I look at the album I’ll allow the songwriter to introduce it, “I know it’s a cliché for an artist to say they’ve been on a journey… but I’ve truly been on several of them to reach the point of releasing my debut album. I spent almost two years working and living in Paris, St Petersburg & Mexico City – all while keeping my eyes and ears open to the sights, sounds & unusual characters inhabiting these lands that were once so unfamiliar to me. I’ve been able to fill my songs with these rich details, as well as drawing inspiration from literature, the golden age of film & musicals and the rugged North East landscape where I was forged.”

Between The Moon and The Milkman has Amelia inviting the listener to step into the world as she sees it, fitting somewhere in the twilight hours, a world full of darkness and light and soundtracked by magic and melancholy.

I’ve played the album several times over the last couple and on each listen I’ve found it more rewarding. The first thing I noticed is there is a real depth to it. The album has a timeless quality which should mean it will sound as fresh in years to come as it does now, although there are also tracks with paradoxically sound like they could have fallen straight from the soundtrack of The Wicker Man. Coburn’s distinctive voice and diction, storytelling talent, and ukulele skills are clear across 10 tracks, with influences ranging from the alt-folk scene, cabaret jazz clubs, and film noir.

Rather than go ‘track by track’ I’ll pick some of my favourites. There isn’t a ‘filler’ track amongst the set and any could have been released as a single. The first track actually released from the album thought was See Saw. A slight deviation from her previous recordings, and the rest of the album. It’s slightly sinister folk-horror offbeat vibe and is probably my favourite on the album, the imagery is so strong both in the lyrics and video it’s difficult not to replay it over and over. If ever there was a track that Scarfolk called its own then it would be this. At the opposite end of things is the whimsy and breezy Dublin Serenade which recounts the time that the singer spent 24 hours in Dublin, booking a cheap flight but not a hotel/hostel. It tells of her visit to the aforementioned trip to the Leprechaun Museum.

Sandra is a more melancholic track inspired by a real-life woman the songwriter met, who had lived a tragic life with an abusive, alcoholic ex-husband. A song of revenge, with a twist, again, quite unique in the sound of the album, vocally it offers one of the highpoints. In contrast, the most recent release, Sleepy Town, rips along at pace and underpins Ameila’s sense of adventure and love of travel. The producer, Ryder-Jones pulls sonic inspiration for the track from Velvet Underground’s Venus in Furs. The video for which not only features Coburn acting opposite fellow Teesider Bill Fellows but also has the best finger gunfight scene since Spaced.

Between The Moon and The Milkman offers a lot of variety yet hangs together perfectly, the tracks complimenting one another. It’s a very easy debut to listen to and from what the producer says this is something which was born from the recording process, “Honestly, the whole process was just very natural and came together without any fuss. I found the making of the record and Amelia herself so inspiring and I really hope people get the chance to see and hear this incredibly talented artist doing her thing… which is beautifully mad, funny, intelligent and earnest in the best possible sense.”

I think, ‘Beautifully mad, funny, intelligent and earnest’ may actually be the best way to describe it. It’s definitely going to be in my Top 10 albums of 2024 and will be getting plenty of plays throughout the year and beyond”.

I wanted to spend some time celebrating Amelia Coburn. With a debut album out and there being a run of gigs ahead, it is a very exciting time. She is most certainly someone that needs to be on your radar. Follow her on social media and go and listen to Between the Moon and the Milkman. I guarantee that, once you hear the album, that you will be hooked. A remarkable artist who is going…

TO go a long way.

___________

Follow Amelia Coburn

Official:

https://www.ameliacoburn.co.uk/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ameliacoburn/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/amelia_coburn

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/744nDyt58V4ZO8WS5GkI20?si=80zlAKWoT-q4-TmeB26Umw

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAs_vdW1OoOBwacOHO4O_4Q

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ameliacoburn

FEATURE: In At the Deep End: Kate Bush’s The Tour of Life at Forty-Five: 2nd April, 1979: A Bittersweet Warm-Up at the Arts Centre, Poole

FEATURE:

 

 

In At the Deep End

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush on stage during The Tour of Life (a.k.a. The Lionheart Tour) in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex

Kate Bush’s The Tour of Life at Forty-Five: 2nd April, 1979: A Bittersweet Warm-Up at the Arts Centre, Poole

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I realise that…

Kate Bush’s 1979 extravaganza was not originally called The Tour of Life. It was The Lionheart Tour or The Kate Bush Tour. It weas later named The Tour of Life. Its first date, a warm-up show at Arts Centre, Poole, took place on 2nd April, 1979. I am looking ahead to the forty-fifth anniversary of the first night from one of the most important tours ever. I am going to write another feature about The Tour of Life closer to the forty-fifth anniversary. Focusing more on the reception and how Bush travelled through the U.K. and Europe. There are a few details about the tour in general I want to get to before concentrating on that opening night. The Tour of Life ran from 2nd April to 14th May, 1979. Bush had to reduce her set on 24th, 26th, 28th and 29th April due to a cold/sore throat. There was a 12th May benefit concert that relates to the warm-up date on 2nd April. Taking in songs from her first two albums – 1978’s The Kick Inside and Lionheart – and some new material, this was Bush embarking on a first tour many would have assumed was going to be a fairly regular occurrence. There were talks at various points in her career. In the 1990s, there was consideration of a tour/live event at Wembley I think. The strain and time consumption of recording albums was taking up her time, so it was not really possible to mount a tour and dedicate that time to that. I really do feel like the fact she produced these amazing albums was more important than tours. She would return to the stage in 2014 for Before the Dawn. That was based in Hammersmith and did not see her tour it. Of course, there were live performances on T.V. and stage between 1979 and 2014. The Tour of Life was hugely impactful and adoringly received.

After two albums in which Bush felt she was more of a spectator and did not have as much production say as she’d like, maybe there was frustration and the need to do something solo. After relentlessly promoting her albums and spending most of 1978 travelling and with very little free time, it is amazing that Bush managed to conceive and help bring together such a huge and multi-layered live show in a few months. Rather than have to work with a producer and put out albums according to demands from EMI, this was a tour where Bush could have more input and finally get her material out to the people. In the end, in spite of the huge reviews and adoring crowds, Bush was exhausted and has spent so much of her own money bringing The Tour of Life to…well, life. She lost quite a bit of money. Even so, she did like touring and was very appreciative of the love that she got. I am keen to get to that first night. First, the Kate Bush Encyclopedia gives some background about The Tour of Life’s preparation and band:

“The Tour of Life, also known as the Lionheart Tour or even the Kate Bush Tour, was Kate Bush’s first, and until recently only, series of live concerts. The name, ‘Tour of Life’, was not coined until after its completion, with all promotional material referring to it simply as the Kate Bush Tour.

Consisting of 24 performances from Bush’s first two studio albums The Kick Inside and Lionheart, it was acclaimed for its incorporation of mime, magic, and readings during costume changes. The simple staging also involved rear-screen projection and the accompaniment of two male dancers. The tour was a critical and commercial success, with most dates selling out and additional shows being added due to high demand. Members of the Kate Bush Club were provided with a guaranteed ticket.

Rehearsals

The tour was to become not only a concert, but also incorporating dance, poetry, mime, burlesque, magic and theatre. The dance element was co-ordinated by Bush in conjunction with Anthony Van Laast – who later choreographed the Mamma Mia! movie and several West End smashes – and two young dancers, Stewart Avon Arnold and Gary Hurst. They held morning rehearsals for the tour at The Place in Euston, after which Bush spent afternoons in Greenwich drilling her band. Off stage, she was calling the shots on everything from the set design to the programme art.

Band

The band playing with Kate Bush on stage consisted of Preston Heyman (drums), Paddy Bush (mandolin. various strange instruments and vocal harmonies), Del Palmer (bass), Brian Bath (electric guitar, acoustic mandolin and vocal harmonies), Kevin McAlea (piano, keyboards, saxophone, 12 string guitar), Ben Barson (synthesizer and acoustic guitar), Al Murphy (electric guitar and whistles) and backing vocalists Liz Pearson and Glenys Groves”.

I am going to refer to this feature from 2020 when discussing The Tour of Life in more depth. It is amazing to think that, on 3rd April, 1979, this amazing spectacle officially started. In Liverpool, Bush was met with this intrigue and warmth. A documentary was aired and there was this jubilation and incredible performance from Bush. After what was experienced the night before, it makes the show on 3rd April all the more impressive and notable:

“Kate Bush has long cornered the market in reclusive, media-averse mystique, but it wasn’t always that way. On April 3, 1979, early evening news show Nationwide dedicated a show to the 20-year-old singer.

The event on which the 25-minute special was hung was the opening night of Bush’s first – and to date – only tour. “Most live artists make their mistakes either in private or in front of a very small audience,” intoned the moustachioed reporter. “Tonight, Kate Bush starts at the top, in front of several thousand. She can’t afford to fail.”

But then Bush was big news. Her star had been arcing across the firmament ever since she first appeared on Top Of The Pops just over a year earlier. That memorable performance, playing her first single, Wuthering Heights, had introduced her as an utterly new and fresh talent. There had been an instant clamour for her to play live, though it would be 14 months before she did.

Looking at Nationwide from the vantage point of 2014, it’s amazing how much unguarded access she granted the filmmakers over a six-month build-up. Footage of early production meetings where people are crammed onto chairs and sofas in a tiny dressing room is followed by a clip of a leotard-and-leggings-clad Bush being worked hard by choreographer Anthony Van Laast during three initial weeks of “gruelling exertion” just to prepare her for several weeks of even more intense choreography.

Remarkably, the camera was allowed into Wood Wharf Studio in Greenwich, south London, where the singer was drilling her eight-piece band through Kite and Wow. Here, it’s possible to get a real sense of the pub gigs she’d started out playing just a couple of years before (“I think the main reason they listen to me is because I’m paying their wages,” she says of the rest of the band, her girlish, sing-song voice cut with chewy south London vocals)”.

Not only did Bush and her entire crew and set have to travel from Poole in Dorset up to Liverpool. That alone must have been quite tiring before she even had to step on the stage for an intense and exhaustive set. She had performed a warm-up show and was now ready to do the ‘first date’. Those in attendance in Liverpool were rapturous and overwhelmed by such a stunning show. How many knew what happened the night before in Poole? Poole’s Art Centre was opened in 1978. It was a new venue. Compared to the other spaces Bush would perform in, there was something more modern and cutting-edge about Poole’s Art Centre. In many ways, she started at the deep end. In terms of venues and location, I guess there was this clash of a more obscure part of the country with a new venue. Not a major city, this was a part of the country I guess ideal to test out the show. Seen as a warm-up, I can see why a new venue was chosen. Somewhere modern and exciting, everything was set. The show itself was a success. Rather than cast a light on a tragic event, I very much want to celebrate forty-five years of The Tour of Life. Many think about 3rd April, 1979 and the success of that opening night. The day before, Bush had come off stage from a magnificent and exciting show in Poole. This 2010 article from The Guardian discussed the reaction to The Tour of Life. Things started in such a hard and devastating way:

“As the tour rolled out around the UK the reviews were euphoric: Melody Maker called the Birmingham show "the most magnificent spectacle ever encountered in the world of rock", and most critics broadly concurred. Only NME remained sceptical, dismissing Bush as "condescending" and, with the kind of proud and rather wonderful perversity that once defined the British rock press, praising only the magician.

However, the mood of the tour had been struck a terrible blow early on, after a low-key warm-up concert on 2 April at Poole Arts Centre in Dorset. While scouring the darkened venue to ensure nothing had been forgotten, the lighting engineer Bill Duffield fell 20 feet through a cavity to his death. He was just 21. Bush was shattered, and contemplated cancelling the tour. "It was terrible for her," says Brian Bath. "Kate knew everyone by name, right down to the cleaner, she was so like that, she'd speak to everyone. It's something you wouldn't forget, but we just carried through it”.

Bill Duffield had been drafted in to help with the tour. A young man starting on this big team led by Kate Bush, he was a much-needed pair of hands to help with a tour that was perhaps larger and a bit more intensive than first thought. Even though there was quite a big crew, Bush felt everyone was family. Duffield would have been embraced and already seen as a friend. On the first night that should have been a run of many for Duffield, he kindly volunteered to do an ‘idiot check’ – looking around a venue to ensure no goods or bits were left over that needed collecting. With a panel left open in the floor and there being no lighting or markers on the stairs/seats to show that there was a gap, Duffield fell seventeen feet. Tripping and falling on a concrete floor under the stage, Duffield died in hospital a week later.

There was discussion as to whether the tour would end but, having put so much into it and there being all these logistical and financial concerns with pulling the plug, the show went on. Duffield would have wanted things to continue. Bush, upon hearing the news of Bill Duffield’s fall, was devastated and crushed. Having already bonded with him and locked him into her tour family, it was like losing someone dear. She knew that she had to perform in Liverpool the following night. What should have been a celebratory mood after the warm-up show success was suddenly interpreted by that blow. A tribute concert took place at the Hammersmith Odeon on 12th May, 1979. It was a star-studded event that paid tribute to someone whose loss was deeply upsetting.

I often think about that 2nd April, 1979 gig. How it must have felt later that night. Looking to the following day and the commitment to open The Tour of Life in Liverpool. Having to recover from an awful tragedy, travel almost the length of the country and then deliver something seamless and taxing. It is credit to Kate Bush and her crew that they pulled off the impossible! In spite of the terrible accident that took a young and loved Bill Duffield, that warm-up gig in Poole was the start of one of the most important tours ever. The audience who were there on 2nd April, 1979 got to witness something majestic. I wonder whether there are recordings of tracks from that night. Hearing the electricity and freshness of these first full live performance from Kate Bush. It is important to focus on the positives. After touring further up the country and coming down to London’s Palladium for shows between 16th and 20th April, Bush then headed to Sweden. It was a dizzying time for her (aside from the main photo at the top of this feature, the rest are courtesy of NME). There would have been a mix of excitement and nerves before she stepped onto the Poole stage on 2nd April, 1979. Forty-five years later, we can look at Pop concerts that have followed and draw a line to Kate Bush. From Madonna – whose iconic head mic was actually invented by Bush’s sound engineer Martin Fisher – to Michael Jackson and even tours from the past few years, you can see how this mix of theatre, mime and music was influenced by Kate Bush and what she achieved in 1979. It was a triumph that ended back in London. Stating out in the newly-finished Arts Centre in Poole, that warm-up date on 2nd April, 1979 was…

THE start of something extraordinary!

FEATURE: Chain Reaction: The influence and Legacy of An Icon: Diana Ross At Eighty

FEATURE:

 

 

Chain Reaction

The influence and Legacy of An Icon: Diana Ross At Eighty

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ON 26th March…

we mark the eightieth birthday of Diana Ross. One of music’s most iconic and important artists, she has influenced so many other artists. I am going to end with a playlist featuring some of her best tracks. As a solo artist and part of The Supremes, she has been responsible for some of the greatest songs ever released. I am going to include another playlist of songs from artists who have been influenced by Diana Ross. Whether explicitly mentioning her or music that reminds you of Ross, there is no doubt that the Detroit-born legend has made a huge impact on music. Before getting to get legacy and influence, here is some biography about one of the most distinct artists ever. Someone who is adored around the world:

“Diana Ross defines an icon.  A national treasure with a magnificent legacy that has changed the course of music history and popular culture.  Ms. Ross is a creator of life, an alchemist of an unprecedented career that has made her the most successful recording artist and entertainer of all time.

In 2021, Diana Ross does it again, bringing the world together with the release of a new album titled Thank You.  “This collection of songs is my gift to you with appreciation and love. I am eternally grateful that I had the opportunity to record this glorious music at this time. As I walk my path, you are in front of me, we are one. These songs are from my heart and it brings me such joy to share them from me to you. I would like to thank everyone who participated in the making of these recordings and those that inspired me to create ‘Beautiful Love’ memories.”

Ms. Ross co-wrote, produced and masterfully curated the album with songs of collective spirit and togetherness.

Her dream began as a young girl in the North End section of Detroit. In a city where she would help to create a national cultural movement and become the premiere artist at the renown Motown Records.  Her extraordinary journey from the leader of The Supremes to her solo career has inspired and empowered countless musicians, artists, celebrities, and young dreamers.

The Diana Ross magic has touched music, fashion, stage, film, and TV.  Ms. Ross’ international achievements were acknowledged by the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C. (2007). The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences bestowed its highest honor, The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2012.

Her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the classic film Lady Sings the Blues produced an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award.  Starring as an aspiring designer in the 1975 romantic comedy Mahogany, the role was a perfect opportunity to personally sketch and design all the fashion in the timeless film.

As a stage actress, she won Broadway’s top honor with a Tony Award for her one-woman show, An Evening with Diana Ross. The same show was later broadcast as an award-winning network television special.

In 2017, the American Music Awards presented Ms. Ross with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1993, she earned a Guinness World Record for her success in the United States and United Kingdom by having more hits than any other female artist on the charts with a career total of over 75 hit singles.

Additional career milestones include: Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Songwriters Hall of Fame, National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Hero Award, NAACP Entertainer Award, Billboard’s Female Entertainer of the Century Award, and The Soul Train Legend Award. Ms. Ross is also one of the few celebrities to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Her voice, described as “honey” and “angelic,” has over 100 million streams, downloads and sales around the world.

In what has been described as one of the greatest live concert performances, Diana Ross drew a crowd of over 800,000 people to New York’s Central Park on July 21 & 22, 1983.   Soon after the show began on July 21, pouring rain and heavy wind threatened to put an end to the show, but she pushed on for much of the set, urging the drenched crowd to remain calm and stay with her. Eventually the storm put an end to the performance, but not before she promised her fans that she would return the next day. True to her word, she performed the entire concert again on July 22nd for the people of New York City.

“As you hear my voice, you hear my heart. ‘Let Love Lead the Way.’ I am so happy to have music as a part of my life. For the many moments of traveling and singing songs to you and loving you, I am so, so grateful. Thank You for all the blessings in my life that you have given me. I have always felt your beautiful love. Thank you to my children and all my family. Thank you to all those that have made this incredible journey possible”.

Even if you have not heard a lot of Diana Ross’ solo work, I know you will recognise her work with The Supremes. One of the prominent Motown groups and a true powerhouse force, Ross was a member with them from 1959–1970 in 1983 and 2000. Albums such as 1965’s More Hits by The Supremes show just what a formidable unit The Supremes were. Undoubtably influencing generations of artists, her impact goes beyond the music. In terms of her style and the visual aspect. Hugely important here. The first article I want to bring in discusses Diana Ross and her timeless artist:

“Beyond her musical talents, Diana Ross captivated audiences with her impeccable sense of style and glamorous fashion choices. She understood the power of visual presentation and utilised it to enhance her artistic image. From stunning stage costumes to red carpet ensembles, Ross exuded elegance and sophistication, becoming a fashion trendsetter.

Her performances were not just musical experiences; they were visual spectacles. Diana Ross’s stage presence was electrifying and her fashion sense played a crucial role in creating a complete artistic package. Her bold fashion statements, including glamorous gowns, extravagant jewellery and iconic hairstyles not only complemented her artistic image but also influenced fashion trends of the time.

Diana Ross’s fashion choices were an extension of her artistry, reflecting her confidence, individuality and creative spirit. She effortlessly merged music and fashion, using visual elements as an integral part of her artistic expression. Diana Ross’s iconic style continues to inspire contemporary music artists to this day.

I timelessly captured Diana Ross in my By Kerwin pop art painting – created in my signature Jackson Pollock-inspired, action painted style. My painting sees her painted in purple colour scheme; I chose purple as this best represents the elegance, sophistication and musical royalty that she is known for. My Diana Ross prints are available in various sizes from £35, with fast worldwide delivery.

DID YOU KNOW?

My Diana Ross pop art painting was featured in Closer and Heat magazines in 2022? It was included as part of a feature on Black Pound Day 2022 – read the article feature here.

DIANA ROSS’ LEGACY AND CULTURAL IMPACT: INSPIRING GENERATIONS

Diana Ross’s influence extends far beyond her chart-topping hits and iconic fashion sense. She broke barriers for African-American artists in the music industry, paving the way for future generations. Diana Ross’s success as a black woman in a predominantly white industry served as an inspiration to aspiring artists, highlighting the power of talent, determination and resilience.

Her artistry and activism continue to inspire countless musicians, actors and performers, leaving an indelible mark on popular culture. Diana Ross’s impact on the LGBTQ+ community is particularly noteworthy. Her anthems of love, self-empowerment and resilience – such as “I’m Coming Out” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – have become anthems of liberation and acceptance. Diana Ross’s unapologetic embrace of her own identity has made her an icon for the LGBTQ+ community, fostering a sense of belonging and celebration.

Moreover, Diana Ross’s philanthropic efforts have made a significant impact on society. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for various charitable causes, including the fight against AIDS, children’s health and education. Ross’s commitment to using her platform for positive change reflects her deep understanding of the power of art to transform lives.

CONCLUSION

Diana Ross’s artistic image is a testament to her unparalleled talent, versatility and enduring impact on the music industry. From her early days with The Supremes to her solo career and beyond, she has consistently captivated audiences with her enchanting voice, sophisticated style and unwavering grace.

Diana Ross’s journey from Motown sensation to solo superstar exemplifies the power of reinvention and artistic evolution. Her ability to adapt to changing musical landscapes while staying true to her unique style sets her apart as a true visionary. Ross’s captivating stage presence, fashion choices and vocal prowess have solidified her as an icon, inspiring generations of artists to follow in her footsteps. Diana Ross has even been captured in pop art style by Andy Warhol for her 1982 Silk Electric album cover (before much later being painted in my own By Kerwin pop art style!).

HER ONGOING LEGACY

Beyond her musical achievements, Diana Ross’s influence transcends the boundaries of the industry. Her legacy as a trailblazer for African-American artists and her support for social causes demonstrate the depth of her impact on society. Diana Ross continues to be a beacon of inspiration and a symbol of strength and resilience, reminding us that true artistry goes beyond the music; it touches hearts, breaks barriers and shapes culture.

In a world where artistic images come and go, Diana Ross’s enduring appeal stands as a testament to the timelessness of her artistry. Her legacy will continue to inspire and empower. She reminds us that true greatness is not measured by fleeting trends but by the lasting mark left on the hearts and minds of generations to come”.

This is another article that I think people should read. I think I will actually wrap it up now. On 26th March, the world marks the eightieth birthday of the one and only Diana Ross. I am getting in a bit early and casting ahead. It is a big occasion, as there is no doubt Diana Ross is an artist so many owe a debt to. Constantly inspiring and empowering, it is amazing to think that she is still releasing music. Thank You arrived in 2021. Let’s hope that we get even more music from this icon! I am going to end with a playlist of her music solo and with The Supremes to show just how…

AMAZING she is.

FEATURE: My Generation?! Does the Way We Experience Music Now Affect Younger People’s Knowledge of Older Artists?

FEATURE:

 

 

My Generation?!

PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

Does the Way We Experience Music Now Affect Younger People’s Knowledge of Older Artists?

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I am always shocked…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles in an outtake from the cover shoot for the Abbey Road (1969) album/PHOTO CREDIT: Iain MacMillan

when I mention a very well-known artist and someone younger does not know who they are. I am referring to people up to the age of thirty, for instance. For me, aged forty, I was raised on my parent’s record collection. I got to experience their sounds of the 1960s and 1970s. I was born in the 1980s, so I got music from that decade too. There was not much I missed out on. Now, it seems like more and more of those from Generation Z and Generation Alpha are sort of blank to ‘older’ artists. In an age of streaming and easy access to all music, there is a lot that is escaping people. Not to mention the fact that I talk about Kate Bush and so many people bafflingly have never heard of her! I discuss bands like The Who or Pink Floyd and they are not known. It is not like these artists are little-known and obscure. More and more, I am seeing this divide. People my age are still connecting with music of their childhood and the generation before that. Connected with physical music and the memories they hold. I do feel that we are also invested in new music and keeping abreast of upcoming artists. That is not to say that Generation X and Y are better educated and have greater knowledge. There are new artists that I do not know about. I guess that slightly older listeners may not keep in touch with the newest artists. It depends on their radio station choices and whether they engage with streaming services and explore them for seeking out new artists. It is galling that there are so many younger music fans that are not aware of some of the music legends. Even The Beatles will baffle some. Many of their songs and albums even are foreign to them. Is this simply laziness and narrow listening tastes on their part, or does it have something to do with how music is handed down and shared by parents and relatives now?

PHOTO CREDIT: Jorge Fakhouri Filho/Pexels

I have been thinking about this more and more. When young listeners do not know quite obvious and popular artists. Everyone can’t know everyone, though there are exceptions. It can be quite galling! If you try and connect with someone over music and there is this clear divide. It is not the case that all from Generation Z and Alpha are ignorant of classic artists. Even bigger artists from the past twenty years. I just find that there are too many that seem to have that big gap in their knowledge. It is more glaring than the other way around. I find more people my age or older are a little more curious of new music and at least know many of the iconic and influential artists who came before. The way I was introduced to music was through my parents. They were young in the 1960s and 1970s. Because of that, they kept records from that time and I was made aware of them. Now, for people aged up to thirty, there is a natural shift. Maybe fewer parents have vinyl and physical music that they are keeping and passing down. There is a worry that, as streaming is surpassing physical music in many ways, that there is less archiving and physical music being kept. This will naturally not only affect the musical knowledge and awareness that young people have. It means that they miss out on so much and are also less connected to physical music. I also feel that classic artists connect you to new music. You can see how they have impacted and inspired new artists. If you are mainly listening to new artists or particular genres, then you are not going to be conscious of an enormous part of music history. Someone not knowing about The Beatles’ catalogue or not knowing who Joni Mitchell is more than an age thing. That excuse that is always used: it is before my time.

PHOTO CREDIT: Brett Sayles/Pexels

No music is before anyone’s time! Anyone can access pretty much anything recorded. To say that you need to have been born at a particular time to know about music from that time is always so infuriating! We naturally will hear more of and be more familiar with the sounds of the time in which we grow up with. Radio and streaming services mean that we get to hear music from multiple decades. I worry that new generations are losing so much. Maybe that heritage of parents having albums on physical formats and ensuring their children knowing them is fading. We will get to a point where parents have very few albums in physical formats. That bands of the 1960s and 1970s will be less known. We are at a point when the nature of music preservation and knowledge is clearly changing. I don’t think that it is only a minority of Generation Z and Alpha music fans who are glaringly unaware of older artists. It does make me concerned about the future. I speak to people younger than me and there is very little we have in common when it comes to music. This was not the case when I was a child. I could speak with someone older than me back in the 1990s or early-2000s and there would be some connection and overlap. Now, more and more, there is this struggle to find common ground.

PHOTO CREDIT: PhotoMIX Company/Pexels

So many look blankly as I discuss music that I grew up on. Again, these are not obscure artists. One cannot simply blame laziness. I think that radio stations are designed so that each have a very particular age range and demographics. Streaming services not doing enough to promote and spotlight older albums and artists. Physical music is still very popular. But we still find that more younger music fans stream rather than buy. They will tend to go for newer sounds and stay more within a tight listening colour chart. You may disagree. You cannot ignore the fact that things are shifting. Few people I know in their twenties for example have parents who have an archive or classic albums or are discussing them. This will only get worse. I do feel that the modern landscape is still more concerned with what is current and cool. It is important new music is being shared and highlighted, though there is clearly an issue when it comes to music from the past. That disappointment and shock that one gets when you speak to someone younger and they do not know an obvious artist. I guess this is an issue as old as time. I do think it is more glaring and less forgivable now. How so many important artists have passed many people by. I do not know what the answer is. One cannot force young generations to connect with more of the past’s music. I do feel it is so important to emphasis the importance of physical music. That streaming service and platforms where so many listeners from Generation Z and Alpha do more to make sure that classic/older music is seen as important. The reverse is true. People my age or older also need to embrace new music and not just stick to the music we love and grew up with. This concern about certain artists and periods being lost or reserved to generations who grew up around them is huge. We do not want to get to a point when young listeners are presented with a classic album, great and legendary sound and hugely important artist and ask…

PHOTO CREDIT: Dmitry/Pexels

WHO are they?

FEATURE: Our Experiment in Sound Was Nearly Ready to Begin: Kate Bush, the Audiophile

FEATURE:

 

 

Our Experiment in Sound Was Nearly Ready to Begin

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at Abbey Road recording her third studio album, Never for Ever (1980) 

Kate Bush, the Audiophile

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I want to go off of a…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in the studio, captured by John Carder Bush

feature from What Hi-Fi? recently that collated twelves songs from Kate Bush that are best to test your stereo to. It is an element of her music that many overlooked: the fact that she is an audiophile. Someone, like Steely Dan, who makes music of the utmost audio quality. Production that means every element and layer comes to life. Spending time in the studio ensuring all factors of the song are as good as can be, Bush is an artist who always has an eye on the end result. In terms of producing audio quality that is sublime and transformative. She knows that her albums will be bought on vinyl. Thinking about how they will sound will people pop on her albums. There is also that consideration about memorability. Maybe I had not discussed it before but, after reading that article from What Hi-Fi?, it got me to thinking about Kate Bush’s albums and how they sound when played on a stereo or vinyl player. Certain songs test various ranges and aspects. In terms of tonality for instance. The midrange fidelity of your Hi-Fi system. As a producer and artist, Bush is thinking about this. Not only putting out songs that sound good. She is thinking about stereos and listening devices. How people will experience albums. Bush is also someone who has reissued and remastered her studio albums. Not only to get them to new listeners, there is also that consideration about sound and making the audio and listening experience as brilliant as possible. There are articles like this that dive into Bush’s recording and audio. Whether remastered versions of albums such as Hounds of Love (1985) have the best sound. When she does remaster her albums, there is that thought as to whether it is an improvement on the original. Or else why do it?! The 2015 remaster of Bush’s sixth studio album, The Red Shoes (1993), was one of the first times any of her albums had been remastered. I will finish off soon. First, I wanted to select a few of the twelve songs that What Hi-Fi? selected as best to test your stereo too. A range of classics and deeper cuts from Kate Bush:

“Don’t Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake (Lionheart, 1978)

A lot of artists struggle when it comes to ‘second album time’, but Kate Bush, of course, had been writing songs for half of her life by the time of Lionheart. What she hadn’t been able to break free of just yet, though, is her record company’s notion that they knew better than her what her records ought to sound like.

Consequently, Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake is overblown and bombastic for no apparent reason, but it does at least give your system a chance to show what it’s got where dynamics and straightforward attack are concerned. The wedding-cake arrangement needs careful handling, too – unless your set-up can unpick it, it will sound less like a performance and more like a collision

Hello Earth (Hounds of Love, 1985)

In which Kate Bush crams more ideas, more tones and textures, more mystery and more emotion into 6m 13s than most artists can muster through the course of an entire album. Because it was released in 1985, Hounds of Love was divided into ‘side one’ and ‘side two’ – and ‘side two’ was a concept/song-cycle affair entitled The Ninth Wave, of which Hello Earth comprised the climax.

There isn’t really enough space here to go into just what a test of tonal fidelity, frequency response, soundstaging, midrange reproduction and rhythm management this recording is – and besides, it’s just a thrillingly ambitious piece of music no matter what your system is like. But if your set-up can’t cope with its scope, a stack of its atmosphere and impact will be lost – which would be a shame.

Rocket’s Tail (The Sensual World, 1989)

‘Rock’ songs are at a premium in the Kate Bush catalogue – and it’s no surprise whatsoever that a Kate Bush ‘rock’ song, despite being complete with great big drums and extended Dave Gilmour guitar solo, is about as far from the mainstream idea of a ‘rock’ song as it’s possible to get. Rocket’s Tail combines a kind of steampunk superhero aesthetic (“...dressed as a rocket on Waterloo Bridge… size 5 lightning boots too…”) with an obtuse tribute to a cat called – guess what? – Rocket.

It’s an absolutely fearsome test of your system’s midrange fidelity, given that the first, pre-’rock’, portion of the song features Bush plus the massed voices of Trio Bulgarka, and its tonality will also be examined closely by the none-more-Pink Floyd guitar sound”.

Think about this article from 2010. It concerns a reissue/remaster of Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love. The original, which Kate Bush produced, is masterful. I think that both oriignal and remasters bring something different from songs. Maybe remastered albums bring clarity to songs. Instruments and notes are clearer and sharper. There is a warmth and naturalness from the originals that Bush created. Which is better as a listening experience? I do feel that she is always thinking about sound and how the listener feels:

“According to Wikipedia, an audiophile is “a hobbyist who seeks high-quality audio reproduction via the use of specialized high-end audio electronics.” Clearly, I am a “vinyl-lover” and not an audiophile then, but either way I was very happy to receive my copy of the new Hounds of Love on vinyl yesterday. I’ve been trying to confirm whether this is the very first time it has been issued in a gatefold sleeve like this? Was it released in some territory in that format? South America? Answers to the usual address, please. In any case it looks very nice and sounds really superb. I found the discussions on Steve Hoffman’s site about this release quite enlightening. Steve is the highly-respected guy who mastered the album, in fact Kate has just recently personally approved the test pressing he created of The Sensual World for Audio Fidelity. Kate insists on personally approving the test pressings each time (you may remember the Aerial vinyl release was initially delayed a little till the pressing was to Kate’s satisfaction). A consensus seems to be emerging about the vinyl being “exceptionally quiet”, which I take to mean no crackles and pops etc. One comment says: “Kate’s vocals were clear, the background voices and effects were distinct, the instruments sounded perfect. For example, the double bass on Under Ice was so real and clear that you can easily hear the difference between each note that Danny Thompson played. Lots of air between the instruments here – no muddy sound.” Read more discussion at Steve’s forum here. This is all making me think that I need to invest in a better record player!”.

It would be nice if there was greater discussion of Kate Bush as an audiophile. Someone clearly compelled to create music that is a listening experience. Ensuring that her music affects the stereo, ears and mind. One might say that every artist does this, though I don’t think it is the case. There is something about Kate Bush’s songwriting and production different from many. Albums like The Dreaming (1982) are so full of different affects and sounds. These amazingly rich songs that were hugely impactful in 1982. The remastered versions of that album really bring the songs to life. The Sensual Word is one of the most obvious cases of an album whose songs really are designed to leave a lasting impression. She is almost like an artist in that case. Someone painting rather than recording notes. I have been thinking about all of her studio albums and, since she took over producing from Andrew Powell – 1980’s Never for Ever was co-produced with Jon Kelly -, how sound and the sonic impact of her songs took priority. Songs with more detail and depth. I am going to end with a playlist featuring those twelve songs that What Hi-Fi? selected as the best to test your stereo to. Some very special and distinct Kate Bush cuts. They all have their own distinctions. If you have not got any remastered versions of Kate Bush’s studio albums, I would suggest you invest in one of them. It is proof that Bush clearly wants the listener to experience songs at their most impactful and immersive. Another reason why Kate Bush is…

SUCH a remarkable artist.

FEATURE: The Spirit of Independence: The Growth and Rise of Smaller Record Shops

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The Spirit of Independence

PHOTO CREDIT: Anna Panchenko/Pexels

The Growth and Rise of Smaller Record Shops

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SOME positive news…

PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

and interesting statistics have been released this week. We all know that vinyl sales are continuing to climb and the demand for physical music is strong. In terms of independent music shops in the U.K., there was a fear that the pandemic would see many of them close. That was not the case. The desire for vinyl especially has meant so many of them have seen their customer numbers rise. New data shows an interesting split between the number of indie music shops that are in business and operating. Compare that to the amount of supermarkets and big store selling music. That option was once a go-to to people like me. The channel and location in which physical music is sold is more streamlined. The Guardian published a feature breaking it down:

“New data shows that the UK has dozens more record shops that it did 10 years ago, but the marketplace for physical music elsewhere is quickly collapsing.

A study by the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA) finds that there are now 461 indie record shops in the UK, 122 more than 2014. Purely in terms of store numbers, the sector has recovered strongly after a small dip during 2020 that is likely attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The much-heralded vinyl revival – and its controversial premium pricing – drove revenue for vinyl to more than £170m last year, the 16th straight year for growth in the format. Of that revenue £110m came from archive releases rather than new music.

PHOTO CREDIT: Maria Tyutina/Pexels

ERA chief executive Kim Bayley celebrated the shops’ success, saying: “Despite largely being run by owner-managers, indies have seen off competition from some of the largest and best-funded companies in the land. Indies have found their niche and they are here to stay. It shows that, despite the overwhelming success of music streaming, many music fans remain committed to the high street physical music buying experience.”

In 2014, indie shops made up just 3% of total music outlets in the UK, but it’s now 23% – a reflection of their growth in numbers, but also more significantly the drop in the number of supermarkets and other big stores selling music. The overall number of stores selling music peaked in 2016 at 15,364 – in 2023, that figure has dropped dramatically to 1,975.

This is because, while there is a small but devoted audience willing to spend money on vinyl records, most of the UK is content to no longer own the music it plays. The ERA study shows that in 2014, 17% of music revenue was spent on access to music via streaming, with the rest spent on outright ownership via physical formats or downloads. In 2023, 84% of revenue is now spent on access to music, as streaming has matured to become by far the most popular choice for music consumption today.

In 2023, for the first time the smartphone became the most popular device for listening to music, overtaking the car stereo”.

PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

There is a bit to unpack. I am celebrating independent record stores and how they are thriving. On 20th April, we celebrate Record Store Day. It is a celebration of the shops and their staff. That day will see some exclusive releases. Shops around the country seeing lines of people queue outside. It is great that these stores have loyal customers but will also attract new business. The fact that vinyl sales are climbing means that record stores are going to be a go-to for many music fans. It is worrying that other stores are not necessarily selling music. I am not sure how many people years ago bought albums in supermarkets. I did occasionally. Other chains like Woolworths were essential when I was a child. We really do not have anything like that now. That most physical music is localised to independent and large record stores, which may not be easily accessible to many people. I guess that vinyl is the most popular format, which is harder to store at supermarkets. Maybe less demand compared to CDs. Even living in London, there are not that many independent record stores within easy walking distance of me. Though, as I am near Soho, there are a few there. For most people, the convenience of a supermarket or other large store would mean they could get new albums when they are out shopping. Online seems to be the option for most people. Even so, we cannot discount the success and importance of independent record shops. Something that we need to encourage and keep on top of.

 I suppose the price of physical music always means that streaming is going to have a bigger appeal. It is quick and easy. The price of vinyl is still quite high. Even if sales are increasing, buying an album on vinyl can be pricey. Not the same flexibility and option to own multiple albums at one go. Streaming means people can have a lot of music at their fingertips for a very small price. The loyalty of customers and the fact so many people are interested in vinyl shows that the independent record store is essential. A place where people can discover and get together. The fact streaming is so popular is not a shock. The hope is that these independent shops remain in business and we see more appear on the high street. It is a shame that there are not more options for physical music when it comes to outlets. I also think that vinyl prices need to come down a bit. If people have to pay anywhere up to £25 for a single album sometimes, that can be off-putting. It is a complex situation with lots of factors involved. Maybe it is not possible for supermarkets or other high street chains to sell music. The demand there not quite as big as it should be. The value of physical music needs to be promoted and continuingly highlighted. Many people do that, yet there are still many whose default is streaming. I think we will see gradual shifts towards physical music. There is this passionate core who prefer to visit independent stores and get their music there. Humbling and wonderful to see, we look ahead to Record Store Day and the fact that so many people will come out in force.

Perhaps it will be tricky convincing those who get their music on smartphones that buying an album is more important and rewarding. The sheer convenience of streamed music is going to attract people. What we get from the report above is that physical music is hugely important. If its sales have been channelled and funnelled more into independent record stores and some larger record shops, I think most of us have an independent record store within fairly easily commutable distance. Of course, chains like HMV are important, though there is a character and atmosphere that you get in independent stores that you cannot get anywhere else. The rude health of vinyl is going to keep going. More and more people will visit independent record shops. Let’s hope, in years to come, prices can come down a bit and there is this realisation among a generation who turn to streaming that physical music has a place. It is a permanent form of music that means you can physically keep an album. Streaming is ephemeral and unstable in that sense. Music can be lost. The experience of streamed music not the same. Even if it is cheaper and quicker, you lose something through streaming. Nothing can replace the feel and depth of physical music and how you listen to that. Let’s hope that the independent record stores we have keep their doors open and do not go anywhere. We need them more than ever. It is evident that people get so much from shopping in amazing dependent record stores. I don’t think that…

PHOTO CREDIT: Mick Haupt/Pexels

WILL ever change.

FEATURE: Work and Play: The Struggle of Getting the Balance Right for Those in the Music Industry

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Work and Play

PHOTO CREDIT: Stephanie Lima

The Struggle of Getting the Balance Right for Those in the Music Industry

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NOT that I would ever…

PHOTO CREDIT: Edward Eyer/Pexels

consider myself to be in the music industry, but I am someone who writes about music. A music journalist. What I am finding, like artists and so many others in this industry, is that it consumes your life. That desire to spend every spare moment doing what you really love. It is hard getting that work-life balance right. For me, I work a full-time job and then get up early and work longer at the weekends ensuring that I can get content produced. Keen to make sure I have features written and do not miss anything that is happening in the world of music. For artists and anyone else out there, I realise that they may work even longer hours. Dedicate so much of themselves to what they do. There are few that can do music full-time and get paid for it. Most of us have other jobs and there is that task of ensuring that we can do everything and not burn out. There are struggles associated with the approach of fitting it all in. When it comes to diet and making sure we can eat okay. How about social life and having relationships. For me, there are not many hours left in the day to see others too much. To make sure I am getting a good and hearty meal every day. I feel it comes down to the fact that, in 2024, few of us in music are getting paid enough so that we can do much/journalism as a career. Therefore, we are working jobs and then working even longer hours fitting music in too. Getting enough sleep and making sure that we are rested and have enough energy.

PHOTO CREDIT: Stas Knop/Pexels

I guess this is the way it has been for years, though I am noticing more and more on social media discussing how they are feeling exhausted or overworked. The thing is, that love and dedication to music is what keeps us going! Many people are able to healthily balance their music love and doing ‘the day job’. However, when it comes to that necessity of balancing things and making sure you get enough sleep, have a good diet and have a social life, how easy it that to accompany?! I have written before how there should be mores social events/dating sites for those in the music industry. People who can make connections with like-minded people. More outlets and options for people who share the same passion. I also feel like there could be more resources available. There are useful features and articles that highlight ways you can achieve a work-life balance. What I am finding is that an industry that pays people so little and there are not many opportunities to make meaningful money means that so many are working harder and longer so they can do what they really want to do – plus ensure they do a daily job and can keep healthy. Mental and physical health are paramount. Looking around and it is shocking how many are neglecting areas of their life. From my viewpoint, I am not leaving much time for relationships or much relaxation time. Also, when it comes to connecting with someone who has the same interests, that can be really hard. I do know that it is maybe tougher now than ever for any of us in music to get traction and earn money. For journalists, there are few big paid opportunities. There is a lot to right about, yet when it is converted into work, making sure it is seen by enough people is really hard.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ella Olsson/Pexels

The reason I wanted to write this feature is to look out at the music industry and careers within it. Whether we are spending enough time on ourselves and wellbeing. And whether that is really possible. It is not all a horror show. I am grateful I can do what I do (unpaid) and manage that with a job. There are many worse off. I also know that I have a platform that has been around for years and has a certain following. Where the issues arise is when trying to make a bigger thing of it and get my words read and noticed. I am finding I am writing more and more to get things out. Days are long and it can be a real challenge to strike that healthy balance. Many other people are in the same situation. Discussing the fact that they do not have many hours to find someone else or create social circles. Perhaps they are sleeping less or pushing themselves more than they ordinarily would. Maybe there are no easy solutions. I do feel that we all need to, if possible, try and find some time and space to consider out mental health and social lives. Trying to find moments when we can step away from music. I know that it is really tough to do, as it can be a bit of an addiction. Also, with so much competition and so little avenues for paid work, more and more are spending most of their free time with music. Such a tough situation. I am finding areas of my life neglected because I am spending so long writing.

PHOTO CREDIT: Pixabay/Pexels

Even if you do prioritises, set yourself goals or try and step away from the screen/music work for a few hours a day, you still find that there are things missing. That you still don’t have time for certain things. One can say that this is a problem everyone faces. Not exclusive to music. I would disagree. I think that there is something uniquely demanding about the industry. Maybe that is not the right word. What I mean is that is can be tougher to strike that work-life balance. Getting recognition and opportunities from the music side of things, being able to work during the day and then finding that you can go out socialising/dating and also keep your mind and body healthy and looked after. It does ask questions of the industry. Whether there are enough resources out there. Whether artists are undervalued and are being paid adequately. More money does need to be injected into the industry. Journalism is largely unpaid these days. So many artists expected to do free gigs for exposure and the experience. It does mean, inevitably, that this puts strain on us. I do feel that there are a lot of positives being in the music industry. In terms of the joy of going to gigs or discovering new artists. Reaching any audience at all. Even so, we are all witnessing many struggling to keep healthy or get proper remuneration and compensation for what they do. Maybe unable to find time for love and more social time. Keep themselves healthy and happy. This needs to be a priority for us all as we pass through the year. Also a spotlight on those who could make things easier. A realisation that, from major artists through to journalists and those doing smaller roles, it is quite tough at the moment. Lot of problems arising for those who have a passion but are finding it tough to keep going at a rate where they can commit to that but also ensure they can pay rent/do a job etc. Finding that balance and ensuring that we look after ourselves is quite challenging. It is something that I am finding…

PHOTO CREDIT: Samson Katt/Pexels

HARDER and harder to do.