HIT (THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN)

Mr & Mrs Villain are pleased to announce the arrival of the 10,000th hit to the blog.

This happy moment occurred at 3.08 pm on Tuesday 30 January 2007, precisely four months after the birth of The Vinyl Villain.

The visitor was from North Arlington, New Jersey, USA

Both parents are chuffed to bits

Now I know this momentous event doesn’t mean that my man or woman from Noo Joisay (excuse me for trying to talk like Tony Soprano) was the 10,000th different visitor here.

For all I know, TVV might only have had as few as 100 visitors, all of whom have come back on average 100 times – I only get the most basic of info from Site Meter in terms of where folk live and what time they dropped in. But 10,000 hits is a number I never dreamed of achieving at any point in time, far less after just four months.

And to be honest, I’m quite stunned that TVV has proven so popular. This all started out as something designed mainly to help cheer me up and keep my mind occupied at a time when things at work were going very pear-shaped.

All that ever mattered was getting the chance to put a few random thoughts down on paper and to share some of my own tastes in music, and, in the aftermath, for a handful of like-minded folk to offer up the occasional comment in reply.

There were a number of other bloggers who were the inspiration for what I was trying to achieve and their help and advice were essential in the early days.

At the beginning, the number of hits was on the low side – no more than 10-15 per day (most of which were family and friends).

Then I had the thrill of seeing that I had received my first overseas visitor – from Ireland. Then someone from America popped-by. And then I noticed that someone from Derby in England was coming in almost every day. It was that sort of progress – along with encouragement from Mrs Villain, and old friends like Jacques the Kipper, as well as new cyber-friends such as Crash, Elizabeth and Tristesse that made me determined to make a real go of TVV.

Things really took off just before Xmas, especially in the number of hits from the States.

I now know this was partly down to getting listed on The Hype Machine, but I like to think it was also the fact TVV was providing continued opportunities to hear some great music, not all of which was widely available. I was consciously trying to make TVV the sort of site that I would enjoy visiting on a regular basis, while acknowledging that not every song that was posted would meet with universal approval.

The result of all this is that I now finding myself crawling around old record shops and looking through e-bay trying to pick up vinyl that was lost in a tragic ‘accident’ in Edinburgh some 20 years ago in the hope of sharing some of the sounds that were an important part of my life back when I had less cares and worries in the world. Indeed, my recent trip to Milan saw me return clutching a vinyl copy of The Smiths debut album – an original pressing on the Italian label from 1984 – that I found at a stall in an antiques market. My equivalent of a Prada Bag, but at far less cost. (I might need help right now as I fear I am becoming frighteningly like a sad character in High Fidelity...)

Maybe a psychiatrist would say that all of this is my way of continuing to avoid the onset of old-age. But I couldn’t care less. I’m having a blast, albeit it’s taking up an unhealthy amount of time on a daily basis.

Now I’ve mentioned a couple of times in past postings that Mrs V picked up a whole bundle of vinyl on e-bay as a present from Santa Claus, including some stuff that I’ve been saving for a special occasion. Well this is it.

The demise of Altered Images in 1984 led to a very short-lived career for Clare Grogan. In fact, if you had blinked you would have missed it. It comprised one single on London Records that came out in 1987. There was also an album recorded but never released. But here is that one single…

mp3 : Clare Grogan – Love Bomb

As I said, this was Clare’s only solo single. It was written and produced by people that she had never worked with before, all arranged by her label. It was all seemingly a bad experience, not helped by it ending up as a monumental flop. Maybe when you listen you'll soon realise why.

But at least Clare was able to keep in the public profile thanks to her acting career and slots as a TV Presenter. Sadly, my love for this gorgeous woman remains unrequited. It’s her loss……..

The other single I’ve been saving up is also thanks to e-bay.

Regular readers will know that I’m a huge fan of Paul Quinn. I’m trying really hard to track down everything he has ever recorded in what has been too brief a career. One of the nicest things that has happened over the past four months was when a visitor, from Sweden, read what I had to say about the great man and got in touch offering to send an mp3 copy of the rare demo of Breaking Point. Cheers Erik. This is for you:-

mp3 : Paul Quinn - Ain’t That Always The Way

This was released on 1985 on Swamplands, a few months after Paul’s collaboration with Edwyn Collins on the cover of Pale Blue Eyes.

This was Paul’s only solo release under his own name. It was written and partly-produced by Edwyn.

I hope the offerings from Clare and Paul are typical of what I want TVV mostly to be all about.

But it’s not simply nostalgia – not when I’ve got the help of the great Dr Tristesse who unearths some incredible up-and-coming bands and tells us all about them (I've taken his advice and picked-up The Apple Scruffs single). Nor when some more recent favourites have new releases in the offering, which brings me nicely to the a brand new bit of new vinyl purchased just yesterday.

It’s on the Full Time Hobby label, and it was produced right here in Glasgow by Tony Doogan (who has worked extensively over the years with Belle & Sebastian) and the singer/songwriter himself:-

mp3 : Malcolm Middleton – A Brighter Beat

This is the first song from Malcolm’s forthcoming LP of the same name. In his own words, taken from his website:-

‘If I was forced to describe it, I'd probably say it’s a pop album for people who hate pop music. Or maybe I’d describe it as love songs for depressed people who find it hard leaving the house sometimes and worry too much about dying and the consequences of their daily actions and thoughts to be able to enjoy life fully.’

Sounds to me like an early contender for album of the year and a more than worthy follow-up to the near-perfect Into The Woods.

Please go out and buy this fantastic single if you can. You will not regret it as the b-side is an equally wonderful track.

I picked up mine at the best record shop in Glasgow – Avalanche. But you’re all computer-literate and can find it in a few places using various search engines.

Once again, thanks to everyone for the hits.

Here’s to the next 10,000 and more.

And if there’s anything or anyone you’d like featured, feel free to fire in a request.

FORGOTTEN SONS (Part 1)

The launch of yet another feature here on TVV.

The plan is to feature some lesser-known but still worthy Scottish bands/singers of a by-gone era. You only need to look at the list of artistes listed under the A-Z section of Jock'n'Roll to see the potential of this one.

First up is Fingerprintz.

I remember as a 16-year old at school back in 1979 getting really excited about all the guitar-led New Wave bands that were springing up and wondering if there might be someone local to hook on to. That's when I first became aware of this band when they were mentioned in a local paper as having signed a deal with Virgin Records (which was a big thing at that time).

But I remember being disappointed to also read in the same article that while the main guys in the band were from just outside Glasgow, they were actually based in London, so there was no point in building up hopes of using a false ID to get along and see them.

One of the DJs on the local commercial radio station was also championing them on his weekly show, and I remember going out and buying their debut single the week it came out. But after that, I lost interest in the band - most certainly because I couldn't see past The Jam for anyone else in among the football and the hope of landing the elusive serious girlfriend.

But the other week, an e-mail from a lovely bloke called Mick brought back memories of listening to Fingerprintz. Like myself, Mick has re-discovered his love of vinyl through a USB turntable and is working towards starting up a blog in the next few weeks. In the meantime, he has responded to my request for a copy of early Fingerprintz material and thanks to him, I can offer up the debut single:-

mp3 : Fingerprintz - Dancing With Myself

Fingerprintz released three albums between 1979 and 1981 without much joy or acclaim. The main protagonists - Jimme O'Neill and Cha Burns - regrouped as few years later as The Silencers who gained an element of success on the back of the Celtic-style rock championed by the likes of Big Country.

All this, and more, can be found over at a French-run fan site right here

POP SONG

Sorry about the brevity of today's posting - but I really have to get into work within the next hour.

I'm not sure how widely known this particular song is. It came out in the summer of 2000 but didn't make the charts. I first heard it maybe a couple of years later when the video came on at something like 3am on MTV2 when I was fighting a losing battle against insomnia.

mp3 : King Biscuit Time : I Walk The Earth

I tracked down the EP that it came from a couple of days later, and at that point I still hasn't realised that King Biscuit Time were the side-project of Steve Mason, the lead singer of The Beta Band. It was the helpful bloke behind the counter in the record shop who gave me the valuable information.

And here's something as part of the rebuilding of the archives. If you want more I'll refer you to the original posting back on 29 November 2006:-

mp3 : The Adventure Babies - Camper Van

A couple of jaunty songs that just sort of fit my mood today, at the moment. But then, I still haven't been into the office to see what horrors await me.

I BET THAT YOU LOOK GOOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR

I should have been at a gig by Lloyd Cole in Glasgow on Friday 26th January.

Instead, I was away with Mrs Villain on a four-day trip to Milan.

It was part of the things that Santa Claus gave to her last month - and I know he could have booked a different weekend that wouldn't have clashed with the gig, but this was the only free one we had in January. And it had to be in January for the sales. Oh and it did help that the flights cost each of us £1.38 plus taxes....(Scotsmen are not tight with money...just careful with an eye for a bargain such as that)

But I still made it along to a gig on the 26th to the above pictured venue - La Scala Opera House in Milan.

It was for a performance of the ballet - Sogno Di Una Notte Di Mezza Estate. Or, to use the English-language version - 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.

Now I should be grateful for the chance to pick up last-minute (and surprisingly affordable)tickets for such a prestigious event , especially as it was the opening night of what will only be seven performances in the current season.

Yes, it was spectacular. Yes, it was colourful. Yes, it was a stunning stage-set that was brilliantly lit. Yes, I was in a great seat, in the centre of the twelfth-row back in a venue that has to be seen to really be believed. Yes, the playing of the orchestra was energetic and note-perfect. And yes, I will admit that the grace and movement of the dancers were astonishing beyond description.

But I now know once and for all that ballet - in its purest form - leaves me bored rigid.

Mrs Villain is a big ballet fan, and maybe a year or so back I went along with her to a free performance in Glasgow aimed at getting philistines like me to become regular attenders. It comprised three pieces choreographed to the music of The Aphex Twin. And it was pretty special.

And I also remember The Fall working with ballet dancers in the mid 80s to some effect.

But this was, I'm sad to say, self-indulgent nonsense. There were a couple of bits I enjoyed, but in a sense it was like going to a gig lasting 2 hours in which a band played 16 songs and you liked two of them.

I know I would have rather have been watching Mr Cole.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed my time away in Italy. The food and drink in particular were a treat - we found a fantastic restaurant tucked-away in a side-street that is very popular with the locals, details of which I'll give in an e-mail if anyone's interested. And the shopping was a huge success. Mrs Villain got exactly what she went out for in the sales. And much much more.

Indeed the aforementioned Mr Cole has a song title (and only the title not the subject-matter!!) that captures the spirit of Mrs Villain's weekend

mp3 : Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - My Bag

Viva Prada, Jimmy Choo and Armani - all of whom must be ready to report record profits on account of Mrs Villain and her magic plastic.

Buy Lloyd Cole records here.

Find out more about La Scala Opera House here

Ciao

CIAO....FOR NOW

So that's me off to Milano with Mrs Villain for a few days.....I won't be back in blog-land till next Monday.

Here's the song I most associate with Italia, in all its extended glory of almost 8 minutes:-

mp3 : Pop Will Eat Itself - Touched By The Hand of Cicciolina (Extra Time Mix)

PWEI were far more successful than my memory told me. I had always thought of them as a sort of cult act who deserved more success than they ever achieved. But doing a little bit of research shows up that twelve of their singles made the UK Top 50, with the fabulous Get The Girl, Kill The Baddies going Top 10 in 1993.

Today's offering was released in 1990 just before the World Cup that was held that year in Italy. I love how the cover has the flags of all 16 finalists around a football, and the fact the record is described as a 30cm single and not a 12" single as a nod to Europeanism.

The official song for the England World Cup squad that year was World In Motion by New Order, while the other big hit was the operatic tune that BBC-TV used for its coverage, Nessun Dorma sung by Luciano Pavarotti.

All in all, a good World Cup for music. Such a pity the tournament itself is widely regarded as the worst in the history of the 22 that have been played since 1930......

And here's today's offering from the vaults which are piece-by-piece being rebuilt after the debacle of ezarchive:-

mp3 : New Order - Age of Consent

Originally posted on 15 October 2006 at the beginning of what was a week-long celebration of Barney, Hooky, Gillian & Steven.

Go buy music product. Anywhere.

JUST DO IT

FIRST OF A DOUBLE-HEADER

Two posts coming along today, and then I'm off with Mrs Villain for a few days break.

Got along to my first gig of 2007 last night. We're lucky in Glasgow that the month of January is brightened up with an annual Celtic Connections festival. Its not all woolly jumpers, beards and folk music (not that there's anything wrong with any of the above mentioned) , and I usually manage along to a few gigs.

My big thanks go to Mike over at Mike at Manic Pop Thrills for persuading me that Idlewild, supported by De Rosa at the Glasgow ABC would be worth going along to.

I mentioned De Rosa late on in 2006 after seeing them support Arab Strap. It was the same venue last night, but a different audience. They played an excellent 45 minute set which I thought was better than last time round, but they weren't warmly embraced by a largely apathetic audience. Having said that, the boys in the band could do a bit more to help themselves as there was no introduction of songs nor any other interaction with the crowd.

De Rosa are a Glasgow band, and you can find more about them here. There's a whole load of different influences in there, and the debut album which came out last year has been warmly received.

This was only the second time I had caught the live experience of the headline act, the first being when they were on the bill at a very cold and blustery Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh supporting The Pixies (and even then it was just the last 5 or 6 songs).

Until last night, I didn't realise that I knew - and liked - so many songs by Idlewild. The first five songs were all singles that I recognised, they threw in a handful of new stuff , all of which were upbeat - in fact Roddy Woomble (pictured above) introduced one as having a disco-beat -
and a collection of album tracks that were clearly crowd favourites. At times it was almost punk-like, and at other times it was very quiet and folk-like. My only gripe was that the song that got the biggest reception was the hit single American English which I think is a pretty appalling record and actually put me off the band for a bit.

But overall, it was a thoroughly entertaining evening that was a good start to live gigs in 2007.

Here's some stuff to listen to :-

mp3 : De Rosa : Cathkin Braes
mp3 : Idlewild : Roseability
mp3 : Idlewild : El Capitan

* Braes is a Scottish word for hills, and is a place that overlooks Glasgow and offers some quite stunning views.

The De Rosa debut LP is called Mend and is on the Chemikal Underground label. Buy it here.

Any of the Idlewild records can be bought at this fine shop.

Here is the news...

-
Ah know things dinnae stand still for long in the music industry but is it really possible for a new up and coming band fae Glasgow to be tagged as 'The new The View' or is that just being a wee bit silly and taking the pish? See what you think. Personally, I think this is a song that should be heard by anyone who has even heard of The Libertines et al (and, indeed, everyone who has hesitated in buying this new album). Long live the Scruffs. May you climb high mountains and stop that car thief in their tracks.
-
The Apple Scruffs - 'Danielle' (2.59)
-
Visit the Scruffs on myspace over here and, happily, you can buy the CD Single online fae ower here. You can also buy it in Avalanche and Fopp if you live in the city of fishes, trees, birds & bells...
-

FROM UNDER THE COVERS (8)

A few days back, I mentioned that I had just got my hands on the solo LP that James Kirk released at the tail end of 2003.

And I hinted that I would post a cover tune.

Well, I'm kind of cheating given that James did write and play on the original version of this, in my view the greatest single ever to come out of Scotland.

But he's doing vocals this time round and not Edwyn. And it's simply thrilling honey:-

mp3 : James Kirk - Felicity

The album - You Can Make It If You Boogie - is well worth tracking down. It's not easy, but amazon sometimes can come up trumps.

Past and present members of some very fine Scottish combos including Aztec Camera, Bourgie Bourgie, Del Amitri, Teenage Fanclub and Trashcan Sinatras (to name but some) have contributed in some shape or form to this great little album.

And today's offering from the vaults is also a cover, and was originally posted back on October 6th 2006. The original was good, but this is outstanding.

mp3 : Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - Rent

Please track down these records, even if you have to use e-bay.

BILLY MacKENZIE : 27 March 1957 - 22 January 1997

I'm anticipating that many a blog will be commemorating the fact that today is the 10th Anniversary of the sad death of Billy MacKenzie. I don't know that what I've got to say will be all that different, but I'll offer some facts, and then I'll offer some thoughts.

Billy was born in Dundee, Scotland and it was just outside that city that he took his own life with an overdose of prescribed sleeping pills. As a musician, commercial success and recognition didn't happen overnight, and when it eventually did come, it was for an all-too brief period. By 1997, he was largely irrelevant except to a loyal fanbase. As is often the case, it took death for a reappraisal, and Billy is now regarded by many critics as one of the greatest musical talents of the late 20th Century.

His life-story is told with affection in The Glamour Chase by Tom Doyle. It's a thoroughly honest, entertaining, engaging and balanced biography. The author is very obviously a fan, and yet the book is never sycophantic for the sake of it. It recognises that Billy was often his own worst enemy and far from perfect.

I mentioned above that Billy wasn't an overnight success. It wasn't until the release of their 10th single and 3rd LP that Associates finally had a hit. But Party Fears Two and Sulk became instant classics.

But in what was the first of many strange career moves, Associates in their most successful form split-up immediately afterwards. Billy maintained the name but he was more or less a solo artist with backing musicians (in the same way that Aztec Camera was simply a vehicle for Roddy Frame).

Some more singles and albums followed, but no hits. Some of his post-Sulk songs were great, some were average, and some were disappointing. There were fall-outs with record companies and unreleased LPs. In frustration, Billy dropped the moniker of Associates and started to record and perform under his own name as well as work in collaboration with other artistes. The world still didn't pick-up on his talent.

To those of us who were long-time fans, the end was a huge shock. Billy had been completely out of the limelight for a few years, and it was almost impossible to find any Associates records as they had been long-deleted by record companies. But we had been reading that he was on his way back having just signed a contract with a new label and was busy in the studio.

It's since become clear that a series of very sad events, not least the death of his mother, triggered-off a bout of very serious depression for Billy, but it was an illness that he hid from those who were closest to him.

Billy's death was sad and tragic. But I think, having read The Glamour Chase, that it was an ending that was in some ways inevitable.

His legacy is a volume of work that has highs and lows, and one that is dominated by that 1982/83 era of Sulk. Even if that had been the only LP he had ever made, Billy would still be a legend in pop music.

I'm trying to give a truly honest appraisal when I say that while Billy MacKenzie was a reasonably talented writer, his best songs came when he wrote with others.

But what he did posses, without any doubt, was a singing voice that was unique. He also had attitude and a fierce streak of independence. Sadly, he lived in a period when all that mattered were record sales and a willingness to bow-down before the powerful record industry moguls and do what you're told.

It's impossible to guess what the past 10 years would have been like if Billy was still alive. He might have found the magic touch for another hit out of the blue (a la Edwyn Collins and A Girl Like You). Most likely however, is that he would still be recording albums to be bought by just the hard-core of fans, for it took his death to rekindle interest in his work and the re-release of most of his material. But as I say, we just don't know.

I haven't found this the easiest set of words to put together since starting up TVV. Nor did I find it easy choosing a couple of songs to post in memory.

In the end, I've gone for a pre-Sulk recording, a track from Sulk, and post-Sulk recording, and a cover version that Billy recorded in 1982 at the height of his commercial success. I aplologise for the poor quality of the cover version. But I think it captures Billy's voice at its grandest.

mp3 : Associates - White Car In Germany
(from the 1981 LP Fourth Drawer Down)
mp3 : Associates - Skipping
(from the 1982 LP Sulk)
mp3 : Associates - Breakfast
(from the 1985 LP Perhaps)
mp3 : Billy MacKenzie - It's Over
(from the 1982 LP Music of Songs & Distinction
by British Electric Foundation).

If you haven't read Tom Doyle's book, I urge you to do so. It's one of the best music biographies ever put to paper. Order it here for just £6.39

And you should buy Associates records right here. Billy MacKenzie solo stuff is here.

And finally........

I've made a small visual tribute to Billy over at The Video Villain. Hope you'll pop over and take a look.

Also.....Party Fears Two is still holding down the Number 1 position at JocknRoll. If you haven't already voted, please do so by going to www.jocknroll.co.uk

SAX APPEAL (REVISITED)

Back on 24 October 2006, I said this:-

There are many who say the sax solo in 'Baker Steet' by Gerry Rafferty is the best ever.

But it's not the opinion of the fat balding bloke who runs this blog.

I offer you from 1986 (can it already be 20 years??) my fave bit of saxophone on any record:-

Mahalia (12") - The Bible

Kevin Flanagan is the man credited with addding the finishing touches to this great song.

Sorry to say, but according to an official website (here) this is a song that is no longer available for purchase. Criminal if you ask me.

Someone named Jim has asked if I could repost this song. Happy to oblige.

GREAT UNACKNOWLEDGED ALBUMS OF OUR TIME (Part 3)

The inclusion of Murder Ballads by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds in this occasional series might be regarded as a bit controversial. Let's face it, there's no way anyone can really say, and mean, that it's the best album ever released by the band. But bear with me....

This album appears partly because it has one of Mrs Villain's all-time favourite records. And when she heard the song played live near the end of a concert at Glasgow Barrowlands in 2001, she then declared that gig to be the best she has ever been too - never to be surpassed. And this from someone who saw David Bowie at his peak in the early 70s when Glasgow's main concert venue was known as Green's Playhouse (later the Apollo). But I digress....

Murder Ballads was released in 1996. It came at a time when Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds were growing in reputation and the main man's profile was expanding into the pages of all of the mainstream broadsheet papers in the UK. When he announced that he was recording an album of death songs, everyone braced themselves for unbridled doom and gloom.

The fact that the taster for the album was a single recorded with Kylie Minogue stunned everyone. The fact that the single got into the charts and led to Nick making a couple of appearances on Top Of The Pops stunned everyone and Nick.

Personally, I loved the single. I had been a fan of Kylie for years (Jacques The Kipper will testify to that having once got a specially made t-shirt for me as a birthday present). Its hard to imagine nowadays, but Kylie in the mid 90s was not the global phenomenon she is today...and I do firmly believe that while they both gained from recording with each other in terms of public recognition (Nick) and critical acclaim (Kylie), it was the pop princess who benefited most.

I imagine a few of Kylie's mainstream fans would have bought this album and been appalled by it. Equally, I hope that a lot of listeners would have gone in with an open-mind and come out impressed. But it was a record that sold more than most of the other Bad Cave recordings.

The opening track, Song Of Joy, must be the most misleading song title ever. A funereally paced number about a man coming home and discovering his wife and three daughtershad been mutilated by a serial killer. It's an astonishingly bleak song, but a very brave one to include at the start of the album. If the casual listener was stunned by that, they had no idea what came next...

There's loads of blood, gore, mindless violence, sex and bad language in track two. It's like a mini-Tarantino movie in 5 minutes. Stagger Lee is a fantastic record - and is even more astonishing live. I posted a recording from Channel 4's The White Room over at The Video Villain a while back if you fancy taking a look, and while it's an amazing version, it doesn't come close to catching how intense this song is when you're in the audience at a gig.

There's another extreme u-turn from Stagger Lee with tracks 3, 4, and 5, (Henry Lee, Lovely Creature and Where The Wild Roses Grow) all of which are ballads. And while there are deaths and murders in each of them, they could easily pass for love songs on any other record.

Track 6 is Mrs Vinyl's song - The Curse of Millhaven.

I read someone else describe the tune as polka-metal. And it's true!! It's an immense tale of a serial killer committing all sorts of atrocities in a small rural town. It's just about the most catchy sing-a-long song that Nick has ever written, but it's the frantic playing of the Bad Seeds that make this so special. Violence and gore never sounded so much fun.

A pause for breath with The Kindness of Strangers and Crow Jane at Tracks 7 & 8 before the tune that I think most divides fans of Nick Cave.

O'Malley's Bar is either a fantastic opus or the most over-indulgent piece of crap ever recorded.

A man walks into a bar buys and drink. He then shoots the bar owner and everyone else unlucky enough to be in the vicinity. He does it cos he gets a sexual kick out of it. He doesn't have a grudge against any of his victims. Many of the deaths are described in gruesome graphic detail. I couldn't begin to tell you how many bodies there are at the end. But they're piled up all around the bar. And then the cops come.....but I'm not spoiling the ending. Go and listen to all 14 mins and 28 seconds yourself. Oh and in the accompanying lyric booklet, I counted 158 lines for this song alone. With no chorus. As for the music....well there's not much of real tune, it's like an extended jamming session. But it's incredibly effective.

The LP closes with a strange one. Death Is Not The End is a cover of an obscure Bob Dylan record, and lead vocals are taken by 7 different singers. It's also the only song on the album that doesn't have an actual death in it.....

Eleven years after its release, and I'm still not tired of Murder Ballads. I'm not saying its a perfect album. But it's far better than many might have you believe. It's an astonishing piece of work in terms of the breadth of music on offer. And it's the music that matters most.

And so here's Mrs Villain's favourite:-

mp3: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Curse of Millhaven

You can see the band perform this live on the DVD God Is In The House, recorded in Lyon, France in June 2001 and widely available nowadays at a budget price. Try here. Where you'll also find loads of audio bargains.

Oh and today's song from the archives is another of Mrs Villain's favourites. A b-side from another mad genius:-

mp3 : Julian Cope : Bagged-Out Ken

Go back to 4 October 2006 if you need to learn more.

THE SATURDAY BOY

I was out at a black-tie dinner last night and didn't get home until after 5am.

I'm feeling very tired and uninspired. Words are not coming easy. This is the song that I think best reflects my mood. No-one should take it personally.

mp3 : Soft Cell - Entertain Me

And here's more from the archive - originally posted on 3 October 2006.

mp3 : A House - Endless Art
mp3 : A House - More Endless Art

Buy Soft Cell records here. Try ebay for A House

THE WORLD WON'T LISTEN

Sometimes there's absolutely no justice in the fickle world of pop music.

The man pictured above is Paul Haig.

His first band was Josef K. They were brilliant. Nobody bought their records.

He then went solo and released a bucketful of fantastic synth-led pop/dance records that should have been massive. Instead, the world chose to buy the likes of Howard Jones & Nil Kershaw. And surely it wasn't on account of their haircuts as Paul's was far cooler as you can see above.

Later on he worked with the late Billy MacKenzie (next Monday is the 10th anniversary of his premature death) and the results weren't released for years due to contract wrangles. And when it did come out, hardly anyone bought it.

Basically, more folk should be aware of how talented Mr Haig was, and still is.

Here's a track from his 1985 LP The Warp of Pure Fun which was produced by another ex-Associate, Alan Rankine:-

mp3 : Paul Haig - Big Blue World

You can buy some Paul Haig stuff from this record shop

And here's today's track from the archives. Its from the same era, has the same geography and the same great haircuts. Enjoy

mp3 : Hey! Elastica - Eat Your Heart Out (12" version)

BUILD IT UP...TEAR IT DOWN....BUILD IT UP.

Thanks to everyone for helping out with comments on the new file-hosting fangle-dangle nonsense.

It seems that every song I've posted since September 2006 has been at a really low audio quality. So I've decided to begin the task of re-posting every one of them, bit-by-bit.

But that doesn't mean that nothing new is going to appear. Far from it.

The plan is to put one ezarchive song a day alongside a new song.

I would respectfully suggest that if you've ripped the ezarchive song and it appears here thanks to file den that you throw away your old file and download a replacement.

And then having listened to a better quality version, you should rush out and buy it from your nearest record store or else on line from any one of the thousands of respectable and reputable sellers. No, I mean that......

So I'm going back to 30 September 2006 to the song that kicked-off TVV.

James were a fantastic band, and I'm not one of those who are going to slate them for going all stadium-rock on us for a while. Everyone of them deserved to make some money after years of slogging around every village and town in the UK building up a fan base.

This is from the b-side of one of the 12" versions of Come Home:-

mp3 : James - Fire Away*

*song no longer available to download

And the new posting for tonight also comes from the band that launched a million t-shirts. This goes way way back to 1985 and the second record they released on Factory Records. I've got some live footage of the band performing this song on Whistle Test in 1985. Tim Booth is really shy and reserved and nothing like the dervish on stage he later became. The rest of the boys have beards and look like a folk band.

mp3 : James - If Things Were Perfect*

*song no longer available to download

Go out and buy product by James right here. I also recommend Folklore : The Official History by Stuart Maconie as a reasonably entertaining read.

PLEASE COMPLETE TODAY'S SURVEY....

Now then guys & gals, I've taken the plunge and gone with file den (thanks Elizabeth for the helpful tip).

I need some of you to have a listen and tell me that everything is fine.....or otherwise.

So for the moment, I've decided to post a couple of the old songs from the ezarchive days.

mp3 : Lloyd Cole - Butterfly (Planet Ann Charlotte Mix) *
mp3 : Paul Quinn & Edwyn Collins - Pale Blue Eyes *

* songs no later available to download

In The Future When All's Well, then I'll get back to normal. Maybe Tomorrow.

Thanks everyone.

I MIGHT BE DOWN FOR A DAY OR TWO.....

My comrade-in-arms Tristesse has brought to my attention the fact that the songs I'm posting are often of a shit quality, in audio terms.

It seems this is down to restrictions imposed by my existing file server - ezarchive. In fact, going round most of my other fave blogs, I am very much in a minority of one in my use of ezarchive.

To be honest, I've stuck with them cos you get immediate access and don't have to load or open a file as you do with all of the others. But if the quality isn't all it should be, then I have to do something about it.

So I'm going to be finding myself a new file server - most probably file den as this is very popular among other prolific bloogers such as Crash over at PLILAS and Elizabeth at Roaring.

But if anyone has other suggestions, I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Please bear with me while I sort things out.

Thanks for your patience.

CONSIDERING A MOVE TO MEMPHIS

FiL over at pogo-a-gogo has posted a quite fabulous song by Memphis.

A little bit of research tells me that the band in question is an American/Canadian collaboration, formed in 2003 . Two critically-acclaimed albums have been released on the Good Fences label. Certainly if the track over at pogo-a-gogo is anything to go by, they're a band worth checking out.

The official site can be found here. They're also over at My Space.

But I want to bring to your attention the band Memphis that released one single back in 1985.

The eagle-eyed among you might recognise the image above which is on the back of the single. It's James Kirk, ex-Orange Juice, and the man who wrote what I consider to be the greatest single to ever have come out of Scotland - Felicity.

James left the band in 1983 after the release of the debut album. He formed Memphis shortly after, but quit the music business after the release of said single which came out on the Swamplands label.

This was one of the bits of vinyl that Mrs Villain picked up for me on e-bay at Xmas. It's well worth sharing with a wider audience.

mp3: Memphis - You Supply The Roses

I knew that James Kirk had come out of retirement in the early 90s as a leading member and songwriter with Paul Quinn & The Independent Group.
(Now there was a band that should have been massive)

But what I learned just a couple of weeks ago when doing a bit of research for my eventual posting of the Memphis single was that James made a comeback of sorts just over three years ago with the release of a solo album entitled You Can Make It If You Boogie on Marina Records.

I have to confess that I missed this CD on its release in December 2003, but I have now managed to recently pick up a copy and will be sharing some stuff with you in the not too distant future. I'm sure you'll be as knocked out as I've been. Especially by a cover-version (of sorts).

Oh and one final thing to mention about the Memphis single from 1985. It's b-side is called Apres Ski. Which was also the name of the b-side of the 1984 debut single by Bourgie Bourgie, a band that featured many contemporaries of James Kirk...many of whom he worked alongside in The Independent Group a few years later. Same title, but different song. As you can hear for yourself:-

mp3 : Memphis - Apres Ski
mp3 : Bourgie Bourgie - Apres Ski

Oh and for the hell of it, here's the track that FiL posted up yesterday. It's damn fine splendid as well.....

mp3 : Memphis - In The Cinema Alone

As is the song that gave the title for this posting.........

mp3 : Colorblind James Experience - Considering A Move To Memphis

Do I spoil you my friends with 5 great songs*??? But you're worth it......

* sorry, none of the 5 songs are now available to download

Go buy all sorts of stuff here.

Naked Aggression Is Just The Way It's Gonna Be...

-
Don't know about u but ah'm a sucker for songs with lots of sampled dialogue in them. And here is a very fine example from the ex-Loop people. Many more talking songs 2 come when ah'm so moved. Oh, this track is best heard very, very loud.
-
The Hair and Skin Trading Company - 'Ground Zero' (3.17) (You Send It)
-
From the LP 'Jo in Nine G Hell' (Situation 2, 1992)
-

SWEDE SOUL MUSIC

Just felt like posting a couple of songs from a couple of well-known Swedish pop combos.

I've only ever been to Sweden once. I took Mrs Villain to Gothenburg for her birthday in August 2006.

It rained a lot....and to our disgust there were no Marilyn Manson Goth-alikes to be seen anywhere.

But it was a great city that we want to go back to some day.

To the music.

mp3 : The Cardigans - Rise And Shine *
mp3 : The Wannadies - Skin *

*songs no longer available to download

Rise and Shine is from the 1995 LP Life.

Skin is from the 2003 LP Before & After.

Both are highly recommended and should be purchased here.

SONGS FROM CD86 (Part 2)

My fellow-scribe Tristesse says he loves all things C86. This bonus posting is for him.

I thought it was an apt tune given how heavy the rain has been falling on the streets of our metropolis since 2007 began.

Didn't know this song until a couple of days ago. Didn't know anything about the band either.

mp3 : Another Sunny Day - Anorak City *

*song no longer available to download

Don't know why I missed out on it when it came out in 1986. Looked up wikidepia and found out that Another Sunny Day were on Sarah Records, best known for the somewhat Smiths-esque single You Should All Be Murdered and for another single with a fantastic title, I'm In Love With A Girl Who Doesn't Know I Exist.

The band released one compilation LP in 1993 called London Weekend which features all of the above mentioned tracks. You can try and find it on amazon or e-bay.

If you want to read more about Sarah Records, just click here

If anyone has other info on Annother Sunny Day, please leave a comment.

Thank You

MORE STUFF FROM AD. LAND

Not much time to say a lot this morning.

Got a positive reaction to the Win posting the other day, so I thought it would be OK to post the other song by the other band that advertised a really awful lager in the 80s. So here it is

mp3 : Hipsway - Tinder *

*song no longer available to download

Incidentally, the photo was taken from e-bay. Some people will sell (and indeed buy) anything.

And you can find Hipsway over at the Video Villain today.

TOP OF THE FLOPS

The other day, I invited folk to enter a competition for a couple of Lloyd Cole tix for his forthcoming gig in Glasgow on 26 January.

Sadly......no-one entered. Which was what I feared.

I won't be trying that again on the blog......

Oh well. I'll try Plan B.

FROM UNDER THE COVERS (7)

I didn't actually intend to post a couple of cover versions back-to-back, but I woke up this wet and windy Sunday morning feeling a bit mellow.

And decided that the perfect tune for my mood is this 1984 offering of a song dating back to the 1930s

mp3 : Bronski Beat - It Ain't Necessarily So *

*song no longer available to download

It’s easy to forget how brave Jimmy Somerville and Bronski Beat were for being so open about their way of life and their views. Records like this, and those of such as the Pet Shop Boys and Frankie Goes To Hollywood took the celebration of the queer culture into the mainstream, and made many people realise, probably for the first time, that homophobia was every bit as distasteful as racism and apartheid.

If you want to watch the video, I've posted it over at The Video Villain.

FROM UNDER THE COVERS (6)

Sorry if you had to adjust the brightness control as a result of the day-glo record sleeve.

A couple of the blogs that I like to visit on a regular basis (the list is on the right hand side) have been talking about Prince Rogers Nelson. Also known sometimes as 'symbol' (cos I can't get keyboard to do that funny little shape), his best work probably came was he was simply Prince.

I adore the song Kiss. It is hard to imagine anyone giving it the cover treatment version and doing it any sort of justice.

But Age of Chance did so back in 1986.

The cover was recorded while the original was high in the charts, originally for a John Peel Session. Such was the popularity of the recording - which threw in elements of dance, metal, indie and rock - that the band went into the studio and recorded a fresh version for release on the Sheffield-based indie label FON.

It sold well enough to top the UK indie-charts helped by a cracking appearance by the band on the BBC TV show, Whistle Test. In fact, the song almost made it into the 'proper' UK charts, reaching Number 50 at the beginning of 1987.

And while the version that was released as a single is pretty outstanding, I prefer the remixed b-side which comes in at a couple of minutes longer and throws some scratching into the mix for good measure.

Almost impossible to get anywhere other than e-bay, I hope you enjoy....

mp3 : Age Of Chance - Kiss (Collision Cut) *

*song no longer available to download

And you can see the video over at the sister site right here

THAT FABULOUS FRIDAY FEELING.

It's nothing to do with the approaching weekend. It's everything to do with the fact I got through this morning and picked up 2 precious tickets for an Arcade Fire concert here in Glasgow in a couple of months time. Life is sometime half-decent after all.

And now to make the most use of the half-day's leave that was used to be at the PC when the tickets went on sale, I'll do a quick update.

There was a very nice comment left yesterday by Andrew. He's asked for a particular song by The Questions which I'm afraid I don't have but will try and track down over the weekend, as well as a song used in a TV ad to promote a lousy brand of Scottish lager back in the 80s.

There were actually two such ads that were basically visually stunning pop promos - I've got both of them on VHS somewhere.

Anyways, one of the songs was Tinder by Hipsway. The other - and the one Andrew has hoping I could help out with - is today's posting.

Davy Henderson is another of those brilliant but ultimately unsuccessful (in commercial terms) singer/songwriters that Scotland seems to produce in droves. His first stab at fame came with Fire Engines who produced a classic 7" record in Candyskin.

He then formed Win which was the nearest he came to making heaps of money thanks to the said advert. As well as today's offering, you should try and check out Super Popoid Groove - another great single.

Next up for Davy was a combo close to the heart of my old mate Jacques The Kipper - Nectarine No.9 who also had at least one incredible single - Don't Worry Babe, You're Not The Only One Awake.

Davy's work with all his bands has been hugely influential on many acts, not least Franz Ferdinand who acknowledged the great man in a bit of style. They invited Davy and the reformed Fire Engines to support them on a UK arena tour in late 2005, as well asking the band to record and release a version of Jacqueline.

That's as much as I know. But in doing a bit of surfing this morning, I found a piece by someone who clearly loves and appreciates the genius of Davy Henderson. Please take a read by clicking here.

And so to the songs. As I've got a bit more time of my hands before heading into the office at lunchtime, I thought I'd offer up two versions - the standard 7" and the 12" U.S, Dance Mix which featured in the lager advert. Hope you enjoy.

mp3 : Win - You've Got The Power *
mp3 : Win - You've Got The Power (U.S. Dance Mix)*

*songs no longer available to download

LIVING IN THE PAST

I've mentioned before how getting this blog up and running has rekindled an enthusiasm bordering on the obsessive as far as music goes.

I'm now browsing through e-bay on a regular basis and picking up all sorts of wonderful things on vinyl. Mr Postman today delivered the above sleeve complete with a magical piece of black vinyl that was 7" in diameter.

Jazzateers were formed in 1980 by guitarist Ian Burgoyne and bassist Keith Band. By 1982, they had a vocalist called Paul Quinn (who I may just have payed homage to elsewhere in T.V.V.) and recorded an LP for Postcard Records that was never released.

Fast forward to 1983 and Paul has gone to be replaced by Graeme Skinner. By now the band has signed with Rough Trade Records. This was the earliest fruits of their labour:-

mp3 : Jazzateers - Show Me The Door *
mp3 : Jazzateers - Sixteen Reasons *

*songs no longer available to download

Personally I think Sixteen Reasons, the b-side, is a superior song. Which is probably why it was perversely placed on the flip-side.....

Anyway.....Graeme Skinner left the band soon after and joined Hipsway who had a Top 10 hit with The Honeythief.

Ian Burgoyne and Keith Band, who wrote both of the tracks on this single, joined up again with Paul Quinn in Bourgie Bourgie. After that, they reformed Jazzateers with yet another lead singer - Matthew Wilcox.

Oh, and I should mention that another member of Mark 3 of Jazzateers was Mick Slaven and he would later team up with Paul Quinn as part of The Independent Group.

Confused???? You should be. I am - and I'm typing all this from pre-prepared notes!!!

A couple of people I want to mention tonight.

The posting is for Jacques The Kipper - a dear friend for many many years. His love of music, and in particular the songs of Scottish bands such as Jazzateers, surpasses just about anyone I know. I'm trying really hard to persuade him to sign up as a contributor - I might have to resort to an on-line petition.

But I want to say a big big big thank you to Elizabeth from the blog Roaring Machine. She has passed on a very rare version of a truly beautiful song that I never even knew existed. Blog-world is such a friendly place a lot of the time. Sigh.

SONGS THAT WERE WASTED ON THE B-SIDE (Part 6)

I draw your attention to an interesting and thought- provoking post the other day by Coxon Le Woof over at to die by your side. It was reflecting on how new rules on downloads will now change forever the way the charts are compiled, and how in the long-run, we might be witnessing the end of singles. Read his incisive words right here

Coxon was particularly lamenting how this might bring an end to b-sides, a thought that fills me with horror. Regular readers will know that I'm a big fan of great lost b-sides...and so here's another of the genre.

From 1983, it's two-and-a-half minutes of classic pop from one of Australia's greatest exports. It was originally the flip-side to Man O Sand To Girl O Sea - and yup, another flop that just shouldn't have been.

mp3 : The Go-Betweens : This Girl, Black Girl *

*song no longer available to download

I've taken this from my vinyl copy of The Go-Betweens 1978-1990 - one of the best double albums known to mankind - but a slightly superior recording can be found on the enanced CD Before Hollywood. Buy it right here.

FREE TICKETS FOR A CONCERT.....RIGHT HERE

Now here’s a first……and probably last………..for T.V.V.

Pictured above are a pair of tickets for the gig by Lloyd Cole at the City Halls, Glasgow on Friday 26 January 2007. I bought them a couple of months back within 24 hours of the gig being announced.

They are prime seats – right in the centre of the second row of the stalls (Rows A-C will be taken up by an extended stage).

And I’m offering them free to a lucky reader.

They’ve become available as myself and Mrs Villain will now be away in Italy for a few days at the end of this month, and my fellow contributor, Tristesse, has a prior engagement outside of the city.

All you have to do is listen to the undernoted track by Lloyd Cole and then send the name of the song to thevinylvillain@hotmail.co.uk

mp3 : Lloyd Cole - WIN CONCERT TICKETS *

*song no longer available to download

It couldn’t be much easier…..

Correct entries received by midnight on Sunday 14th January will be put into a hat from which Mrs Villain will draw the winner.

Good Luck.

My dirty boots and heavy heart are waking up to u

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So, as if by magic, The Go-Betweens are back. You know, 'Slow Light' might just be the first 'essential purchase' of 2007. Unless you know different of course...
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Airport Girl - 'Striking out on your own' (3.16) (You Send It)*
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Buy 'Slow Light' (Fortuna Pop, 2007). Airport Girl are on Myspace of course and they are out and about playing shows - tomorrow night @ The Social in Nottingham, England.
-
* Technical note: 'Striking Out on your own' isn't actually on the album - this track comes from the January 2006 single (deep breath) 'The Foolishness That We Create Through Love Is The Closest We ComeTo Greatness' (and you can download the value-for-money title track here if you subscribe to eMusic).
-

FULFILLING THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION

That's a mate of mine pictured above - fast asleep on a bus somewhere in the Loch Lomond area last summer after a day of Scottish fresh air. Believe me, he was completely sober.

Now I've often said that T.V.V. takes requests - and my mate has submitted his. He's asked for something from Bloc Party.

I'm sure most of you, or maybe indeed all of you, will know that they are one of the biggest bands to emerge on the UK scene over the past 18 months, and the next few weeks and months will be important for them as they prepare to unleash their second album on the public. So rather than talk about Bloc Party - here's some stuff about the man in the photo.

He's Darren Purton, from Thatcham in Berkshire. He's an air-conditioning engineer who lives with his fabulous fiance Caroline, and their two boys Oliver and Louis. He's a football (soccer) fan and a season-ticket holder at Southampton FC. He was a bit of an indie-kid in his youth, and continues to have acceptable taste in music. He's going to embarrassed about all this being on-line.....

And here's his song:-

mp3 : Bloc Party - Helicopter * (song no longer available to download)

* winner of the song that most sounds like Set The House Ablaze by The Jam

Buy Bloc Party records here.

100 DAYS OF BLOGGING

Yesterday I was doing a bit of clearing-out of old files and discovered via Technorati that my first posting was 99 days ago.

Which means that T.V.V. is 100 days old today.

I'm quite pleased about that, as I wasn't sure if my initial enthusiasm would have been maintained - and I was also a bit worried that no-one would be bothered to come and visit.

And as a special celebration, I'm putting up 10 great songs with a common word:-

mp3: Ballboy - We Are Past Our Dancing Days
taken from The Royal Theatre (2004)

mp3 : Billy Bragg - Wishing The Days Away
taken from Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (1986)

mp3: Care - My Boyish Days (12" version)
taken from Diamonds & Emeralds (1997 compilation CD)

mp3 : Cornershop - Funky Days Are Back Again
taken from When I Was Born For The 7th Time (1997)

mp3 : The Dears - Warm And Sunny Days
taken from No Cities Left (2005)

mp3 : Echo & The Bunnymen - Crystal Days
taken from Ocean Rain (1984)

mp3 : The Futureheads - Decent Days And Nights
taken from The Futureheads (2005)

mp3 : Kirsty MacColl - Days
taken from Kite (1989)

mp3 : Pulp - Glory Days
taken from This Is Hardcore (1997)

mp3 : R.E.M. - These Days
taken from Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)

Sorry......non of the songs are now available to download

Try them. Then buy them.

Here.

Or here.

And there's also an appropriate posting to be enjoyed over at The Video Villain.......

IT'S I AGAIN AND THE SONG THAT I SEND....

.....is taking steps to reach your heart.

Yesterday's title for the Edwyn Collins posting was lifted from a great hip-hop record released back in 1989, which itself is the subject of today's posting.

Three schoolfriends from Long Island, New York formed De La Soul in the middle of the 1980s. At a time when gangster-rap was in vogue, De La Soul were something totally different. Relying very heavily on samples as well as lyrics that talked of life and love rather than life and violent death, they very quickly became radio favourites on both sides of the Atlantic.

Their debut album - Three Feet High & Rising - (its title being a playful pun on a Johnny Cash song) sold by the bucket load and spawned a handful of hit singles. But the group got mired in a number of legal battles in the wake of their success - the idea of sampling was relatively new and lawyers were crawling out of the woodwork demanding royalties for their clients.

A thoroughly disillusioned De La Soul changed direction for their second album in 1991 - De La Soul Is Dead - with less reliance on samples and lyrics that were socially aware of circumstances without ever advocating the use of violence. It was critically acclaimed, but radio stations didn't play the singles, and the album didn't sell anything like as well.

And that was indeed the story of the 90s for the group - constant critical acclaim but ever-decreasing sales. But against all odds, De La Soul kept on recording throughout that decade and into the 21st Century, and were often quoted by many new rap acts as having been a huge influence on their development.

In 2005 they made another appearance in the UK charts thanks to their fantastic vocal contribution to Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz (another act who will soon feature on T.V.V.).

Someone who has reviewed the release of a Greatest Hits package back in 2003 has said De La Soul are hip-hop's Prince, widely praised for things they did years ago, with their new work subjected to unfairly slanted comparisons with their debut. I think that's pretty accurate.

And here in all its 12" glory, is one of the fantastic singles from the debut album

mp3 : De La Soul - Eye Know *

*song no longer available to download

You can buy ten different De La Soul albums at Fopp Records from as little as £5. Click here

Incidentally...if you want an example of how much cheaper it is to buy music nowadays, I've still got the price tag for this 12" single attached to its plastic cover - £3.29.

PUT THE NEEDLE INTO YOUR GROOVE

I've no football match today, so here's a bonus posting.

Santa Claus was very very good to me. Mrs Villain scoured e-bay for something unusual, and a box of 7" singles from Altered Images/Edwyn Collins/Orange Juice ended up coming down the chimney in the old man's sack. A total of 30 records going back to the Postcard era and containing a few rare gems such as flexidiscs and a Clare Grogan solo single.

And now that I've got my act together and sorted out a replacement stylus for the USB Turntable, I thought I'd share one of the more rare recordings with you.

It's a very early solo single from 1987 , produced by Robin Guthrie from Cocteau Twins. Like so many songs I end up posting on this blog, it should have been a hit.....but wasn't.

mp3 : Edwyn Collins - Don't Shilly Shally (Side One) *
mp3 : Edwyn Collins - If Ever You're Ready (Side Two) *

*songs no longer available to download

You can try and track it down on e-bay. It's on the Elevation label (part of WEA Records) and has the catalogue number ACID4.

I SPEAK YOUR EVERY WORD

The post-punk era in the late 70s and early 80s wasn't all about jumping about down the front.

The man pictured above is John Cooper Clarke. He is a poet.

You listened to what JCC had to say. He was often a support act for many acts - let's face it, all he needed was the bus/train fare and a microphone - and he had a fantastic stage prescence that commanded attention.

Maybe it was the big hair; maybe it was the unmistakable Salford/Manchester accent; maybe it was because he had something meaningful to say, often in a very humourous way; maybe it was a combination of all of the above.

I saw him a few times in the 80s - most often at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the days when it was truly an underground sort of event rather than a vehicle for comics to come to town and make a fortune over a three-week period.

The mp3 offering might sound like a bit of a misogynist rant. But listen carefully and you'll hear that it is a brilliantly worded attack on bigots who can't bear to see mixed-race marriages.

And then take a visit over to The Video Villain, where JCC performs what I consider his best piece of work - Beasley Street. The poem was written in 1980, and it's a sad reflection on society and its inability to deal with inequalities that there is almost certainly a Beasley Street not too far from where you live - especially if you live in a major city.

JCC is still on the go today. This posting was inspired by an interview with him in the current edition of Mojo magazine - an interview conducted by Alex Turner of The Arctic Monkeys.

mp3 : John Cooper Clarke : I Married A Monster From Outer Space *

*song no longer available to download

Buy JCC product here. And you can read all his poems here.