Monthly Archives: December 2017

VIA PRESS RELEASE | BMG will release a new fully remastered deluxe edition of A Secret Wish, the much-loved debut album by ZTT Records’ acclaimed Dusseldorf electronic pop four-piece Propaganda, on 26th January 2018.

Both these new 180g vinyl LP and CD versions of A Secret Wish replicate the original respective vinyl LP and later CD formats’ wholly different 1985 sequencing, remixed tracks and original songs and have been remastered from the original tapes (the scanned covers of these mastertapes feature in the booklets) at Trevor Horn’s SARM Studios in West London.

The mastering process was undertaken by Joel Peters and overseen by ZTT Records archivist Ian Peel. The 180g vinyl LP package includes a 6-page booklet and 12”x12” artcard whilst the hardback CD mediabook format boasts a 32-page booklet, with both formats featuring Ian Peel’s newly-written and extensively-researched sleevenotes which tell the story of the players, the craft, the impact, and the legacy of this much-loved album through interviews with band members Ralf Dörper and Claudia Brücken, plus producer Stephen Lipson.

Although much feted by critics and reaching a creditable No.16 in the UK Album Chart upon its original release on 1 July 1985, A Secret Wish sold relatively poorly (inexplicably not even charting in the band’s native West Germany) although the album’s three singles (“Dr Mabuse”, “Duel,” and “P-Machinery”) achieved greater chart success across Europe as well as scoring a No.1 hit in the US dance charts. The band’s biggest UK hit, “Duel,” did reach No.21 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1985 which led to the band making their sole appearance on the BBC’s long-running primetime music show Top Of The Pops in June of that year.

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Take one very ambitious but rather feckless band of Liverpudians and the biggest manufactured hype this side of Jobriath and what you get is a punchline that just keeps on giving; the words “Frankie Goes to Hollywood” still provoke widespread mirth 33 years later. Why just last week I saw a character in the British TV sitcom Toast of London wearing a “Frankie Says Relax” t-shirt and it was all could do to stop from weeping with laughter.

But let’s relax for a moment and ask, “Was the whole Frankie Goes to Hollywood phenomenon really as risible as all that?” The Liverpool quintet may always remain the personification of the words “flash in the pan,” but there’s no denying the greatness of “Relax” and “The Power of Love.” And the very tribal “Two Tribes” is nothing to sneeze at either. And speaking just for myself, I find it hard to resist a band with the stones to release a very campy take on B. Springsteen’s sacrosanct “Born to Run.”

1984’s sprawling Welcome to the Pleasuredome is a textbook case of overweening ambition; it took chutzpah for Frankie Goes to Hollywood to make their debut a double album, and a conceptual double album at that. But if you’re riding a wave of hype why not make it tidal wave? Vocalist Holly Johnson and mates were nothing if not brash, and you have to hand it to a band that was pure dead certain two albums sides of their fusion of pop, dance, and vaguely tribal “riddims” just wouldn’t be enough. I’m rather surprised they didn’t release a triple.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | When the awful news broke on Christmas Eve 2016 that legendary rocker Rick Parfitt of Status Quo fame had passed, fans around the world were devastated that one of rock’s most iconic performers had been silenced. However, unknown to almost anyone, Parfitt had, in fact, virtually completed his first solo album whilst undergoing a period of recuperation after his heart attack in July. That album, poignantly titled Over and Out, will now be released on March 23 through earMUSIC.

Featuring 10 brand new songs, including the title track that broke hearts anew when it was played at Parfitt’s funeral, this is an album of depth and passion. Created by Parfitt and producer Jo Webb, the record is a true labor of love and showcases the softer side of Parfitt as a writer, artist, and performer away from the Quo maelstrom, as well as the purest rock ‘n’ roll sound of earlier Status Quo records.

Despite the fact Parfitt had finished recording his guitar and vocal parts, a recording session was planned for February 2017. Certain tracks were not totally finished when Parfitt died. The call to help ensure that his work could be completed, so that the world could hear it, was answered by musicians of the caliber of Queen’s Brian May and Muse’s Chris Wolstenholme, both of whom were close to Parfitt.

His son, Rick Parfitt Jr., was also involved in the creative process, as were John “Rhino” Edwards and Alan Lancaster, amongst many others. All of those involved in completing the songs that Parfitt had written for Over and Out have done him proud in bringing his vision to fruition.

Parfitt’s music always featured two elements—the raw rock ‘n’ roll sound and a great passion for melodies. Over and Out offers the best of both worlds: It has been recorded and written with a band’s spirit between Parfitt and Webb. They shared various mixes, reflecting the sound of the sessions and the spirit that was present in the “room.”

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“Everyone always asks me about how I ‘started’ my relationship with records. The answer is that there was no THIS MOMENT onwards thing; they were just always, always there.”

“My parents had the quintessential ’60s /’70s collection, filled with The Who, original Rolling Stones, Doors, Beatles, Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Woodstock and Hair soundtracks. My mom had a pop singer / songwriter addiction, which manifested itself during my childhood in the entire Elton John, Billy Joel, and Hall and Oates catalogs, and moved on to an obsession, strangely, with Huey Lewis and The News (who knew that anyone could be fixated on them? Just shows, there is something for everyone).

At Christmas, when we would receive albums, everything would come to a stop. The album would be played, side A and side B, listened to all the way through, before any other gifts could be opened or food could be gorged upon. Both sets of grandparents were equally inclined to have large vinyl collections, which we voraciously listened to during visits. My paternal set veered towards Dave Brubeck and Otis Redding, which we would put on after dinner, while we were sitting around the fire. It was an integral part of the visit.

My maternal grandfather, an Italian immigrant living in California, had a basement workshop where for fun he would craft hand-made tables, candlesticks, and other wood art. The whirring of the saw was always accompanied by a variety of opera records, blasting at full volume, and my Nonno singing along at equally top octaves. After he passed away, we were clearing out their house. When we got to the workshop, everyone else was interested in the tools. I had to have the records, though they were really rather unplayable, as all of them had a thick layer of sawdust encasing them.

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‘Tis the season for holiday music; some relish it, many appreciate it, others tolerate it, and a few avoid the stuff like a pestilence. Those not in the last category are likely to enjoy at least one song, and maybe more, on Bloodshot Records’ 13 Days of Xmas. Like most multi-artist compilations, the first holiday album from the noted alt-country/ roots label is a mixed bag, but the highs, of which there are a few, make it worth keeping around for future December engagements. It’s out now on translucent green or red vinyl, compact disc, and digital.

First, a story; it must’ve been, oh, 1993 or ’94, and while scoping the Just In bin at a local record shop, I found a copy of Dexter Gordon’s The Panther staring back at me. The price was fair. Flipping it over revealed the date of recording to be 1970 and the personnel to be Larry Ridley on bass, Alan Dawson on drums, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and of course, Dexter on sax. Adequately swayed, I made the purchase, and promptly listened at home without inspecting the credits further.

Things moved along rather swimmingly, but as the end approached, The Panthers’ penultimate track revealed itself to be “The Christmas Song,” the Bob Wells-Mel Tormé-penned tune that’s been interpreted a few hundred times, with the consequence being seasonal near-ubiquity; had Dexter’s rendition snuck up on me in early December, I’m guessing my reaction would’ve been some degree of positive, but in reality it was late July in the middle of a heatwave, and I was, to put it in polite terms, not in the mood.

But in retrospect, Prestige Records tucking a Christmas song into one of Gordon’s steady stream of post-comeback studio albums displayed a degree of chutzpah, as the typical maneuver is to pack a bunch of holiday material onto a single release, either by one artist/ band or a host of them, and then drop it into the marketplace as the festivities are nigh.

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The night before Thanksgiving, a very lucky sold-out Louisville crowd was given one more reason to be thankful. Organized by Patrick Hallahan (My Morning Jacket) and Craig Pfunder (VHS or Beta), “Into the Great Wide Open: A Celebration of Tom Petty” boasted an impressive lineup of local favorites collaborating to pay tribute to the legendary rocker.

Held at Headliners Music Hall, the evening was sweaty, joyous, and at times simply magical. Thoughtfully curated songs from Tom Petty’s impressive career paired perfectly with the different voices and personalities of one talented Louisville musician after another.

Notables gracing the stage included Jim James, Tom Blankenship, Patrick Hallahan, Craig Pfunder, Scott Carney, Mark Charles Heidinger, Willie Maclean, Todd Hildreth, Tony Esposito, Nick Wilkerson, Dante Schwebel, Adam Turla, Katie Toupin, Dawn Landes, Johnny Berry, Joe Manning, Cheyenne Mize, David Bird, and Tyler Lance Walker Gill. Heck of a lineup, for sure.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Heed the Call! collects the best New Zealand soul, funk, and disco cuts from the afrotastic days of 1973 to 1983. Artists like Mark Williams whose “House For Sale” became a sought after northern Soul single, The (three) Yandall Sisters (two of whom are pictured behind Mark WiIlliams on our cover), a teenage Tina Cross, Dalvanius & Prince Tui Teka, all became household names in NZ.

The collection mines some overlooked nuggets from their respective catalogues alongside lesser known boogie cuzzins The Pink Family with their non-secular floor sizzler “Don’t Give Your Life Away,” the gritty gospel soul of Sonia & Skee, The Johnny Rocco Band, Inbetweens, and The Totals. The Kaukau Brothers were four fifths of Golden Harvest who hit the national charts with the number one “I Need Your Love” in 1978 which featured new addition 17-year-old Karl Gordon fronting the band. Local ’60s beat pioneer Larry Morris fresh out of the big house after a public LSD misdemeanour finds his groove on “Who Do We Think We’re Fooling.”

Funk dynamos Collision Hail from Tokoroa, and in an earlier incarnation were known as The Shriek Machine, move to Australia on Dalvanius’ insistence to record the showstopper “You Can Dance.” Early ’70s Acid Rockers Ticket flaunt their funky flare(s) with their Vertigo single only release “Mr. Music” (later covered by Collision). The windy city jazzmen The 1860 Band take form-fitting self promoting t-shirts to the next level while re-interpreting Rita Jean Bodine’s “That’s The Kind Of Love.”

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“The first record I remember wanting and then getting was Chuck Berry’s Flashback. I was probably about 10 years old and my mom bought it for me at Sam Goody.”

“My older sister had the soundtrack from American Graffiti, which I loved and listened to a lot. Buddy Holly, Del Shannon, and The Beach Boys were all on there, but my favorite song was “Johnny B. Goode.” It was the first time I really wanted to hear more of an artist apart from the song that I liked.

So the next time the family was at the mall, I asked if I could get a record. I found the Chuck Berry section in the bin and found Flashback, a double album, greatest hits compilation. The cover was horrible, but it had Johnny B. Goode and about 20 other songs which was plenty for me. I remember listening to album 1 over album 2 at about a 20 to 1 ratio.

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