On 5th March 1953 Air Force Staff Sergeant Johnny Cash (yes, the man in black himself) intercepted a coded message from Russia. The message confirmed that Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was dead. Cash enlisted in 1950 after he turned 18 and was assigned to the 12th Radio Squadron Mobile of the US Air Force Security Service at Landsberg, West Germany, where he proved his skill as a Morse Code operator.
5th March 1965 saw an 18-year-old David Bowie feature on the second Manish Boys single, “I Pity The Fool”. It was produced by Shel Talmy, (who also produced The Who and The Kinks). Jimmy Page was Talmy’s regular session musician and played the guitar solo on the track.
In 1955 on 5th March Elvis Presley made his US TV debut by appearing on the weekend show ‘Louisiana Hayride’ on KWKH TV, broadcast from Shreveport Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana. There are many different claims for his first hayride appearance, 5th March is the one I have found mentioned most times.
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Here is the Mayhem chart for February 2024. Regular readers know that the chart is based on my Spotify listening habits over the last month. The chart remains contemporary-ish, rather than just an oldies chart However, the top three “Legacy” artists are Was (Not Was), Bob Marley and the Wailers, and Stackridge. Surprisingly, David Bowie is not in the top 3 for the third month in a row. There is a top ten artists chart and a top 5 songs chart. There is the usual eclectic mix of artists, including two that were in the top ten last month (Delilah Bon and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes). For the first time, none of the top five songs is by an artist which features in the top ten artist chart. However, after reaching number three with “Back In Time” last month Georgia Reed hits the top spot for February with her current single “Honey”. Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes are number 1 in the artist chart and as previously mentioned Georgia Reed is top of the song chart. So without further ado here are those charts in full! Click on the header of the song chart for the playlist on Spotify.
MAYHEM ARTIST CHART FEBRUARY 2024
1 Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes 2 Jazmin Bean 3 The Chinaskis 4 Crawlers 5 Ellis Bullard 6 Bambi Thug 7 Shaé Universe 8 Girli 9 Delilah Bon 10 Ashnikko
1 Honey – Georgia Reed 2 Waiting For The Britpop Revival – Fran Ashcroft 3 A Thousand Shots – F.O.D. 4 Primetime Television – The Corsairs 5 What Kinda Love – Sohodolls
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The Sohodolls are back, not just with a bang, bang, bang, bang but with a multi-megaton explosion of a single. This is how Kylie might have sounded if she had taken a more punky, edgier direction. Maya Von Doll wrote the song when she was in a really bad place in her life and it seemed like her musical dreams were completely over. Apparently, the track’s themes explore the feeling of your life slipping away and thinking the only place you’ll find excitement is in your daydreams. I can relate to that, can you? I am reliably informed that “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” one of Billy Ocean’s 80s hits is also an inspiration behind the song. Other than the occasional lyrical similarity, that is not obvious. Whatever the influences it is a stunning track that packs many genre punches (punk, pop, rock, electronic, and maybe dance). The riffs and hooks are simply sublime. I love this tune and the Sohodolls! I hope we are due a new album from them soon.
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Shane Lynch Irish 47-year-old former member of Boyzone, alleged singer, and born-again Christian has said that Taylor Swift and many other rock and pop artists perform satanic rituals in their stage performances and send demonic messages in their music. He made the claims in an interview with the Irish newspaper Sunday World. Perhaps Boyzone would have been a tad more exciting if they had dabbled with satanic messages in their songs. How about “Love Me For A Satan”, “Satan And Son” or “Satan Can I Hold You” for starters. Lynch said “I think when you’re looking at a lot of the artists out there, a lot of their stage shows are Satanic rituals live in front of 20,000 people without them realising and recognising,” and “You’ll see a lot of hoods up and masks on and fire ceremonies.” I wear a hoodie and dance around at gigs, do I also worship the devil? Of course not, but then I don’t worship an imaginary friend in the sky either. Shane droned on and on about it, adding “Even down to Taylor Swift – one of the biggest artists in the world – you watch one of her shows and she has two or three different demonic rituals to do with the pentagrams on the ground, to do with all sorts of stuff on her stage. But to a lot of people, it’s just art and that’s how people are seeing it, unfortunately.” He went on to say that this is the reason he’s given up listening to several genres of music, including hip-hop.” Personally, I would be very pleased if he said he was never making music again, although to be fair has he ever made music?
Mr Lynch borrows Lucifer’s pitchfork
The devil has been an ever-present in music for years ever since Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul at the crossroads. So many satan related tunes are out there from the Rolling Stones with “Sympathy For The Devil” to Cliff Richard (yes the Christian Mr. Clean with “Devil Woman”. Is rock and pop an easy way into satanism? Of course not. Does Taylor Swift worship satan? I doubt it. Is Shane Lynch talking utter bollocks? Of course, he is! OK, dear readers I would love to hear your thoughts regarding Satan in rock and pop!
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On 28th February 1970 David Bowie played at the Basildon Arts Lab experimental music club at the Basildon Arts Centre in Essex. His band was spankingly new, so new that they did not have a name. They were billed as David Bowie’s New Electric Band. Sharing the bill with the Dame and his band were High Tide, Overson and Iron Butterfly. The Bowie band eventually became the rather shortlived The Hype featuring Bowie, Mick Ronson, Tony Visconti and John Cambridge. They had been known as Harry The Butcher for one gig.
28th February 1976 Paul Simon’s ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’ was named Album Of The Year at the 18th annual Grammy Awards. In his acceptance speech, Simon told the audience “I’d like to thank Stevie Wonder for not releasing an album this year.” That was becaues Wonder had won the award two years in a row with ‘Innervisions’ (1974) and ‘Fulfillingness’ First Finale’ (1975). Stevie Wonder triumphed again the following year (1977) when ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’ won the best album Grammy. Paul Simon had previously won the same award in 1971 with the Simon and Garfunkel classic ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’
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Peaceful Protest is a rather ace punk band from Poland. Their single “Come On” arrived into the world at the end of last year and I finally heard it today. There is a lot of pop-punk influence and some neat metal-ish riffs. This song makes you move and even if you tried not to sing along to the chorus you would fail! An almost perfect punky song with great pop stylings. How did I hear it? Well, they posted a link to their page on FaceBook with the smart and witty comment, “Punk band from Poland. If you like our page we promise not to emigrate to England looking for work.” Guys even if you don’t want to emigrate here at least come over and play some gigs!
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Sunday nights are usually fun at the Fulford Arms and the visit of Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra on 25th February maintained that magic. This was another excellent show put together by Joe Coates of Please Please You. There was only one support act and it was the ever-wonderful Dan Lucas a.k.a. the Barry White of Country (that title comes courtesy of Ginger Wildheart!). Tonight Mr Lucas was performing using his esteemed title Boss Caine, this time as the Boss Caine Trio. The mighty York troubadour was aided and abetted by Kieran on violin and Jon on harmonica. It was a wonderful set with songs that touch on every emotion on the emotional spectrum and feed your soul as well. There were plenty of highlights, but my particular highs were “Ghosts And Drunks”, “Slave To the Song” and one of my favourite Boss Caine tunes, “Lonesome Crow”. But above all of those is the sublime and heavenly “Truck Stop Jukebox”
Next, it was time for the headliners Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra. How the hell have I never seen this lot before? Rob and the boys are a party band for the times when you don’t even know that you need a party. This is proper honky tonk, country, bluegrass, blues, and very early rock ‘n’ roll styles. There are plenty of excellent originals from this band, but the choice of covers perfectly fits them and the current times. Notably “Bank Failures” a song from 1931 (the year that my Dad was born) and recorded at the time by the delightfully named Bob Ferguson and his Scalawaggers. Rob Heron and his band are obscenely talented. If any period drama from the late 1940s or early 1950s in the USA needed an authentic sounding band for their production they should look no further than Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra. I bloody love “Hangover Blues” and that is something that Mr Heron might have suffered the following day after the on-stage tequila consumption. My high spot of the night was “The Horse That You Rode In On”. If you get the chance, go and see this band, you will not be disappointed and you will leave the gig with a smile. The band is recording a new album soon with Jerry Casino in an analog studio in Berlin. You can help to make that happen by contributing to their crowd funder, click here to add some cash!
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Jimmy Page released his first solo single, “She Just Satisfies,” on February 26th 1965 in the UK. He played everything but drums on it and sang lead vocal, Page also produced the tune. This was just before he joined the Yardbirds
On 26th February 1979 in the midst of the long running court case between the Sex Pistols and their manager Malcolm McLaren, (a.k.a Talcy Malcy) it was revealed that only £30,000 was left of the £800,000 the band had earned. That was the real great rock ‘n’ roll swindle.
Sandie Shaw, iconic British songstress who had more than fifteen UK top 40 singles was born on February 26th 1947. Those included three number ones; “(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me”(1964), “Long Live Love” (1965) and Eurovision Song Contest winner “Puppet On A String” (1967). She was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest. Happy Birthday Sandie!
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Tanya Nolan is a new artist to me, but what a talent! Her new single, “Honey”, is a laid-back, suggestive, soft-funk masterpiece. It is sensual and sexual in a way that old school tracks like the Isley Brothers’ “Between The Sheets”, the Ohio Player’s “Honey” (same title, different song), and Millie Jackson’s slower tracks were. It suggestively uses food a little like Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit” did. Tanya’s vocals are full of sexual energy and that is even more apparent in the gorgeous and sultry video. Lyrically it is sometimes subtly suggestive and other times full-on with seductive prose. She mentions watermelon sugar high, and thanks to Harry Styles’ hit of that name, I think we all know that refers to the female orgasm, right? The line “I Want A Love That’s Sweeter Than Sugar! Let Me Be Your Candy Girl” is the one that reminds me most of Mtume. Tanya has made the Billboard charts in the US a few times now and “Honey” ought to do the same. If it doesn’t, then frankly there is no justice in this world.
She is from Texas and as a child she really loved music, particularly Prince, Michael Jackson, and many others. Tanya has been featured in various media outlets including SiriusXM, Pandora, Platinum Top 20 Countdown with BJ Stone, FOX Affiliates, NBC Affiliates, ABC News, iOneDigital, Madamenoire, and many more. Now she has been featured on With Just A Hint Of Mayhem too (move over Fox, ABC, NBC, and others)! Tanya resides in Galveston and is the brilliant mind behind a diverse portfolio of successful businesses in Galveston and Houston. She owns the largest childcare facility in the state of Texas, Aww Better Child Care. She also owns and oversees multiple rental properties and employs over 200 employees and contractors. She is also the owner of ArtsessionZ, one of the first female-owned record labels. Now with her music gaining well-deserved attention, I believe the world may definitely be her oyster!
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This was the third Basement Sessions event put on by Navigators Art and Performance and the first that I was able to get to. Thanks to flooding and all sorts of acts of god it has moved around a bit and original headliners PERCY were unable to play, but they were represented (more of that later). It was a mix of music, poetry, and comedy which meant the thrilling prospect of six different acts. Up first was young comedian Will Glitch. He seemed very nervous but at times in his short set, he was splendiferously funny. The first music of the night was from the duo the Jammingtons Experience. They are very much “anti-rock stars” and all the better because of that. I saw them as a folk version of John Cooper Clarke with some fabulously sharp lyrics and ironic delivery. “Lost It” reminded me of the Moldy Peaches but with a much more British slant. The highlight for me was “Psychic Fight”. I spoke with the bass player later in the evening and he said that no one had written about him before, I am honoured to break that duck! Next, it was the turn of Mexican-born and UK-based poet Danae. I loved the angry poem based on Ageus and the story of the slaying of the minotaur and relating that to relationships with her father. Her second poem, “Box Of Tea” was weird, wacky, wonderful, and witty.
The New Solar Drones were the next band on the intimate Basement Stage at City Screen. The first song was a bit like Godspeed You! Black Emperor backing a 1969 period David Bowie. “This Hollywood Love” sounded at times as if Brian Molko had been hit with a music epiphany while listening to Neil Diamond. Is there another band like the New Solar Drones? perhaps not! Andy Wiles from PERCY (I told you they would get another mention) did a great job guesting on bass for the night. The instrumentation on the final song was Abbey Road album Beatlesque. Sadly there were no actual drones, maybe because they are solar-powered and it was dark, or perhaps the ceiling was too low. But this was a fantastic set even without those small remote-controlled flying robot things! Will Glitch made his second appearance of the evening and seemed just as nervous but definitely funnier in a very alt.comedy kind of way.
Jazz often gets a bad name and can be the butt of many music-related jokes, but acts like the Neo Borgia Trio smash that myth into tiny pieces. This was jazz beamed in from another dimension. They opened with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “The Immigrant Song”. Fucking hell that was good, such a huge sound with just drums, guitar, and saxophone. They are self-confessed jazz punk in style but in their cover of MF Doom’s “Raid” they told us they added hip hop into that mix and they did it perfectly. But this is not just about breaking down barriers around jazz. The three of them are also highly skilled in applying their talents to classic jazz. The cover of Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” was phenomenal and the drum solo gave it something extra special, turning it from a plain old caravan into a Winnebago from space! The Neo Borgia Trio are three musicians who are absolutely on fire. They closed their set with a monumentally magnificent cover of a Rage Against The Machine track. Poet Danae returned for her second appearance afterwards and “The Poem About The Tree” was incredibly powerful. I think that she said it was based on some of Dostoyevsky’s work.
The night closed with Fat Spatula, a band I had seen and loved before. They opened like punkier, feedback-fuelled Talking Heads and followed that with a sound akin to Vampire Weekend on Lemmy Kilminster levels of speed. “Jesus In My Bed” now that really is a fucking awesome song. Sometimes they sound like the 21st-century bastard sons of Jonathan Richman. Fat Spatula combines a really funky sound, perhaps aided by a five-string bass, with classic punk riffs and delivery. Their music is difficult to stay still too, but this was a seated gig so while dancing was difficult there was plenty of head bobbing, foot tapping, and chair movement going on. “Lot Lizard” is pure full-octane punk….. and some! Fat Spatula are beyond doubt one of the best live bands on the scene right now. Bring on Basement Sessions #4 please!
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