With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

National Album Day 2024 October 19, 2024

Filed under: News,Observation — justwilliam1959 @ 12:08 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I must confess that National Album Day, which has been running for 7 years, has kind of passed me by. I am much more keen on Record Store Day. It feels like just a chance for the major labels to reissue loads of back catalogue under the guise of a special day. Yes, I know there is an element of that on Record Store Day. But RSD is targetted at independent record stores, not the likes of HMV. On top of that releases are generally quite limited which makes the whole day more interesting in my opinion. It seems that not too many independent labels are involved in National Album Day compared to RSD. The theme of the day today, 19th October is British Groups.

Back in 2019, I celebrated the tenth anniversary of With Just A Hint Of Mayhem, and part of that celebration was a list of my top ten favourite albums. I have extended that to a top 25 and ignored the British Groups theme (although my list does include 8 British Groups). These are simply my favourite albums of all time! What are yours?

1 Live At The Lyceum 1975 – Bob Marley and the Wailers – If I had a time machine I would go back to 1975 and be there for this gig. Probably the finest live album ever.
2 Diamond Dogs – David Bowie – My favourite Bowie album changes depending on my mood, but more often than not it is the dystopian tale of Halloween Jack and Hunger City
3 Dog Man Star – Suede – I loved Suede’s first album but this took them to a whole new level. Were they Britpop? If so then they were one of the best Britpop acts by far.
4 The Kick Inside – Kate Bush – Choosing the best Catherine Bush album is very difficult, but I go back to this one regularly.
5 OK Computer – Radiohead – There are still some people out there who don’t like, or maybe don’t get, Radiohead. Why the fuck not? This LP is a work of genius.
6 What’s Going On? – Marvin Gaye – Probably the best protest and message album in history and one which is sadly still very pertinent today
7 Delilah Bon – Delilah Bon – possibly the finest debut album of the century so far
8 The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill – is a great modern R&B record which makes Beyonce look like an amateur
9 The White Room – KLF – dance, trance, chill, weirdness. This has everything. But they should have paid PP Arnold!
10 24 Carat Diamond Trephine – Avalanche Party – Without a doubt, the greatest living UK band right now
11 Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy – Elton John – In my opinion this autobiographical masterpiece is easily the greatest album Reg Dwight ever made
12 Skeleton Tree – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – How can anyone put so much emotion, empathy and sadness in a small collection of songs? I have no idea but Nick Cave certainly achieved it with this album.
13 Abbey Road – Beatles – I love many albums from the Fab Four, but this is the one I always come back to.
14 Never Mind The Bollocks – Sex Pistols – An incendiary début from one of the best punk bands ever. What might have happened if they had stayed together? Who knows but an album like this as your legacy is a great thing!
15 Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too – New Radicals – There is not a track I would skip on this album. The band is effectively the genius that is Gregg Alexander who wrote and produced all the songs.
16 Back To Black – Amy Winehouse – stunning voice, sensational performance, what a sad loss to the world
17 Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morrisette – A wonderful album with not a duff track in sight. She never surpassed this, but how can you beat perfect?
18 Ramones – Ramones – The high point and possibly the birth of punk, certainly in the USA
19 Songs In The Key Of Life – Stevie Wonder – So good I can forgive him for that bloody awful “I Just Called To Say I Love You”
20 Quadrohphenia – The Who – An absolute opus which I believe knocks the pants off Tommy
21 London Calling – The Clash – The album that showed they were not just a punk band
22 Sign O’ The Times – Prince – Forget Purple Rain. This was Prince’s Mona Lisa
23 The Lexicon Of Love – ABC – I often feel that music was really overproduced in the 80s. But this is sublime
24 Grace – Jeff Buckley – another great talent we lost too young. This is a monumental magnum opus
25 My Merry Go Round – Johnny Nash – This man, for me, has the most beautiful voice that I have ever heard in my life. This album from 1973 has remained among my favourite albums since its release.

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.

 

ABC – Barbican, York – Saturday 27th January 2024 February 4, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:12 pm
Tags: , , , ,

The last time I saw ABC was at the now iconic Hammersmith Odeon show in November 1982. Now more than 40 years later I will be at an ABC gig again. Once again, it will be with a full orchestra, the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Anne Dudley. I believe that the ‘Lexicon Of Love’ is synonymous with orchestral pop music and the album is the finest example of its kind. Trevor Horn’s production on the original album was exemplerary and Anne Dudley’s orchestration was sublime. That is why I was so pleased to see that it was her conducting the Southbank Sinfonia Orchestra on this tour. I know that Martin Fry is the only remaining member of the original line up still performing as ABC, but to be fair he was always and still is the face of the band. While this show was mostly about a full run through of ‘The Lexicon Of Love’ there was always going to be more songs from the ABC song book, and that is what the first set was all about. We were treated to some absolute classics including “When Smokey Sings”, “The Night You Murdered Love”, “Be Near Me”, “One Better World” (Fry’s take on house music), “How To Be a Millionaire” and a particular favourite of mine, “Ocean Blue”. There were also some fab tracks from ‘Lexicon Of Love 2’, I thought “Viva Love” was a great performance.

Part two began with the Lexicon Of Love Overture (as did the first set) before belting into album opener “Show Me”. The crowd were on their feet for “Poison Arrow” and were in mighty fine vocal form, although to be fair Martin Fry put in a stunning vocal performance. The biggest hits, “Tears Are Not Enough” and the iconic “The Look Of Love” mesmerised a Barbican full house. My favourite song from the album has always been “Date Stamp” and this was a heavenly performance of a great tune, especially the backing/ counter point vocal. After “All Of My Heart” we all wondered whether there would be an encore, there was and Martin asked if we would mind a second take on “The Look Of Love”, we were never going to refuse, were we? This goes down as one of the best performances from a long established band that I have ever seen. Everyone in the audience absolutely lapped it up, well apart from a bloke near us who came close to having a ruck and spent part of the first set effing and jeffing loudly. Also, while the programme looked good, I felt it was a bit overpriced at £20, but to be fair I didn’t need one. There are a few shows remaining on this tour, but sadly most are sold out. But if you have a ticket, then you’re in for a proper treat!

If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.

 

In The Night EP – Vuromantics October 5, 2017

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:13 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I have just been sent a stream for the new Vuromantics EP ‘In The Night’. I must say this is a really refreshing listen. The title track is the Average White Band married to some slow Italian House piano. “Questions” is incredibly soulful and strikes me at times as maybe how a British offshoot of Parliament/ Funkadelic might sound. Vuromantics have a wonderfully quirky and different sound that I defy you not to like. This band oozes talent, “The Wave” washes over you like a soft warm sea and would fit perfectly in a classic chill out compilation. After three listens “Not Over You” is probably my favourite, at least for now, classic break-up pop. Over the course of these five tracks it is clear that they are steeped in the electronic and pop traditions and history of their home city of Sheffield. If you like the Human League, Heaven 17, ABC and Pulp then you should find a tonic for your ears in the smooth and heartfelt sound of Vuromantics. The vocal refrain from final track, the truly majestic “Glory” is ‘I wish nothing but glory for you’ and frankly I wish nothing but glory for Vuromantics. Remember the names Sam Christie (vocals), Jake Christie (guitar, keyboard), Callum Hall (bass,synth), Ben Rooker (synth) and Sergio Ali (drums) because they are Vuromantics and I will be surprised and shocked if we don’t hear a lot more from them.

The EP is out on Alya Records on 20th October. Buy it, download it, stream it, just bloody well get it! They also have six UK dates coming up so check them out live. I definitely want to see them on stage. I hope to be at the Leeds show on November 2nd.

 

“One cool million for one cool caress” March 3, 2015

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 10:56 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

tchart

Regular readers will know that I am not a big fan of 80s music. But there are two Trevor Horn produced albums that stand out for me as rather excellent. Those albums are ‘Welcome To The Pleasure Dome’ from Frankie Goes To Hollywood and ‘The Lexicon Of Love‘ by ABC.

a9b1abd495e827f82fd4c09eaeba331d

 

Until now though I never knew that there had been collaboration between the two bands. Not in a big way, but the boys from Frankie sang backing vocals on ABC’s song “SOS”.

frankie_1753109b

 

“Looking for the girl that meets supply with demand” Blog Advent Calendar Day 1 2014 December 1, 2014

Filed under: Christmas — justwilliam1959 @ 1:30 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

ABC

Blimey where has the year gone? It seems like only yesterday that I was putting together last years Christmas posts for this blog. This years advent blog post theme is an A to Z of British bands. I should point out that they are not all bands that I like, but hopefully someone out there does. Anyway the first post on this first day of December relates to one of Sheffield’s finest, a band who in my opinion recorded one of the best albums of the 1980s. I am referring, of course to ABC. Is there a better way to start a series like this? I think not!

Martin Fry basted and wrapped in Baco Foil ready for Christmas

Martin Fry basted and wrapped in Baco Foil ready for Christmas

ABC’s début album ‘The Lexicon Of Love‘ released in 1982 was also a major success for former Buggle Trevor Horn who produced it. The album topped the UK album charts, although sadly the band never topped the UK singles charts. They did reach the peak of the US Dance Chart on three occasions from 1982 to 1987 though. The band is now largely just singer Martin Fry and can be found on many 80’s nostalgia tours. Now it’s time for you to enjoy a few of my favourite ABC songs.

abc27

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGT-sDk5YS4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

 

“When your girl has left you out on the pavement” August 14, 2013

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 7:14 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

ABC Lexicon Of Love - London 1982

Regular readers of this blog will know that the 80s is my least favourite musical decade. however there were certainly some musical gems released in that dastardly period. Notably one of my favourite albums of all time; “Lexicon Of Love” from one of Sheffield’s finest bands, ABC in 1982. It was masterfully produced by Trevor Horn with stunning arrangements from Anne Dudley. For me this album really hasn’t aged at all.

tlolabc

Lead singer and now the only original member left wrote most of the songs from the experience of being dumped by his girlfriend. But there is an excellent piece of trivia relating to one of the wonderful singles spawned by the album, “The Look Of Love” that I only heard about recently. Just after the line ‘When your girl has left you out on the pavement’ you can hear a female voice in response singing ‘goodbye’. Apparently this word is performed by the girl who dumped Martin Fry. Apparently Trevor Horn felt that this was a good idea. I have done a little research to find out the name of this woman, but I have so far drawn a blank. So if you are her or you know who she is I would love to interview her about her part in music history!

abc

The single reached number 4 in the UK charts and number 18 in the Billboard charts in the US. It went further in Canada and France where it reached number one. It was also a big success in the US Dance Chart were it also hit the top spot. The ‘Lexicon Of Love’ album went to number one in the UK album chart and achieved the same in both New Zealand and Finland.

post-1-0-58082100-1312314586

 

“If you just put your hand in mine, we’re gonna lay all our troubles behind” February 10, 2012

Filed under: Observation,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 9:19 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Do you receive a regular selection of random e mails from various groups that you have subscribed to over the years? I get loads and often I can’t be bothered to look at them. But for some reason I took a  chance and opened one at random. It contained stacks of old pictures. Mostly of different stars together and not necessarily those that had worked together. Here are a few that I really liked and had never seen before. let me know what you think of them.

Bob Marley & the Wailers and the Jackson 5

George Harrison & Bob Marley

Mick Jagger & Jimi Hendrix

Mick Jagger & James Brown

No more words required just listen to some great music by some of those artists while you enjoy the pictures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSg1AxVoG1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kioul-p1nZ8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Z7LR8Z9_o

 

“I’m just about at the end of my rope, but I can’t stop trying, I can’t give up hope” December 15, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:02 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Smokey and the Miracles really tried their best to help out in the promotion of my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar

Have you been good? Will Santa bring you lots of goodies (I mean as in presents as opposed to Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie of course)? I hope you are getting excited anyway as we’re now on day 15 of my ABC of Motown Advent Calendar, yes folks it’s December 15th and it’s the letter O. the song is from one of my favourite Motown voices, Smokey Robinson. It comes from his days with the Miracles and it is “Ooo Baby Baby”

The song was written by Smokey and Pete Moore of the Miracles. The strings were arranged by Pete Moore. As is usual with almost all Motown hits it was the supremely talented Funk Brothers who provided the backing. “Ooo Baby Baby” reached number 16 in the US chart in 1965. A cover version of the song by Linda Ronstadt hit number 7 in the US in 1979. sadly it never charted in the UK. It has been covered by many other artists in addition to Ronstadt; including Todd Rundgren, Ella Fitzgerald and Shalamar who covered it as part of their “Uptown Festival” hit from 1977. That recording was actually a medley of classic Motown hits.

Smokey’s real name is William Robinson Jnr. His Uncle Claude gave him the nickname ‘Smokey Joe’ when Smokey was a boy. Smokey initially thought of it as his cowboy name, but as he got older his Uncle explained that as young Master Robinson was quite light-skinned it was a name to remind him of his roots. He dropped the Joe part of the nickname when he was a teenager. A couple of Smokey’s children also have interesting names too. There is a son called Berry, named after Motown President Berry Gordy. Smokey was Vice President of the label from 1961 until 1988. He also has a daughter called Tamla named after a label from the Motown portfolio. Those Motown fans from the UK will be very familiar with the amalgamated name the label took in Europe where it was known as Tamla Motown.

He also gets a mention in a couple of hit songs too. Firstly there is the sublime “Genius Of Love” from Talking Heads offshoot the Tom Tom Club in 1981. Most notably though he was the main man in ABC’s 1987 hit “When Smokey Sings”

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xghrir_the-miracles-ooh-baby-baby-hq_music

 

“Sit yourself down, take a seat all you gotta do is repeat after me” December 1, 2011

Filed under: Christmas,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 12:06 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Here we are at December already and this will be the third year of my musical Christmas Advent calendar. In 2009 it was cover versions and last year it was UK Christmas number ones. So what will it be this year? It will be an ABC of Motown songs and I bet you can’t guess what is under that little cardboard flap for December 1st.

Well obviously it has to be “ABC” by the Jackson 5 doesn’t it? This song was one of my favourite 45s in my then fledgling record collection in the early 70s. I’m pretty sure I bought it at the old Uxbridge market, probably in 1970 or 1971. I no longer have the vinyl but I do have it on various CDs and on my iPod too. I was a real fan of the Jackson 5 in those days and this led to me going to see them at the Wembley Empire Pool in November 1973. I had actually wanted to go and see David Bowie in May of that year but my Dad wouldn’t let me! He said that Bowie was a ‘bloody weirdo’. It’s strange how things worked out isn’t it? But my Dad and I did have a laugh about that during the long conversations that we shared in the year before he died. If there is anything after this existence I’m sure he is chuckling now.

“ABC” was the second in a run of four consecutive US number one singles starting in 1969 with “I Want You Back”. The third was “The Love You Save” and the run ended with “I’ll Be There” in 1970. “ABC” was written by ‘The Corporation’ which consisted of Motown head honcho Berry Gordy along with Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell and Deke Richards. This writing team wrote the first three of this quartet of songs. “ABC” only managed the number 8 spot in the UK.

Wilton Felder, a member of the Crusaders, played bass guitar on the track. Obviously it was a very young (just 11 years old) Michael Jackson who provided the lead vocal. The first airing of the song on US TV was on the American Bandstand show which coincidentally was on the ABC network. You can see that clip below. The song is one of the shortest titles ever to reach the top of the US charts.

The Jackson 5 on tour again sponsored by Jelly Babies

 

“Then one night some men of higher standing set a trap, they’re not to blame” December 31, 2010

Filed under: News — justwilliam1959 @ 8:44 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bobby Farrell RIP

Some interesting news and a strange coincidence for you on this last day of 2010. Amy Winehouse recently pocketed £1 million for a private gig in Moscow for a Russian tycoon, not bad for someone who hasn’t played a gig in ages. There were two other acts on the bill; Boney M and Ke$ha, quite a strange combination in my opinion. What do you think? A few days after that gig singer and dancer Bobby Farrell off of Boney M died in a St Petersburg hotel room after a gig in the city. It is understood that he had a history of heart trouble. The strange coincidence is that Bobby died in the same city as Rasputin and on exactly the same date. Now that is the strange coincidence given that one of Bobby’s big hits with Boney M was “Rasputin” Click here to read the story of Bobby’s death on the BBC. Regular readers will know that Boney M were never my favourite band, in fact they were a long way from it, but it is always sad when someone dies so young, so RIP Bobby. Here he is with Boney M and that very song (followed by songs from Amy and Ke$ha:

Amy looks for a safe place to hide her million quid

Meanwhile in the New Years honours list Annie Lennox wins an OBE while Trevor Horn godlike producer wins a CBE, congratulations to them both. Although I am unlikely ever to be offered a Royal honour I have made it very clear to my family and friends that I would turn it down, I cannot support an institution like the Royal Family. I find it strange that there are now a number of Knights of the Realm among the rock and pop aristocracy; Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John and Sir Mick Jagger. Keith Richards has made it clear that he would never accept such and honour and David Bowie has already turned down the offer of royal honours a couple of times in the past. Watch Annie with the Eurythmics below along with a couple of classic videos for Trevor Horn productions.

Due to government budget cuts OBE winners were now awarded a cuddly toy rather than a medal