Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Peel Sessions 56
When you're my age after the party is the pay back, as far as I am concerned a little bit of sleep should put things to rights, though unfortunately where I work they appear to think I am some kind of superman as no one did much of my work while was away and so I have a whole week to catch up with, thanks guys! I shall report back with my thoughts concerning Primavera sound 2007 in a few days.
I guess many of you have often wondered what today's rich and famous were up to before they slipped into super tax bracket, well in the days before Pop Idol when reality TV meant the news or documentaries, those that wanted to climb the ladder of musical fame served a sort of apprenticeship that is otherwise known as paying ones dues. What in effect this meant was years of trailing the length and breadth of the land in the back of a battered transit van, playing what is affectionately known as the toilet circuit and if you were really lucky maybe playing support slots where you lost money and all of this was done while surviving on next to nothing and eating whatever was offered to you. This is what people mean when they talk about the good old days! As is our custom the first out of the hatch each week is from a Peel Session and this time from a band that was to feature a carrot topped vocalist that would go onto world domination - Mick Hucknal - yes before he started bombarding our ears with his syrupy soul make overs he used to front a post punk band. The Frantic Elevators were one of many bands that were to be launched upon the world in the wake of the punk earthquake that was to shake the almost Victorian Manchester of the late '70's firmly into the 20th century. They played a rough edged interpretation of rhythm and blues that was quirky enough to win them friends on the developing post punk scene. Between 1979 and 1982 they released 4 singles on as many different labels, that have long been in the realms of collectors shops. The band were invited down to London twice in 1981, February and September, 'Hunchback Of Notre Dame' is taken from the first session. Should you be interested in listening to more from the band there was a six track compilation that has been released several different times, different name, different sleeve, same track list, that is currently easily available from Amazon Market Place for less than £2.00. By 1983 Mick Hucknal had decided that enough dues had been paid and so quit the band and played under the banner of different Red names before hitting gold with Simply Red, yes it was just like in the fairy story, fame and fortune were just around the corner and in 1985 they scored that all important first US hit with their rather good cover of the Valentine Brothers 'Money's Too Tight To Mention'. Peelie was not to invite Mick Hucknal's new project to record a session!
I guess many of you have often wondered what today's rich and famous were up to before they slipped into super tax bracket, well in the days before Pop Idol when reality TV meant the news or documentaries, those that wanted to climb the ladder of musical fame served a sort of apprenticeship that is otherwise known as paying ones dues. What in effect this meant was years of trailing the length and breadth of the land in the back of a battered transit van, playing what is affectionately known as the toilet circuit and if you were really lucky maybe playing support slots where you lost money and all of this was done while surviving on next to nothing and eating whatever was offered to you. This is what people mean when they talk about the good old days! As is our custom the first out of the hatch each week is from a Peel Session and this time from a band that was to feature a carrot topped vocalist that would go onto world domination - Mick Hucknal - yes before he started bombarding our ears with his syrupy soul make overs he used to front a post punk band. The Frantic Elevators were one of many bands that were to be launched upon the world in the wake of the punk earthquake that was to shake the almost Victorian Manchester of the late '70's firmly into the 20th century. They played a rough edged interpretation of rhythm and blues that was quirky enough to win them friends on the developing post punk scene. Between 1979 and 1982 they released 4 singles on as many different labels, that have long been in the realms of collectors shops. The band were invited down to London twice in 1981, February and September, 'Hunchback Of Notre Dame' is taken from the first session. Should you be interested in listening to more from the band there was a six track compilation that has been released several different times, different name, different sleeve, same track list, that is currently easily available from Amazon Market Place for less than £2.00. By 1983 Mick Hucknal had decided that enough dues had been paid and so quit the band and played under the banner of different Red names before hitting gold with Simply Red, yes it was just like in the fairy story, fame and fortune were just around the corner and in 1985 they scored that all important first US hit with their rather good cover of the Valentine Brothers 'Money's Too Tight To Mention'. Peelie was not to invite Mick Hucknal's new project to record a session!
# posted by abramson @ 5:22 PM 
