Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 5th August 2022; more music this week than you could possibly shake a length of two-by-two at...let's get on with it....over to....

James -

"This week's picks..."

Philip -

"Howdy folks! I forgot to send a contribution last week until it was too late. Jac says it's a sign of age, and I must admit it seems strange to be the same age as old people.

No politics this week -too depressing- but what about that Women's Euros football tournament! I know that several of us are not football followers, but I just had to say that it was the most entertaining international tournament I've seen in many a year - perhaps since the 1982 World Cup. The games flowed, with fewer fouls and less of the assorted forms of cheating and time-wasting so common in the mens' game.

Meanwhile, I have been inspired this week by the great Count Arthur Strong, so here he is with John Shuttleworth, discussing getting the old band back together."

"Best wishes to all."

Alan -

"It's a 'not the sixties' week this week..."

Balloon by Catherine Wheel (12" single/EP released February 1992. Fontana label) - "A fine 12" single from a band who straddled the North/South divide; in other words, some of the band came from Norfolk whilst others came from 'over the border' in Suffolk. Perhaps best known due to the fact that the vocalist was cousin to Bruce Dickinson (from Iron Maiden apparently?), it's possible that this became a millstone around their necks which impinged on the chance of success in the UK. They released a slew of singles and EP's, plus five albums, during their five year time span and did become a popular live draw in the USA thanks to being regularly featured on MTV (remember that?). Peel had the group in session when they were still unsigned which led to early singles on the Norwich based Wilde Club label, which prefaced a minor bidding war between Creation, Brian Eno's Opal label and Fontana. Initially seen as part of the 'shoegaze' scene, the band's sound eventually became more 'metallic' (not 'metal'!!) and they were later cited as an influence on such bands as Death Cab for Cutie and Interpol. The band toured the US on several occasions and also recorded with Tanya Donnelly of Throwing Muses/Breeders fame before Fontana's internal problems saw the band fold in 2000. However, they have recently updated their social media site so it's possible there may be a reformation on the horizon. Those RPM'ers with a penchant for 90's rawk may well enjoy their albums, starting with 1993's sophomore release 'Crank'."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8G5De3pelQ

Everything's Gone Green by New Order (7/12" single released December 1981. Factory label) - "Other than the rerecording of their debut single ('Ceremony' with the blue/white sleeve), this is probably my favourite NO single. Initially released in the UK as the b-side to the 7" 'Procession' in September (with nine different coloured sleeves), the Belgium sister label Factory Benelux soon recognised it's merits and released this 12" extended remix with 'Cries and Whispers' and 'Mesh' on the flip. However, as usual with NO and Factory, nothing was as it seems and the two tracks were not in the order they were shown on the label, and this was even carried through to their re-release on the 'Substance' compilations. For around four to five years I had religiously collected every release, remix and bootleg I could lay my hands on, and even saw the band in concert three times in just 10 days (including a gig in Hull where I realised I had forgotten the tickets halfway down the M180 and had to return home and then hotfoot it down the 'road to nowhere' to catch the gig!!). However, when the band went into hiatus I lost interest and sold virtually everything I had to a young workmate who had recently become a fan. The NO collection now numbers three 12"ers and a seven inch but my Joy Division collection is still intact, including early releases of their two classic albums (on coloured vinyl which is only apparent when held over a light source), the scarce 7" flexi and an Italian vinyl version of the flexi enclosed in a full lyric book."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aaf-eqg8dvo

Show Some Love by Jaco (Rhythm Invention Remix) (12" single released November 1992. Warp label) - "Playing New Order saw me revisit some of my nineties dance mixes and here's one which, to my mind, seems to take the electronics of 'Everything's gone green' into the new decade. 'Jaco' were John Gilpin & Raz Shamshad from Huddersfield's Fourth Wave record shop (along with friends Tony Powell and Trevor Russell) who also recorded as Black Mojo, The Phorce and Solitaire Gee (no relation to my wife I believe!!). The top side's version of 'Show some love' is more 'soul' influenced but here the guys give the track a more radical electronic treatment and there's the bonus of a couple of other dub/remixes on the disc too. This was 'Jaco's' only release and is, apparently, still a floor filler in the more discerning clubs when it 'lands'."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtqnVHQH2UM

Tony -

"I have quite a few albums (hundreds) on cassette and I re-discovered a box of stuff that I bought for a song a while back and never found the time to go through when I bought them. My choices this week are tracks from a random selection that I've been listening to (or have been reminded of). I believe there's still a good market for this medium due to the large population of modern classic cars from an era when cassette players were fitted as standard and their owners are keen to find stuff that will play in them (as was the case for 8 tracks once upon a time). What fun we had back in the day using a pencil to rewind unravelled tapes🙂

Hope you are all enjoying the weather (unlike the grass)."

John -

"Hi RPMers, Hope you're all keeping safe and well. My three choices this week are all from acts I enjoyed at last weekend's Cambridge Folk Festival."

Dave -

"Hi my music loving friend’s, hope you are all keeping well . Here’s 3 tunes I have enjoyed this week..."

Piers -

"Even though I have been listening to a lot of great blues this week, my RPM choices are all bit folkie, as on Saturday evening Jayne and I went up to Cley to catch a show by Nick Hart. It was a tiny audience although there were just one or two empty seats… (I guess that that should read ‘it was an intimate venue.’) and the performance was in a room with a glass wall. It was warm. Balmy even! The bulk of his songs were from the eastern region, several from Norfolk and a couple collected from only miles away from where we sat. It was a proper treat to be sung to whilst watching the evening sky as Harriers and Lapwings carved passage through the humid air. During the interval as we sat outside with refreshments, looking out over the Cley marshes, I chatted to him, amongst other things, about the nuances, and socialist interpretation of one of my favourite songs, ‘Dives and Lazarus’ which he had just performed. At one point he made the statement that there were so many great local songs, just a shame that so many are all about …’kin toffs.

He was selling CDs of his work, and mentioned that many of his contemporaries have reverted to vinyl, but that he has gone one better.... He had Broadside Ballards Printed up and for sale with his merch. Something for RPM to consider...?

Anyway if you get a chance to see him, you really should. I love the vid that goes with the song too…""

Kevin -

"Here’s my 3 for the week..."

Jackie -

"Following a couple of conversations, thought I'd have these songs from artists who recently appeared at the Glastonbury and British Summer Time festivals..."

Jayne -

"With best wishes to the RPM collective, here are three that have caught my attention this week."

Nina -

"Hope you're all well. Quickly pinging these over from the Alexander stadium; all go at the Commonwealth games. 🙂

No particular reason or order, just 3 choices."

Tim -

"My three for thee..."

'Til Next Time...