Month: April 2025

Eleven months from the release of their debut album, The Cure put out a follow up in the form of ‘Seventeen Seconds’. This album would be very different in tone from ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ and there was also be a new line up . Gone was bass player Michael Dempsey as he had not liked the direction in which band leader and main songwriter, Robert Smith was taking with the material he was writing. Smith wanted the sound of the band to become more minimal. Dempsey liked more ornate bass lines and these did not fit in with Smith’s vision. After hearing the demos for the next album, Dempsey left the band. His place was taken by two members of the Magazine Spies. These were Mattheiu Hartley on keyboards and Simon Gallup on bass. 

This line up would last less than a year and ‘Seventeen Seconds’ is the only artefact from this period in the bands history. I must say that this is my favourite Cure album. It included ‘A Forest’, their first single to break into the UK singles charts top 40. It still sounds great to me to this day.  This is also the second Cure album where I have tried to expand upon what had already been released when this album was given the Deluxe Edition treatment back in 2005.   

Following the template I set last year with ‘Three Imaginary Boys’, Disc 1 includes the original album as well as the A and B-Sides to the singles released during this time. This includes the Cult Hero side project which was recorded ahead of the ‘Seventeen Seconds’ album as a way of seeing about the musical compatibility of Gallup and Hartley. There is also a Peel Session from 1980 as well as some alternative studio mixes and home demos. 

Disc 1

1. A Reflection – Seventeen Seconds Album
2. Play For Today – Seventeen Seconds Album
3. Secrets – Seventeen Seconds Album
4. In Your House – Seventeen Seconds Album
5. Three – Seventeen Seconds Album
6. The Final Sound – Seventeen Seconds Album
7. A Forest – Seventeen Seconds Album
8. M – Seventeen Seconds Album
9. At Night – Seventeen Seconds Album
10. Seventeen Seconds – Seventeen Seconds Album
11. A Forest (7’ Single Mix) – Single A-side
12. Another Journey By Train – Single B-side (A Forest)
13. I’m A Cult Hero – Single A-side (Cult Heroes Single)
14. I Dig You – Single B-side (Cult Heroes Single)
15. A Forest – Peel Session 03/03/1980
16. Seventeen Seconds – Peel Session 03/03/1980
17. Play For Today – Peel Session 03/03/1980
18. M – Peel Session 03/03/1980
19. Secrets – Home Demo
20. Another Journey By Train – Home Demo
21. Three – Alternative Studio Mix
22. Another Journey By Train (AKA 44F) – Instrumental Home Demo     

Disc 2 is a completely live affair. There seem to be a dearth of studio material at this point in the bands history. This might be down to the fact that ‘Seventeen Seconds’ was recorded on a minimal budget and there might not have been the time or the material for additional recordings. I have tried to mix this as though it was one gig even though the material comes from three. The Cult Heroes were seen as the warm up act, but did include members of The Cure backing up Horley postman, Frank Bell. The remainder of the material is mostly taken from a show that ended up being bootlegged as the ’Fading Roots’ LP. Two live tracks have also been taken for the 2006 ‘Seventeen Seconds’ Deluxe Edition. 

Disc 2

1. I Dig You (Cult Heroes) – Live London ??/03/1980
2. I’m A Cult Hero (Cult Heroes) – Live London ??/03/1980
3. Seventeen Seconds – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
4. The Final Sound – Live Paris ??/06/1980
5. A Reflection – Live Paris ??/06/1980
6. Play For Today – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
7. Three Imaginary Boys – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
8. Fire In Cairo – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
9. In Your House – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
10. 10:15 Saturday Night – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
11. At Night – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
12. M – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
13. Accuracy – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
14. Boys Don’t Cry – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
15. Plastic Passion – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
16. Jumping Somebody Else’s Train – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
17. Another Journey By Train – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
18. Grinding Halt – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
19. A Forest – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
20. Three – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
21. Killing An Arab – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
22. A Forest – Standing On A Beach Version

Disc 2 is full of live songs except for the last song which is an unique version of ‘A Forest’ which was released on the single compilation, ‘Standing On A Beach’.

The front cover is the same as the one used on the 2005 Deluxe Edition reissue of the album. 

Back in 2013, Columbia Records released a Box Set called ‘Bob Dylan: The Complete Album Collection Vol.1’. The box contained thirty five studio albums and six live LP’s. it also contained a unique collection of songs called ‘Side Tracks’ which contained previous released material that was not included on any of the standard studio or live records. With a total playing time pushing 35 hours, you would think that it would be the final word in completeness and I was actually amazed that it contained the 1973 outtakes LP, ‘Dylan’ which has pretty much been ignored since it slipped out. 

As is the way of these things, it was not complete. Not only did it not contain any of the albums in their mono mixes as these had actually seen the light of day three years earlier. Even though that mono compilation only contained the albums and none of the stand alone singles Dylan released during that period, the 2013 box also did not include some songs that had slipped out as singles A or B sides, on soundtracks albums etc. 

Even though some of these songs have made it out of the archive since then, some of them are still waiting for a re-release. For this years Record Store fantasy release, I have compiled a set of those missing songs from the 2013 Box Set onto one LP. I wanted to keep these songs in the order in which they were released, but that would have meant not only that one side was four minutes longer than the other, but if this had been released, that longer side would have been pushing 28 minutes which would not have made for a good listening experience. 

I also like to throw in a bonus single with my fantasy Record Store Day releases, but with this one, I had enough material for an E.P. This was because even though the scope of the Box Set only goes up to 2013, the artwork I have chosen for this compilation goes up to 2020, so I wanted to see if there were any single releases in those seven years that would be appropriate and there was. There is a live recording released in 2013. It was recorded when Dylan played live at The Gaslight Cafe in 1962, but strangely was not released when that gig finally received an official release. There is also a cover of The Beatles ‘Things We Said Today’ which comes from ‘The Art of McCartney’ tribute album. That was released as a download single as well. To finish off are two remixes of ‘Masters Of War’ were released in 2019 as a download so it would be good to have these on a physical release. 

Side A

1. Corrina, Corrina (1962 Mono Single B-Side)
2. Just Like Tom Thumb Blues (1966 Live Single B-Side)
3. Spanish Is  Allowing Tongue (1970 Single B-Side)
4. George Jackson (1971 Big Band Version Single A-Side)
5. Rita Mae (1976 Single B-Side)
6. Angel Flying Close To The Ground (1983 Single B-Side)

Side B

1. If You Gotta Go, Go Now (1967 Single A-Side)
2. Trouble in Mind (1979 Single B-Side)
3. Let It Be Me (1981 Single B-Side)
4. Band Of The Hand (1986 Single A-Side)
5. Shelter From The Storm (1996 Jerry Maguire OST)
6. Most Likely You Go Your Way & I’ll Go Mine (2007 Mark Ronson Remix On Line Single)

Bonus E.P.

Side A

1. Motherless Children (1962 Live Download Only)
2. Things We Said Today (2017 Download Single)

Side B

1. Masters Of War (2019 Download Single The Avener Rework)
2. Masters Of War (2019 Download Single SherGun Remix)

The cover was adapted from user Kıvılcım Er on the www.behance.net website.

The Umbrella Academy TV series is based upon a comic books detailing the lives of a functional family of superheroes. The background to this is that in the mid 20th Century, forty three babies are born to mothers who shows no signs of pregnancy just before the births. Seven of these children are adopted by the mysterious entrepreneur, Sir Reginald Hargreeves who moulds them into a superhero team known as the Umbrella Academy. The comics books were developed into a TV series by Netflix and ran for four series between 2019 and 2024.

I really enjoyed the music choices from each series, and I thought it would be interesting to curate a vinyl box set of tracks from each series. Each is a double album except the set for Season 2, as there was enough songs in there for a triple. Each comes with series specific artwork and as this is a vinyl set, if it were to ever see the light of day, it would no doubt retail for a stupid amount of money. 

Side 1

1. Istanbul (not Constantinople) – They Might Be Giants 
2. Barracuda – Heart
3. Memory Bound – Don McGinnis
4. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
5. Sinner Man – Nina Simone

Side 2

1. Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows – Lesley Gore
2. Picture Book – The Kinks
3. Saturday Night – Bay City Rollers
4. I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany
5. (Feels Like) Heaven – Fiction Factory
6. Mary – Big Thief
7. The Walker – Fitz & The Tantrums

Side 3

1. Blood Like Lemonade (Radio Edit) – Morcheeba
2. Lost Women – The Yardbirds
3. They Call Me A Fool – Damon
4. Soul Kitchen – The Doors
5. Never Tear Us Apart – Paloma Faith
6. This Year’s Love – David Gray
7. Good Too Shoes – Adam Ant

Side 4

1. We’re Through – The Hollies
2. I’ll Make it Easy – The Incredibles
3. Shingling – Tom Swoon
4. In the Heat Of The Moment – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
5. Exit Music (For A Film) – Radiohead
6. Mad About You – Hooverphonic
7. All Die Young – Smith Westerns

Side 1

1. Bad Guy – The Interrupters
2. In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company -The Dead South
3. You Only Want Me When You’re Lonely – Jim Boyd
4. Who’s That Knocking – A Look At Yesterday
5. Love Is Blue – Marty Robbins
6. Comin’ Home Baby – Mel Torme
7. Beyond The Sea – Bobby Darin
8. Be Thankful You’re You – Fern Jones

Side 2

1. Sunny – Boney M
2. Twistin’ The Night Away – Sam Cooke
3. Hold On, I’m Comin’ – Sam & Dave
4. Unwind Yourself – Marva Whitney
5. Wicked Game (Radio Edit) – Parra For Cuba (feat. Anna Naklab)
6. Crazy – Daniela Andrade
7. MIrage – Chilo Escobedo

Side 3

1. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (The Magic Song) – Perry Como
2. I Was Made For Lovin’ You – KISS
3. Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol
4. Golden Brown – The Stranglers
5. I Wonder What The Future Holds – Glen Snow
6. Right Back Where We Started From – Maxine Nightingale

Side 4

1. Rocket Fuel – DJ Shadow (feat. De La Soul)
2. Won’t Be Long – Aretha Franklin
3. Polk Salad Annie – Tony Joe White
4. Higher – Reem
5. I’ll Never Do You Wrong – Joe Tex
6. Here Comes The End – Gerard Way (feat. Judith Hill)

Side 5

1. I’m A Man – The Spencer Davis Group
2. He Can’t Love You – 4 Holidays
3. Everyday (Backstreet’s Back) (Extended Version) – Backstreet Boys
4. Sisters Of Pearl – Baio
5. Pepper – Butthole Surfers

Side 6

1. No More – Tara George 
2. Gone Off That Brown – Peleboy
3. Renegade – Styx
4. The Order Of Death – Public Image Limited
5. My Way – Frank Sinatra

Side 1

1. The Oogum Boogum Song – Brenton Wood
2. Another One Bites The Dust – Queen
3. My Silver Lining – First Aid Kit
4. Friday I’m In Love – The Cure
5. The Passenger – Iggy Pop
6. Sometimes – Gerry Cinnamon
7. We’ll Get Through – The Slugs

Side 2

1. Do You Believe In Magic – The Lovin’ Spoonful
2. Quando Quando Quando – Engelbert Humperdinck
3. Bruttosozialprodukt – Geier Sturzflug
4. Into My Soul – Gabin & Dee Dee Bridgewater
5. BItter Taste – Billy Idol
6. (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
7. Lets Go On A Hayride – The McSharry Sisters

Side 3

1. Short Change Hero – The Heavy
2. No More Heroes – The Stranglers
3. Let’s Be Badder – Lucern Raze (Feat. Cherry Pickles)
4. It’s A Cryn’ Shame – Gentlemen
5. Ride Wit Me – Nelly (& City Spud)
6. Come In, Mr Lonely – Jerry Dyke
7. It’s A Crying’ Shame – The Upsouth Twisters

Side 4

1. Footloose – Kenny Loggins
2. Teenage Dream – The Rescues
3. What Makes You A Man – The Ninth Wave
4. Lady In Red – Chris de Burgh
5. Higher In Love – Lilly & Steve Winwood
6. House Of The Rising Sun – Jeremy Renner
7. I Gotta Cry – Sonny Golden Boy Williamson

Side 1

1. Boom Swagger Boom – The Murder City Devils
2. Facing You – Ernie Powell
3. Ain’t That A Shame – Fats Domino
4. Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong
5. The Bad Touch – Bloodhound Gang
6. End Of The Line (from ‘The Blob’) – Ralph Carmichael

Side 2

1. Jump Into The Fire (Single Version) – Harry Nilsson
2. Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves – Cher
3. Map Of The Problematic – Muse
4. This Must be The Place (Maine Melody) – Talking Heads

Side 3

1. Powered Up – Cobra Man
2. Ahead By A Century – The Tragically Hip
3. Secret Agent Man (Live At The Whiskey A Go-Go, 1966) – Johnny Rivers
4. Dead To The World – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
5. I Think We’re Alone Now – Tommy James & the Shondells

Side 4

1. Witch Stomp – Guantanamo Baywatch
2. Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
3. Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
4. Winter Wonderland – Lost Cat
5. Shchedryk (Carol Of The Bells) – Bel Canto Choir Vilnius
6. Baby Shark – Pinking

Paul McCartney has written with many people down the years. John Lennon, Linda McCartney, Michael Jackson, Eric Stewart, Ryan Tedder but it is his work with Elvis Costello that I am focusing on today. Working with Costello might seem an odd mix, but as has been shown, McCartney does like to bounce ideas off of other people. After 1986 and the disappointing sales (for him) of the ‘Press To Play’ album, he felt like he needed to get his act together for his next LP. He spent a considerable amount of time getting the songs into shape and to help him in doing so, he spent some of it writing with Elvis Costello. 

From those writing sessions, fifteen songs were written. The collaboration may well have reinvigorated McCartney, but there were rumours that it was not harmonious. McCartney is said to not have been impressed with Costello’s attitude and work rate. Whatever the reason, it didn’t last with the songs divided up between the two men being released over the next six years on five different albums. However, what if these two had decided to record together and release the material as one album? Well, this could have been the result and there was even enough material to have some B-Sides.

Side A

1. My Brave Face – Flowers In The Dirt
2. Pads, Paws & Claws – Spike
3. The Lovers That Never Were – Off The Ground
4. You Want Her Too – Flowers In The Dirt
5. Don’t Be Careless Love – Flowers In The Dirt
6. So Like Candy – Mighty Like A Rose

Side B

1. Shallow Grave – All This Useless Beauty
2. Mistress & Maid – Off The Ground
3. Veronica – Spike
4. Playboy To A Man – Mighty Like A Rose
5. That Day Is Done – Flowers In The Dirt
6. Back On My Feet – Flowers In The Dirt

B-Sides

1. Tommy’s Coming Home – Flowers In The Dirt
2. Twenty Fine Fingers – Flowers In The Dirt
3. I Don’t Want To Confess – Flowers In The Dirt

Why didn’t this album happen? Well, it could have been down to the tense atmosphere between the two men. Writing and recording demos is different to spending the time putting together an album. Was it because they were on different labels at the time and no agreement could be reached, or was it that the collaboration was never to be anything more than what it turned out to be? They did guest on each others records though. 

All of the songs that are on this ‘what-if’ LP were fully realised but the songs that I have thought would have been used for B-Sides did not get past the demo stage. Would they have recorded these properly if the album had actually been made? We will never know. 

A few years back, the deluxe edition of McCartney’s ‘Flowers In The Dirt’ album was released and it contained all of the songs he and Costello had written together in demo form. However, for this release, I went with the songs as they were released on the original albums. As for the cover, there aren’t too many pictures of the two men together from that period. I also decided that Costello would have used his real name for this project. Having the two surnames as the name of the album has a certain ring to it. Being as this could have come out in 1989, I have gone for a minimalist sleeve. This was the era when CDs were becoming more popular and artistic sleeves with lots going on in them were going out of fashion.