Sly & The Family Stone - Runnin' Away...

Runnin' Away by Sly & The Family Stone has been stuck in my head since yesterday.  Such a lovely song, so smooth and relaxed (despite being about all sorts of agitation).  Perfect song for a day like today heralding the change of seasons (my favourite time of year is always when Winter slides into Spring and Summer slips into Autumn).  Featuring Rose Stone on lead vocals with her brother Sly.  From 1972's There's A Riot Going On.



Thanks to this man, I just found out there's a cover of it by The Raincoats as well.  Had no idea, as it's not on the version of Moving that I have.



Terry Hall's The Colourfield also did a version:



As well as Paul Haig:

The Go-Betweens - Right Here...

Sometimes, when you decide to investigate a band, you are somehow drawn directly to what you would like most of their work, like benevolent Pop spirits are guiding you to exactly what you need, because they know you should get into this group.  Such was the case when I decided it was high time for me to hear The Go-Betweens (great fan site here). For reasons I'm completely at a loss to recall, perhaps simply because I just liked the name the best, Talullah was the first record I bought of theirs.  And when I put it on and heard Right Here, I fell in love.  Gorgeous pop sound and melody, lyrics a little obtuse though still pleasing.   I quickly snatched up the rest of their records and read their excellent biography by David Nichols.




Early version:




Live on the ABC's Blah Blah Blah, 1988:




Live on the ABC's Rock Arena, 1986:




Talullah-era interview with Lindy Morrison and Amanda Brown (shortly after she became a full-time member).  The first time I've ever heard it confirmed that the double-L in their album titles is intentional.

Funkadelic - Good To Your Earhole...

Funkadelic's Good To Your Earhole from their 1975 album, Let's Take It To The Stage.  What a song, what a sentiment!  And it is indeed good to your earhole.  That chromatic run up underneath the excellent "Put your hands together, c'mon stomp your feet" is an awesome, celebratory eternal groove.  Amazing guitar work from Eddie Hazel and keyboardist Bernie Worrell is very much on form.

The Afghan Whigs - Summer's Kiss

Simon Price has done an excellent interview with Greg Dulli for The Quietus about the upcoming Afghan Whigs reunion gigs.  Great answers from Dulli too.  This is probably the only reunion I've ever heard about and was immediately excited.  I was lucky enough to see The Whigs twice when they were still going, including an amazing performance on Valentine's Day 1999 at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA.  Dulli on Valentine's Day, completely in his element.  Lots of people hold Gentlemen to be their masterpiece but for me it's always been Black Love, which I think is one of the best records ever made.   And Summer's Kiss one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, such passion in everything about it.  Original version here.

Great live version by Dulli in Philly on October 20, 2010:




From An Evening With Greg Dulli & Mark Lanegan, São Paolo, Brasil, 1/7/09:



And don't forget what an amazing covers band they were!

Puffy - Cake Is Love...

Was chatting to Tim at The Hangover Lounge this afternoon about pop from around the world and he mentioned Cake Is Love by Puffy.  A song title so good, so pop, I immediately searched it out when I got home.  Looks like there's a lot of info on their site, with lots to explore.

The Dolls - The Reason Why...

My friend Douglas posted this last night.  Lovely girl group song.  I can't find any info at all about The Dolls (except for this about their label) but I had come across them before on this comp with And That Reminds Me.

René Berg...

I've been obsessed with the René Berg song The Leather, The Loneliness, And Your Dark Eyes lately.  A brilliant pop song, filled with huge senses of melody and moment, in the style of 80s glam rock.  I came across René's stuff back in the winter of 2008, when I had just bought a ticket to (finally) see Hanoi Rocks at The Astoria (an excellent gig).  René was in Hanoi Rocks briefly towards their end in 1985, he played on the Rock & Roll Divorce live album.  I quickly fell in love with Head Over Heels (another great glam pop song) and the beautifully melancholic London Town, which it's such a shame was never properly recorded.  The Leather, The Loneliness, And Your Dark Eyes, his only solo record, you can hear on Spotify and is also available on iTunes.  Really good songs, I recommend it if you listened to glam metal in the 80's.  Rat Scabies and Paul Grey from The Damned play on it.  I managed to track down the a-side to his first band, Idle Flowers, 7", All I Want Is You; would love to hear more from his other projects.  Also just found out he had a keen interest in fishing!  Sadly, René passed away on July 28, 2003.






The Soho Vultures (René's band after Idle Flowers and after he was in Hanoi Rocks) apparently made a video for Head Over Heels but I can't find it anywhere.