Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Wraiths With The Devil

Here's something to put the frighteners on those pesky trick or treaters, and Halloween party hangers on.

The Rolling Stones - Too Much Blood

The Stones go death disco in this video nasty directed by Julien Temple.
Bleeding TVs, Keith looking like Captain Black and lurking like the Midnight Rambler, Easter Island Bill Wyman with a headless bass and Mick doing his voodoo dancing around the ruins. Yikes!!! Is there room for one more behind the settee?



Now why not pop over to channel mondo and check out the Trilogy Of Terror that's been showing on Channel M
Or enjoy some grave shaking grooves in a Mondo mini Mix

Frighty Night Is Music Night



Tracklist of Terror

R Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House
Fabienne Delsol - I'm Gonna Haunt You
Ella Fitzgerald - Knock On Wood
Corduroy - The Frighteners
The Ventures -Superstition
Edgar Winter Group - Frankenstein (edit)
Amanda Shankar - Jumpin' Jack Flash
The Rolling Stones - Too Much Blood

Also don't forget to check out the Halloween theme mini mix from last Friday - here

Saturday, October 27, 2007

The End Of The World From The Worlds End


London Weekend Show Interview - Filmed at Steve Jones Flat, 6 Denmark Street

Australian Radio Ad


Never Mind The Bollocks is 30 years old today.
It's an album that changed my life - you can read how here. I've added a few Sex Pistols stats and facts to the internet pile here. And have made the super rare NMTB demos only bootleg album Party Til You Puke available here( offline - apart from the 2 unreleased tracks) Rather than going over the Pistols story, I'm more interested in getting a snapshot of the time, and the perfect time traveling companion to take us back to that scene in seventies is Simone Stenfors.

Simone has impeccable punk credentials and a sizzling rock and roll CV. All the dates, details and info are on her websites
www.simonestenfors.com
Simones myspace

Simone is a dream to speak to and her conversation sparkles like a mirror ball with shiny stories and celebrity names - Sid Vicious, Joe Strummer, Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible, Johnny Thunders, Shane McGowan and that's just the punk period (she's got a treasure chest of Mod, Glam, Post Punk, 80' and contemporary tales too).

So how did you become involved with the Punk scene?
I was married to Chris Carter from Throbbing Gristle, and when we split up I met Warren the drummer from Tiger Lily (later Ultravox). At one of their gigs at The Nashville they had a band supporting them called the Boys who dressed up as school boys they were one of the early Punk bands which was amazing, I'd heard about the Pistols and it was all very exciting
I had a friend who knew Joe Strummer and Rat Scabies and went to see The Damned playing at at the Hope and The Anchor which was weird as they were meant to be on the Anarchy tour*. At the end of the evening we met Rat and Captain who invited us to the Roundhouse the next day. We started hanging round together and it all kicked off from there.
*The Damned were asked to leave the Anarchy Tour after the first live date - the 6th of December - the the Hope and Anchor gig was on the 7th

Did you do any tours with band?

I didn't go on tour, but was with Rat for a few months and went to The Damned's and other gigs - The Roxy hadn't opened yet

How did you meet Nils?
(Pistol's early Tour Manager and Banshees Manager)
I knew Ray stevenson (Pistols and Punk scene photographer) who would drop me off at my parents house, and Nils was helping at a Heartbreakers gig and we all went back to Nils's flat, we went to a party at Toyah's the next day and sort of fell in like that really. But that's just the way it happened in those days, and you'd see the same people all the time. It wasn't a big scene, you'd go to someone's house and always see the same people there - all the(now)legendary bands.

Nils must have been doing a lot of work with Mclaren being involved with trying to get films and record deals going?
I just remember Nils managing the Banshees more than anything, they didn't have a record deal then - he was 24. Older than anybody else, well Ray his brother was older but always sensible.

Did you hear ever the story that Sid (real name John) was meant suggested by Vivienne as the person to front the Pistols but Malcolm got the wrong John (Lydon) - which would have made a completely different band?

Not really, I don't remember that - I remember him from Flowers of Romance with Viv Albertine.

The Pistols must have been one of the most hated bands ever teen cults and even the music industry and the media hated them.The Music press really liked them, but it was really after the Bill Grundy thing people were so shocked, the media hated them, they got banned and couldn't play anywhere it exploded after that.

Which is bizarre as the whole thing was a last minute idea, they were a stand in for Queen (also on EMI)who couldn't make it.
I know it's just so strange and I don't get it, Bill Grundy being pissed and taking it that bit too far - it destroyed his career.

Did you have much to with Pistols crowd after this?I knew steve, Sid and Glen. but Steve and Paul used to hang out separately, and Rotten had his own entourage. I knew the girls Debbie (Juvenile), Tracey (O Keefe)and
Shanne Bradley whose a friend of Captains.

Isn't Shanne The girl that Johnny Rotten's meant to have written Satellite about.? Well that was just a teenage thing while she was at college - nothing serious. She went out with Captain while I was going out with rat.

And what tunes were big on the Punk scene or were people into at that time? Well I loved New Rose, The Clash - White Riot, Janie Jones, Blondie - X Offender. 'Bollocks' didn't come out until later and the albums that seemed to be constantly on everybody's record players were The Clash and The Damned's first album.

What do you think of the Sex Pistols reunion?
I think good for them! That three generations on people still love their music & good luck to them, I should imagine they are going to make a bomb out of this & who in their right minds would turn that down?

Simone has contibuted the stacks of magazines and books including two Sid Vicious biographies.
No One Is Innocent
Vicious: The Art of Dying Young
And
Vacant
But the book I'm buzzing to read is the one Simone whose been described as 'A walking talking music encylopedia'could write. Which will be Packed full of sizzling Rock and Roll stories from the sixties to 21st Century. Check Simones website for sampler of her Rock n Roll credentials.
www.simonestenfors.com

I asked Simone to choose a couple songs that were popular with pre Punk crowd or tracks that may have had some influence and shaped what became Punk. She came up with a great playlist of top tunes from Johnny Thunders, Velvets and Lou Reed but nailing it down to a two (and one extra) she came up with some inspired choices.

Alive cooper - I'm Eighteen
Hugely popular at the time and the song that Johnny rotten sang when auditioning for the pistols at Sex (using a shower head as a mic' apparently)


New York Dolls - Trash
Watch for Sylvain Sylvain's white Les Paul - When McLaren gave up managing the Doll's and came back to London - this guitar was given to Steve Jones and became his main axe - through out the Pistols period and used on NMTB you can see it pre pistols here .


New York Dolls - Chatterbox later covered by Sid Vicious on Sid Sings

Two Chatterbox vids are here and here



An extra special thank you to Simone Stenfors for being such a star and giving up an evening to talk to me and helping put to this feature together.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Funky Friday - Tunes From The Crypt

Every Friday is Funky Friday on Planet Mondo - Halloween has come early this Friday and brings you something Dusty and spooky, high camp and Hard Rock from 1969, a hidden vid' and a half hour (hellfire) Radio Mondo mix of Physc Rock , Garage a Go-Go and Freak Funk treats

Dusty Springfield - Spooky
Hang on mo' isn't that Jo Whiley, and I'm sure that colour combo's from something by Lyons Maid or Wall's in the 70's. Is it me or does Spooky sound a bit like this?





Wonderland - Love's a Murder

I haven't a clue who these crazy crypt kickers are, but stick with it to the end, there's a twist you see....




Radio Mondo - Tunes From The Crypt
Download the Halloween themed Mini Mix here
Or sink your teeth into it below



Tracklisting

Shadow Mann - Shadow Mann
Marsha Hunt 22 - (Oh No! Not) The Beast Day
Merry Clayton - Gimme Shelter
Georgie Fame - Somebody Stole My Thunder
The Coasters - Love Potion No9
Thelma Houston - Jumping Jack Flash
Patti Drew - Fever
The Bobby Fuller Four - Magic Touch
Five By Five - Fire
The Gee-Cees - Buzzsaw Twist
The Sonics - Strychnine
Les Lionceaux - Nowhere To Run

I really should have Stuck Al Wilson - The Snake at the end, but it's too late now. If the feedback is good and the downloads are hot I may crack out another Fright Night Mini Mix in time for All Hallows Eve

If your still buzzing for more spooky soul click here
to see The Flirtations vamping it up in Hammer Horror style promo for Nothing But A Heartache - which also includes another Mondo Mini Mix

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Blogbuster - Gather Round For New Booties



I'm a terror for a bootleg remix - especially if it's based round The Beatles, Beastie Boys or both. There's something about these home made hybrids, and bits of bastard pop that's never lost the gloss for me. Finding shiny new booties fresh out of the box is a rare treat. Luckily there's two full free albums worth over at - Gather Round Children.

'For the Beasties in the Burroughs, For the Beatles in Britain'
- Booties featuring The Beach Boys, Beck, The Editors, The Supremes

'Good News For People Who Love to Get Krunk'
- The voices of Outkast over the music of Modest Mouse.

Why not taste test these two booty beauties

You're a Rich Man, Baby, Thus Favored By Santa




Set Me Free, Chorus of Chicagoans_ Why Don’t You.




And then nip over to Gather Round Children and fill your boots with the full set of goodies.

Also - you really should have a peep at Funky 16 Corners recent post
Doing The Banana Split. (Yes - as in that show)

It's a spectacular slice of Saturday morning soul - but the brain jolting thing is it’s written by Barry White!!!! (Yes - as in that 'Walrus of Love')

Monday, October 22, 2007

'Are We Really 65 In The Charts ?'




It was 31 years ago today that The Damned released 'New Rose'

Written by Brian James, a first class chap who was good enough to give up some of his Sunday to speak to me about the history of 'New Rose'.

"I'd had part of the song for a while, and even been jamming it with my earlier band Bastard, who were into The MC5, The Stooges and The Pretty Things, but it was when I played the riff with Rat(Scabies) - who drummed like no one else I'd ever played with, that the energy of Rat's drumming and his style fitted the riff so well that the song came together and was created out of that moment

Jake (Riveria) signed us after seeing the Damned at Mont De Marsan, on the strength of 'New Rose' and saw it as a single straight away even though Captain (Sensible) wanted 'I Fall' as the first single. There's no demo's for it we didn't really bother with things like it we just went straight in the studio and recorded it."

Is there a real life Rose? "No, it's not about a girl, it's really about what was happening at that time the speed and the energy of the movement - The Damned were always about the energy."

We also covered all sorts of other areas during our chat - guitars, previous bands, current gigs, and future projects all of which I'll be logging in the blog soon.

Certainly I see New Rose as one of the most important singles ever released, and being equal to anything Elvis , The Beatles or the Sex Pistols ever unleashed.

I love the Pistols and their two fisted filth and fury (even though they booted the The Damned off of the Anarchy tour). But New Rose snapshots the mood, the moment and the DIY ethic of early London/Brit punk more authentically than anything else from this explosive era.

Crash! Go the drums. Thrash! Goes the guitar. Rev up the riffing and they’re off like Bash Street brats out of hell and God help anyone who gets in the way. The Damned ram raided the UK charts by releasing the first punk single and album and even appeared at the first Punk Festival in Mont de Marsan (attended by a pre Joy Division Ian Curtis, and held a month before the 100 Club Punk Festival). But it was the impact of New Rose, and The Damned being the first UK Punk band to tour America that sent a Punk rocket to the epicenter of the States causing a sonic bang so explosive that the fallout is still being felt today.

The Sonics, The MC5, Iggy and The Ramones may have already been grinding out garage anthems and had some success in their home towns – but none of them raised more than a blip on the ‘punk-o-meter’ across the States. The Damned blew the bastard thing to smoke and shrapnel.

Consider this - what speed do the first wave of US Punk bands - The Dead Kennedys, The Dickies, Bad Brains or Black Flag - play at, Damned or Pistols tempo? From here you go to Hardcore to Thrash Metal to Metallica to Guns N Roses(who covered New Rose) and Nirvana (who ripped off Life Goes On for 'Come As You Are'). Not all this may be your type of tune, and not all of it’s my type of tune, but it’s undeniable that it all leads back to the Damned and New Rose.





"I thought the Damned caught the true spirit of Punk, as understood by Punks, better than their rivals. They devoted less time to striking attitudes & never forgot, as many historians have that Punk could be quite funny as well as exciting." John Peel - 29/05/02

New Rose - Peel Session
Recorded 30/11/76 and broadcast 10/12/76



Help - The B Side of New Rose



Brian is currently remixing The Lords Of The New Church back catalogue at Abbey Road (more on this soon). And will be playing the 100 Club on 31/11/07 with Lords Of The New Church for a Halloween Night Special - only 350 tickets are available for this special event so grab them while you can.


Recommended Reading
The Offical Brian James site
Brian James Gang myspace site
The Official Damned Site
One Way love - The Number One Damned fan site
Lords Of The New Church fan site


A special thank you goes to Brian James for his insights into New Rose, Punk and all things Damned, and also for allowing the use of Mp3's in this posting

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Funky Friday - Something Old - Something New

Every Friday is Funky Friday on Planet Mondo and this week brings you several takes on 'Tell Mama'

Something old that looks like someone new, and someone new doing something old.


'Tell Mama' - Marva Whitney

I wonder if Amy Wino' may have taken a leaf or two out of Martha's style sheets?



Either that or Amy's a Time Lord! Which may explain the one size fit's all dimensions beehive and recent bout of 'fatigue'. Jet lag's nasty enough but jumping hoops through the space-time continuum is bound leave you a woozy, weary and struggling to make the gig.

Nah! That would just be too bizarre.


But not as bizarre as....


XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS OF SOUL!! sings Tell Mama



When Xena's done with cracking skulls, raiding the gates of Hades and slaying Cyclops, two headed serpents, and satanic wing-ed beasties, she hang's up her sword and shield and chills her boots by getting on the good foot at 'The Canal Rooms' (upstairs at the Prancing Pony). Where she likes to loosen up with some live on stage lungbusting.

Yes, it really is that Lucy Lawless

If all this has fried your brain, why not soothe your jangled nerves with this treat.

Etta James - Tell Mama

Blogbuster - The Rocking Horror Show


I've been checking out the daily Halloween countdown over at armagideon time and it’s such a black diamond that I'm logging it in the blog

Bitter Andrew has created a Harvest Festival of horror and song, a creepshow autumnal advent calendar, a medley of mad, musical and macabre motif's...
*goes on like this for several hours*

Each post is a pumpkin size peach packed with tip top tracks and clips from cult comics with a spin that will leave you grinning like a gargoyle and downloading like a demon - it's all treat's no trick's so get on over and fill your cyberspace boot's with the some of these grab bag goodies;

Bowie, New York Dolls, Flesh For Lulu, Goldfrapp, Air, PIL,

And in a similar vein why not treat yourself to....

The Bollock Brothers - Horror Movies

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Holy Beatlemania Pt. 2 - I Read The Word today....



I'm not normally one to blow my own bugle as;

A - I don't own any tootle type instruments.

B - There aren’t many occasions when I feel flushed enough to fire up a fanfare.

But today is different - I'm in this month’s edition of The Word!! (Issue 57 - Springsteen on the cover) And am so buzzing I could break out the sweet sherry and spam baps.

I did a piece of cyberspace scrapbooking last month about Batman issue 222, which is based around The Beatles 'Paul is dead' myth. This has ended up(re written to 240 words by me) in The Word, and if that's not batty enough I’m on the letter’s page. Twice!!

I'm probably more amazed than anyone as I haven't written anything longer than a shopping list since leaving school.

The original bat blog looks like this and the updated piece is on page 27 of The Word 57 which looks like this.

So support your local newsagent and The Word team by grabbing yourself a copy.

And why not treat yourself to this dynamic duo from the Batcavern.

The Who - Batman




Go Home Productions -Paperback Believer



PS - The Batman/Beatles story has even made the cover (behind the CD). I'll shut up now.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Funky Friday - Keyboard Wizards and 80's Electrickery

Every Friday is Funky Friday on Planet Mondo, and this week brings you the youtube choices and a super rare remix from guest blogger, international DJ and in demand remixer Tronik Youth.

Tronik's remixes include;

The Gossip - Standing The Way Of Control, Listen Up.
The Rakes - The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect.
New Young Pony Club - Descend (out soon).
And his own single - We Are Tronik Youth (out now).

Not only has Mr T come up with two pieces of 80's electro a go go, but his rare and unreleased remix/shredit of Joy Division's She's Lost Control is available at the bottom of the page.

Vorsprung durch Tronik

Let's plug in and power up a synthy fizzfest and Moogaphonic medley of stars including;

Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Thomas Dolby, and ummm Howard Jones!
All riffing on each other's hits (you scratch my track and I'll scratch your's).




kraftwerk's Tuetonic squeaks, bleeps and beats are perfect for practicing your robot moves, like - the floppy forearm, folding the newspaper under the armpit, checking the wristwatch with a 'no,no,no' finger waggle.

Eins.Zwei.Drei.Vier. Let's robot rock!



The Joy Division remix is here....
Joy Division - She's Lost Control(Tronik Youth Remix).mp3




And the Tronik Youth, Myspace site has all the details of live dates, remixes and the new single release.

How did I manage to get hold of this new wave nugget? - Well it does help if your brother is an international DJ and superstar remixer.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Joy Division exclusive remix this Friday!!!


Funky Friday has it's first guest blogger this week
International DJ and superstar remixer Tronik Youth

Not only has Mr T chosen two youtube clips of 80's electrickery at it's finest, but has also made available his exclusive remix;

Joy Division - She's Lost Control (Tronik Youth Mix).

This juicy nugget is unreleased and will only be available here on Planet Mondo.

Tronik's previous remixes include;

The Gossip - Listen Up
The Gossip - Standing In the Way of Control (as featured in C4 Skins)
New Young Pony Club - Descend (out soon).
Kharma 45 - Where's Your Spirit Man
The Rakes - The World Was A Mess, but his hair was perfect

And his own single 'We Are Tronik Youth' which is out now

Monday, October 8, 2007

Bernard Purdie - Big Daddy of The Drums

This is Mr Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie (pronounced Ber – Nard, ryhmes with farmyard) the King of the sticks and legendary session drummer with a CV that’s reads like a Burke’s Peerage of Soul and Funk including;

Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Arif Mardin, Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield, Miles Davis, B.B King, Steely Dan and appearances on over 3000 albums.

I’m guitarist – not a drummer, but watching Bernard filling out the fatback makes me want to start clicking some sticks.

This is Bernard breaking it down and ‘splain’ing the Purdie Shuffle.



And how to build up and bang out the backbeat.



The super funky FuFu Snax
has Pretty Purdie - Soul Bossa Nova availablehere

And new kid on the blog Suspect Me, has Pretty Purdie Soul Clapping available here on his rocking new blog

Friday, October 5, 2007

Funky Friday - Guitar a Go-Go

Every Friday is Funky Friday on Planet Mondo

And today FF brings you the 'Texas Cannonball', the 'Big King Of The Strings'
Mr Freddie King - wearing his guitar strap like a shoulder holster and using a crazy but killer technique that's all fingers and thumbs.

Treat yourself and watch him tear it up on I'm Tore Down - check out those have a go-go backing dancers

I'm Tore Down



Now settle in for San Ho Zay. Look out for Clarence 'Gate Mouth' Brown on guitar. And on sky high bass... Billy Cox, who later became the bass man in Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys and check out the cheeky horn riffing

San Ho Zay


San Ho Zay is available for download here


And is on the all 'banker' plank splanker album

*winces and pulls James Finlayson face*

Lets Hide Away And Dance

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Autumn Almanac Pt. 1

Autumn's here and the time is right for dishing up a treat.

Even with its hairy hand sized spiders scuttling in through the windows, crazy legged crane flies floating into your face and snoozy ol' wasps looking for a last fling sting, autumn remains my favourite season.

And these two pieces of misty morning pop are as autumnal as conker battles, leaf fights, blackberry picking and hearty hot pots.

I’ll be posting part 2 of my Autumn Almanac over at Channel Mondo next week.


Ronnie lane - Harvest Home.mp3


If you held a super strength stethoscope to my head when I’m thinking of all things autumny - Harvest Home is the sound you'd hear. According to friends there at the time (as documented in the marvellous Passing Show DVD ) Harvest Home was recorded live and outdoors at Ronnie Lane's farm in the Shropshire hills - just ‘Plonk' and a few mates sitting round a camp fire strummin’ as dawn is breaking and the tweety birds are starting to stir. All of autumns colours are captured in this glorious instrumental.


XTC - Harvest Festival.mp3



Andy partridge IS an underrated genius - the Syd Barret of the 'old wave of new wave'. And Harvest Festival is his autumn anthem for school hall assemblies. Tinned fruits, packet soups, squeaky chairs, recorders and long lost loves. It’s like Charlie Brown on Friends Reunited. And if the melody doesn’t melt you, the word play will make you fold like a fallen leaf.


You can read Andy P's notes on Harvest Festival over at the highly recommended Chalkhills and Children website