If you were between 18 to 30, and based in the UK during the Britpop years (bookended by Suede and the Spice Girls) it was possibly the closest anyone too young to remember the sixties got to tasting the uncorked excitement of an England Swings experience. The mid-nineties saw Britain's music scene blossom and bloom into hot spots of home grown, hybrid-mixing, hit makers - stretching from newly minted Anglocentric anthems, Indie rockers and Big Beaters to rediscovered retro funk, swishy soundtrack highlights and cheesy listening lounge tunes.
Add in Blur vs Oasis, Weller's return to form, former shy-eyed shoegazer guitarists giving it Guitar Hero riffery and the upsurge and momentum of the moment was enough to revive the surviving Beatles into action releasing new recordings and archived outtakes via Anthology.
If you fancied a night in there was the reinvented Radio One (which had finally shaved off it's beardy ol' DJs) or Vic and Bob's Shooting Stars. For a night out how about catching Trainspotting or any number or Brit-flicks hitting the cinemas or even shaking a leg at clubs like Blow Up.
So instead of waving the flag with the typical Britpop colours, how about a couple of remixed remodels and two often overlooked vids..
And you must check out Piley's review of Blur's recent Southend gig - their warm up for Glastonbury and Hyde Park.
The Pulp/Blur tracks are taken from the Steve Lamacq mixed Weekenders, so download them and they'll join neatly togther when played in sequence
Pulp - Common People(Motiv-8 Mix)
Blur - Girls and Boys (Pet Shop Boys remix)
Almost the forgotten men of Britpop, Black Grape's It's Great When You're Straight.... Yeah! is still the perfect summer soundtrack almost 15 years on from it's release - yes it really has been that long.
Black Grape - Tramazi Party
15 comments:
Ah, Britpop, I watched it from afar and wondered if I'd missed something (something than all my favourite bands 'selling out').
Like the Pulp and Blur remixes, but I think you're going to have to work a bit to convince me that Black Grape with shouty Kermit are better than the Happy Mondays. And the guitar riff in that song sounds like That Petrol Emotion!!
I think you've nailed it the Black Grape album is exactly like TPE meets Happy Mondays...
Possibly my fave groups from the whole movement, but who were both busy before Britpop - and have mainted an output of steady quality since, are The Charlatans and Supergrass (In It For The Money is wall to all goodies)..
And you must try Lamacq's Weekenders album album full tracklist here...
The Weekenders album is a great little document of the times. I love Black Grape. Reading 96, they were fantastic, easily the best live band I've ever seen.
Great post. I loved Britpop. There were some many cool bands making some awesome music during that era. Glad to be reminded of it.
Mondo,
The Charlatans were around long before John Harris believes Britpop started and I certainly never thought of myself as buying into Britpop when clubbing to the sounds of Orbital, Bjork and half of the others on the Lamacq album.
Britpop, for me seemed a rather parochial movement to me. But then again what do I know I'm from north of the border
Loved the Britpop movement, and the first time 'indie' really became mainstream. There was a great vibe about, and an avalanche of quality bands. Many went by the wayside, or looking back maybe weren't as good as you thought, but at the time it was exciting times, and as you say, gave us a glimpse of what it must have felt like in the 60's. Even now, those heady days of the mid 90s seem a lifetime ago, and things seemed so much more uncomplicated don't you think? The net was in its infancy, mobile phones were still an oddity.
Motiv8 mix has always been one of my all time favs. And i ALWAYS pull it out ahead of the original - which is rare in itself.
Good post (and ta for the link!)
Piley
Would love to have seen that Simon, not so keen on the second album though..
Thanks Keith and have a happy holiday weekend
Drew, did you ever get The Charlatans 'high voiced' album (about 2002 I think) a cracker..
P It's easy to forget how quickly fey indie posing which had been a standard for years became swept aside once Oasis and Blur upped the tempo
Wonderful post Mondo... such a fan of that Michel Gondry video especially!
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
Thanks Gabbi - I didn't realise it was Michael Gondry thanks for the tip off...
For me Menswear were the main offenders of Britpop overhype JC, and bands like Shed Seven and Cast,were a bit , well, dull and lumpy I suppose
I hope you've had a nice weekend. I've given you an award over at my Dino Lounge blog.
I remember that Vanity Fair cover and wishing it was me in bed next to Patsy. I was amazed to find out they were a couple. Beauty and the beast, etc. If only I was a filthy rich rockstar...
Britpop came up with some good music but as for the Cool Britannia stuff, nah. Oasis hobnobbing with government bignobs at Number 10...why?
Thanks for the award Keith a great start to the week..
Did you ever see the Britpop docu 'Live Forever'ISTV? You can get it for tuppence ha'penny from Amazon. There's a great moment where the Gallagher's (being interviewed separately) discuss Noel's visit to number 10. Complete polar opposites..
Hello PM. I keep meaning to say to you that I am delighted with your recent references to the Charlatans and how under rated they are. I have all their albums and rate them very highly indeed. Have changed styles and influences many times and always produce the goods.
Brought back some decent memories this post and also some recollections of some horrific bands such as Echobelly and Elastica (which will be contraversial with your readers !).
Cheers.
Up The Charlatans EF, actually I didn't mind Echobelly, Elastica were good for one tune
But more importantly waddayadoinghere? Should you be filling your boots with Podrophenia?
I'll tuck in shortly !
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