Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Under The April Skies...



William and Jim Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chain. Even my hair's never been quite that big...

It's April, supposedly the cruellest month, but I'm on holiday. It's now after midday in Scotland, so no April Fools here. Spring is starting to appear, though it would be nice if the aforementioned plumber would turn up, and the drilling outside would cease, shortly before I snap.

However, yesterday I finally got to meet JC, aka The Vinyl Villain and myself and Mrs. 17 seconds had a very nice chat with him for two hours in Glasgow. He is a very friendly guy and so what better toast him with than three tracks from the biggest thing out of East Kilbride, the Jesus and Mary Chain. And I'm not even posting anything from the debut (don't get me wrong, I love it, but there is so much more to them than that.)

Jesus and Mary Chain -'April Skies.' mp3 (My introduction to the band, via Top Of The Pops in 1987)

Jesus and Mary Chain -'Upside Down.' mp3 (The world's introduction to the Mary Chain in 1984. Signed by Alan McGee, the band indicated that they could make people's ears and eyes come out on stalks. and that was before the riots started).

Jesus and Mary Chain -'Blues From a Gun.' mp3 (Just another great track...)

The brothers are supposedly reformed (as a band, not as characters) so I live in hope...

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

loved the syd barrett cover on the b side of upised down, don't suppose theres any chance of a post, i have it on vinyl but not issued on cd and never blogged, mary chain's psychocandy is one of the defining albums of my teenage years, christ i feel so very old
A.J

Anonymous said...

You've got to love PWEI's 'Candydiosis' for nailing one of JAMC's lyrical tics:

Candy says, candy girls are candy apple grey
Psychocandy, candy man eats candy every day
Candy this and candy that whenever I'm out walking
I wish I could go through the day without some candy talking

What's so fucking good, what's so fucking good about candy?


Cheers as ever, Ed ... Craig

Ed said...

A.J. -vegetable man- ? will try and see if I can track it down, though don't own the single on vinyl YET.

Craig -have yet to hear the track but sounds like it manages to also rip off both Husker Du and Lou Reed as well!

Ed

abcdetc said...

I surely have the amazing vegetable man on cd somewhere - or did i really dj it using the prized vinyl. feel free to remind me ...

and there's a box set due any minute. 5 discs - which, it was pointed out, is as many discs as there have been release dates for the set - from Rhino - and called 'The Power of Negative Thinking'.

I think lightspeed champion (aye, him) disgusted me so much that it led me back to a recent happy overdose of the Mary Chain again - along w/ fantasies of them being the support to him and trashing all the gear and the audience thanking them for it.

And something for the sharing - yes the Mary Chain reformed and here's a new one performed live on American telly - last year - 'All Things Must Pass':
http://download.yousendit.com/8263218C1C0A218D

Ed said...

Thanks for the links you sent me Ben, will post here very soon.

Ed

Unknown said...

Cheers mate...

It was also good to hook up with both of you at long last.

Just a pity you had to mention East Kilbride in the same breath....I've bad, bad, very bad memories of a failed relationship of a girl from that town.

abcdetc said...

Since heard it's a 4-cd number, and a studio version of the song I sent is around (out?) via a famous telly programme I've not seen - and apparently doesn't feature David Bowie - called 'Heroes'.

Wait, did I tell you this and something about Sister Vanilla in an email? Getting confused. Maybe that's because of trying to sus the difference between the various Mary Chain-ed versions of Sugarcubes' 'Birthday' and also finally getting to hear the Echo & the Bunnymen extra tracks I've waited years for now there via their generous site (have you heard the best Mary Chain song the Mary Chain didn't do? Bunnymen: Over Your Shoulder)...

It's down here somewhere:
http://bunnymen.com/MP3tracks/ECHOTHEBUNNYMENPLAYER/ECHOTHEBUNNYMENLIST.html

Ed said...

JC - sorry mate, no intention to awake bad memories for anyone

Ben -You did mention Sister Vanilla in an email, guess a folllow-up post on JAMC/Echo and the Bunnymen/Coming soon...

Ed

JuzNik said...

JMC played in London about a week ago... I found out about it the day before, was kinda short notice to go/let anyone else know ;)

I modelled a very fine JMC bouffant for a while (thankfully theres no pics :P )

Nix

JuzNik said...

In correction to my last comment (after going to check) the gig was at the Roundhouse in London on 12 March. They're off doing the V festival in Sydney and a mini tour of Australia now; here's some links for info:

http://www.last.fm/event/422836

http://vfestival.com.au/site/default.aspx

Ed said...

Aw...go on!

Mind you, there's photos of yours truly from the nineties modelling a serious Kurt Cobain, complete with bleach AND Gaz coombes sideburns, sometimes in the same photo too.

I was young once. Honestly...

Ed said...

How odd, the second comment of yours has appeared before the response to your first comment. Anyway...

Good to know that JAMC playing three continents but it would be good to see them in scotland too.

Ed

Jim said...

JAMC played/were meant to play the Barras quite recently. The first I knew about it was seeing an advert with SOLD OUT plastered across it. Not a happy fella was I.

Ed said...

Bloody hell. If there's anywhere that deserves a full JAMC tour it has to be Scotland. And that means more than one gig here.

Sigh...