A post for St. Andrew's Day

November 30 marks St. Andrew's Day, the Patron Saint of Scotland.

This isn't a particularly big day in Scotland, but then St. David's Day and St. George's Day aren't either. Which probably seems out to the Americans reading this, when you consider how important both Thanksgiving and the 4th of July are.

There's much I love about Scotland, my adopted homeland since 2001. I didn't just move here because I loved Belle and Sebastian or because of Fopp and Avalanche, though these were factors in my coming. Since moving here, I've interviewed Emma Pollock, had tea at Stevie Jackson from Belle and Sebastian's house, worked with members of the Prats, X-Vectors and Wounded Knee, to say nothing of seeing many acts. Oh, and started my own indie label, done my own club night, begun this blog...and qualified as a teacher. It's a place where many of my dreams have come true.

It's not just about the music. There's great literature, great films and a whole thriving culture. I don;t think I could live anywhere else. Sure the winter's are severe, but you can't have everything.

My favourite scottish band remain The Delgados, who are just brilliant. They split up in 2005, but are just life affirming. My favourite Delgados song is 'No Danger' which is from the album The Great Eastern, my favourite scottish album (it was recorded in New York State. Then again, Transformer by Lou Reed reminds me of New York but was recorded in London. Go figure...)



And an mp3 from the album, 'American Trilogy.'

The Delgados -'American Trilogy.' mp3

Oh go on! Here's the video too...



And some other great, classic scottish tracks...

Motorcycle Boy -'Big Rock Candy Mountain (Velocity Dance Mix).' mp3

Aztec Camera -'Oblivious.' mp3

Primal Scream -'Velocity Girl.' mp3

Jesus and Mary Chain -'Upside Down.' mp3

Camera Obscura -'Eighties Fan.' mp3

Yes, I know most of them are over twenty years old, but hey...

Much-sought after Peel and other stuff...

This post is dedicated to all the 17 Seconds readers who have helped me track down hard to come-by tracks that made the John Peel Festive Fifty. Thank you all muchly...

Antihero -'Rolling Stones T-shirt.' mp3 (2002 Festive fifty no.5)

Antihero - 'Who's looking out For Number 1?' mp3 (2001 Festive Fifty no.38)

Antihero -'You Got Nothing (session).' mp3 (2002 Festive Fifty no.37)

Primal Scream -'It Happens.' mp3
(1985 Festive Fifty no.44, b-side of All Fall Down, whihc was not in itself a Festive Fifty entry)

Buba and the Shop assistants -'Dreaming Backwards.' mp3 (b-side of 'Something to do' 7" -not a festive fifty entry)

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy -'Little Boy Blue.' mp3 (2000 Festive Fifty no.46)

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy -'Little Boy Blue ii.' mp3

There will be more requests no doubt, but for now, either Steve at Teenage Kicks or I would welcome Burning Love Jumpsuit 'Cheerleader' if anyone can let us have it (the full version, not the two minute bit that got played on the radio!)

STOP PRESS: now in possession of the full track. Many thanks to everyone who sent it in. You rule!

New Primal Scream track

This appears on the Primal Scream official website

PRIMAL SCREAM ARE BACK WITH THEIR 9TH STUDIO ALBUM - THEIR FIRST FOR B-UNIQUE RECORDS. THE RECORD, TITLED ’BEAUTIFUL FUTURE’, IS OUT JULY 21ST, AND FEATURES TRACKS PRODUCED BY, AMONGST OTHERS, BJORN YTTLING (PETER, BJORN AND JOHN] AND PAUL EPWORTH [BLOC PARTY].
THE ALBUM INCLUDES THE STORMING NEW SINGLE ‘CAN’T GO BACK’ – OUT JULY 14TH.

FEATURING GUEST COLLABORATIONS FROM LOVEFOXX OF CSS, JOSH HOMME OF QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE AND FOLK LEGEND LINDA THOMPSON, THE ALBUM IS AS DIVERSE AND BRILLIANT AS WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM AN LP FROM THE LEGENDARY GROUP.

Despite those annoying capital letters, I'm excited about the collaborations (especially Linda Thompson) and this free track they have made available to download.

To these ears, their 'Street Fighting Man'. And they may even have reached a compromise between their dance and rock influences. Just, maybe...

Primal Scream -'Urban Guerilla.' mp3

And please leave feedback!

The 500th post

The Cure in 1980, circa Seventeen Seconds, their sophomore album which gave this blog its' name.

Well, here we are, twenty-two months later, the five hundreth post.

Quite a few interviews done (and several still to be written up), a lot of music reviewed, a bit of ranting, and some nice words in the Guardian. It's been a labour of love at times, but I'm grateful to the support I've had from readers, friends and family (not that these are necessarily mutually exclusive), and particularly the wonderful Mrs. 17 Seconds. She has waited patiently whilst I grappled with technology, for that five minute post that has turned into an hour, shared the frustration, and been as supportive as anyone could wish. When we met the Vinyl Villain in Glasgow a couple of months back, he quipped: 'So what's it like being married to an obsessive, then?' to which she replied: 'Well, everyone's obssessive about something, aren't they?.' When I started this blog, we had yet to get cats...or even get married. Life, eh?

Some of my friends have asked if the blog's raison d'etre is to publicise new scottish music. This is only part of it, but it's definitely a part of it:

Bricolage -'Our Fire's Electric.' mp3

I've also enjoyed posting weird and wonderful, well-known and painfully obscure covers, and this is probably unlikely to stop. Hell, I've heard a lot of stuff since I started this. But it's also enabled me to focus on stuff I loved before, too:

The Slits -'I Heard I Through The Grapevine.' mp3

This seems to be the most-downloaded track from the blog:

Primal Scream - 'Velocity Girl.' mp3

Many thanks is due to fellow bloggers who have put in links to this site, mentioned me, left feedback and got me in the position that I seem to get several people reading this blog per day. Whilst I would love this to increase, it's nice to know that just because only a handful of people leave responses, people are still reading it. There's too many people to thank, but heck, you know who are you, and may you have a nice glow inside for the rest of the weekend.

Should I focus on just one type of music? Well, no, my record collection doesn't and I don't see why the blog should. I'm actually rather proud that the blog has featured stuff including classical, jazz, hip-hop, disco, death metal...oh, and a fair bit of scottish indie, too. I've done a lot of posts relating to stuff that John Peel championed, and by way of very humble tribute, I've tried to keep alive in my own small way a highlighting of new music, and unsigned acts. But I despise snobbery, and I don't see why I shouldn't mention bands that are established and successful.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. I've posted this before, but as it's the song that gave this blog its' name, it's only fitting I should post it again. It's lasted longer than the club night I ran of the same name.

The Cure -'Seventeen Seconds.' mp3

Some indiepop videos

Well, having not posted many videos here for a while (other than the links to the two Benga videos last week, obviously!) I thought I would post some classic 80s eighties indiepop videos here.

First up, Edinburgh's gone but not forgotten heroes, The Shop Assistants. BTW, if anyone knows where in Edinburgh this video was filmed, or can work it out, let me know. The other day Mrs. 17 Seconds and I were watching it closely to see if we could work it out but without success.

The Shop Assistants -I Don't Want To Be Friends With You


I will do a post on the Primitives sometime very soon, having just got my hands on an excellent compilation of early stuff called Buzz Buzz Buzz, for the meantime, here is the video to Really Stupid.

The Primitives -Really Stupid


Hmm, might well have to do a post on the Darling Buds as well. Some people derided them as Primitives copyists (blonde girl singer and three blokes in black! Ooh! must be copying them! *withering sarcasm*) but I thought they were pretty great. The first time I saw this video I was eleven years old.

Darling Buds -It's All Up To You


Does anyone know if Primal Scream did videos for any of their pre-Sonic Flower Groove singles? This is, however, a class song and (nicely) typical of many of the indie videos of the period.

Primal Scream -Gentle Tuesday


A fantastic song, controversial at the time given that the Grand Hotel in question was the one in Brighton where Margaret Thatcher and the conservatives were staying in 1984 when it was bombed. ('Jesse Garon' still runs a record shop in Edinburgh and is a thoroughly nice bloke).

Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes -Grand Hotel.


Meanwhile, will try and write up Amplifico and Wake The President interviews...

Just to keep you posted...

Just in case anyone's wondering where I've gone...I'm still here, still alive...just a little busy and not in Scotland for a couple of days.

But do yourselves a favour, or indeed two:

Firstly, Song, By Toad has excelled himself and had the fabulous Broken Records in for a session, so get yourselves over there now to Song, By Toad

Secondly, Steve over at Teenage Kicks has done excellent posts on the Shop Assistants and Motorcycle Boy, so if you enjoy your eighties indie and John Peel, get over there!

I spent much of yesterday on a train, reading Iain Banks' The Steep Approach To Garbadale and listening to my iPod. This fantastic tracks started my journey:

Primal Scream -'Velocity Girl.' mp3

...though this is one of the few UK road tracks I know:

Richard Thompson -'1952 Vincent Black Lightning.' mp3

Primal Scream- Velocity Girl and more!

Every record collector has a list of the records they are absolutely desperate to get above all others. Mine is just too long (and there are other factors like, y'know, eating, getting to work, clothes etc..) to reproduce here, but it includes the first four Orange Juice singles on Postcard, all The Cure stuff I still haven't got, and the first singles by both Primal Scream and the Jesus and Mary Chain.

However, one gap that was filled last year was the second Primal Scream single 'Crystal Crescent'/'Velocity Girl.' The latter opened the seminal c-86 tape (will have to post that here if anyone's interested...?), which made no.4 in the 1986 Festive Fifty, even though its' A-side wasn't included. The three tracks come to less than six minutes in total, but it is a peach of a single.

Primal Scream are still going strong over two decades later, with stylistic and personnel changes along the way, and these tracks are not possible to get, criminally IMHO. The third track here, Spirea-X, was the name of a later Primal Scream off-shoot.

Primal Scream -'Crystal Crescent.' mp3

Primal Scream -'Velocity Girl.' mp3

Primal Scream -'Spirea -X.' mp3

Anyway, hope you enjoy these...

Some Covers For Friday

Now that I have finally got the hang of how to get stuff from CD converted into mp3 (like everything; easy WHEN you know how!), I thought I would delve through my CD singles (I couldn't bring myself to get rid of any more, even though I don't play them very often) and post some covers. In the world of the mp3 blogs it seems that people often stick covers up on the weekend. Well, no time like the present.

Please note: all the singles I refer to here are the UK releases. If iTunes cannot help you, try ebay

This track was originally on the 'Carnival' single in 1995. Whilst some of their later releases could be rockier, does anyone else think The Cardigans sounded quite 'twee' circa the Life album? Check that name for starters. Though not many twee indiepop bands tended to cover Ozzy Osbourne. As far as I know.

Cardigans - 'Mr. Crowley (Ozzy Osbourne cover).' mp3

This track was originally recorded for the Leonard Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan (ouch!), and also turned up on the CD single to 'Drive' in 1992.

REM -'First We Take Manhattan (Leonard Cohen cover).' mp3

This track was on the 'Kowalski' single in 1997, a cover of the track from the Clash's Combat Rock album.

Primal Scream -'Know Your Rights (Clash cover).' mp3

I cannot say I was ever a huge Robert Palmer fan, and the album this song originally was on, Clues, did little to alter that. This track, though, is a classic and was used for numerous years to advertise Vauxhall cars in the UK (Opel to any any European readers). Placebo's cover appeared on one of the CD singles of 'Taste In Men.'

Placebo -'Johnny And Mary (Robert Palmer cover).' mp3

John Lennon's anti-war activities unnerved Richard Nixon. Rather like upsetting the Daily Mail (a UK newspaper that is just poison on paper and reminds you of the downsides of free speech) this is probably A GOOD THING. This cover, by Mercury Rev, appeared on the re-issue of 'Goddess on A Hiway' in 1999.

Mercury Rev-'I Don't Want To Be A Soldier (John Lennon cover).' mp3

I was really tempted to post Johnny Cash's version of 'Hurt,' because it is so good, but then it occured to me that the song has been posted a hell of a lot. So, why not post his cover of Glen Campbell's 'Wichita Lineman,' which was recorded for American IV: The Man Comes Around, but is only on the vinyl version of the album and the 'Hurt/Personal Jesus' CD single.

Johnny Cash -'Wichita Lineman (Glen Campbell cover).' mp3

Gang Of Four's Entertainment! has really come back into vogue with all those bands showing 'post-punk' influences. Apparently not a single, but this was covered by Idlewild on their 'Live In A Hiding Place' single.

Idlewild -'I Found That Essence Rare (Gang Of Four cover).' mp3

Michael Jackson, whatever the problems he has had (and I really can't be bothered to go into it all here), has been responsible for some fantastic music. Ian Brown is a man who knows this, and told us via his 'Dolphins Were Monkeys' single.

Ian Brown -'Dolphins Were Monkeys (Michael Jackson cover).' mp3

One of my claims to fame is that in 1991, I was in the audience at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party when Philip Schofield took the mick out of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine for their name - and guitarist Fruitbat decked him. On Live Television. Considering what a 'family-orientated' show it was (Salt 'n' Pepa couldn't perform
' Let's Talk About Sex' because it mentioned sex, and performed a far inferior tune instead), Carter were performing 'After The Watershed,' which dealt with the issue of child abuse. The single contained their cover of the Inspiral Carpets 'This Is How It Feels', and my brother and I have always felt it superior. My brother recently got the chance to meet Jim Bob, the other Carter guy, who is by all accounts, a thoroughly decent bloke.

Carter USM -'This Is How It Feels (Inspiral Carpets cover).' mp3

Teenage Fanclub. A legendary Scottish band who covered a Bevis Frond song and according to Nick Salmond of the Frond, earned him more money than anything else. BMX Bandits. A legendary Scottish band who covered a Teenage Fanclub song which featured a Kylie lookalike in the video. Singer Duglas T. Stewart once (*allegedly) tried to copy the K Foundation by burning all the profits from his career on the radio. Predictably, the 50p piece failed to catch alight.

BMX Bandits -'Kylie's Got A Crush On Us (Teenage Fanclub cover).' mp3

OK, you should know the drill by now. These covers will be up here for one week only. If you like them, support the artists involved, and with covers, make sure you also investigate the original if you haven't already.

Have a good one, Ed x