The Mighty Mighty BossToneS set for May return with Hellcat Records album

Ska-punk pioneers The Mighty Mighty BossToneS will release their 11th studio record on May 7 via Hellcat Records.

Co-produced by longtime collaborator Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem, Dropkick Murphys) and Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong (Transplants, Jimmy Cliff), the new release sees the band bringing back friends, tourmates, and bandmates from the past. The 15 tracks initially arose out of a collective sense of loss.

“We were lightly writing songs before the insanity without any sort of timeline in mind. All of a sudden, the world changed and benchmark events in a very long career that we were looking forward to, such as playing with Madness at the Greek Theatre, were taken away from us,” explains frontman Dicky Barrett.

“With all of this time on our hands, we started writing at a quickened pace and we were really inspired. As grim as everything around us was in the outside world, this was the most fun we ever had making a record.

Listen to new single “I DON’T BELIEVE IN ANYTHING”

Since their formation in 1983, the BossToneS have been credited as one of the forefathers of ska punk and the creators of its subgenre, ska-core. With a career spanning over 30-years Boston’s best dressed band has built and continued to build a devoted following with their unique brass-infused brand of punk rock. To date they have released ten studio records; Devil's Night Out (1989), More Noise and Other Disturbances (1992), Don't Know How to Party (1993), Question the Answers (1994), Let's Face It (1997), Pay Attention (2000), A Jackknife to a Swan (2002), Pin Points and Gin Joints (2009), The Magic of Youth (2011), and While We're at It (2018).

TRACK LISTING:

1. DECIDE
2. M O V E
3. I DON’T BELIEVE IN ANYTHING
4. CERTAIN THINGS
5. BRUISED
6. LONELY BOY
7. THE KILLING OF GEORGIE (PART III)
8. YOU HAD TO BE THERE
9. WHEN GOD WAS GREAT
10. WHAT IT TAKES
11. LONG AS I CAN SEE THE LIGHT
12. THE TRUTH HURTS
13. IT WENT WELL
14. I DON’T WANT TO BE YOU
15. THE FINAL PARADE

John Lennon reissue news

John Lennon’s first solo studio album, recorded in 1970, shortly after the demise of The Beatles, was inspired by the primal scream psychotherapy he and wife Yoko Ono had been practicing with Dr. Arthur Janov.

Alongside the minimalist Plastic Ono Band - Ringo Starr on drums and Klaus Voorman on bass, and producer Phil Spector - Lennon crafted John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.

On April 16, Yoko Ono Lennon and Capitol/UMe will celebrate 50 years of this release with an 8-disc super deluxe box set, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection, heralding what John once described as “the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Fully authorized by Yoko Ono Lennon, who oversaw the production and creative direction, and from the same audio team that worked on 2018’s critically acclaimed Imagine – The Ultimate Collection, including engineer Paul Hicks and mixers/engineers Rob Stevens and Sam Gannon, the collection explores the album’s 1970 recording sessions at EMI Studios 2 & 3, Abbey Road and John’s post-Beatles singles, “Give Peace A Chance,” “Cold Turkey” and “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)” from inception to the final master through scores of unreleased and rare demos, rehearsals, outtakes, jams and studio conversations, revealing how these beloved songs came to be.

Everything in this expansive box set has been newly mixed from scratch from brand new 192kHz/24bit hi-res transfers. In addition to the various new mixes, the set boasts 87 never-before-heard recordings.

Listen to “Mother”: https://johnlennon.lnk.to/mother-ultimate-mix

Watch/embed the unboxing trailer: http://johnlennon.lnk.to/POB-Unboxing-Video

Pre-order: http://johnlennon.lnk.to/PlasticOnoBand2021

This remixed and remastered collection features 159 tracks across six CDs and two Blu-ray audio discs for more than 11 hours of music and includes two postcards (“Who Are The Plastic Ono Band?” and “You Are The Plastic Ono Band”) a “War Is Over!” poster and a comprehensive 132-page hardback book with lyrics, rare photos, tape box images, memorabilia and extensive notes.

Designed and edited by Simon Hilton, the Compilation Producer and Production Manager of the Ultimate Collection series, the book tells the story behind each of the songs and the making of the album in John & Yoko’s words and the words of those who worked alongside them, through archival and brand new interviews.

Yoko writes in the preface of the book: “With the Plastic Ono Band albums, John and I liked the idea of this really raw, basic, truthful reality that we were going to be giving to the world. We were influencing other artists, giving them courage, giving dignity to a certain style of vulnerability and strength that was not accepted in society at the time. It was a revolution for a Beatle to say, ‘Listen: I’m human, I’m real.’ It took a lot of courage for him to do it.”

The expanded edition includes the improvised jams John and the band would play between takes and the full live recording session of Yoko’s companion LP, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, which for the first time presents the songs in their full, unedited lengths and speed, and includes three unreleased improvisations.

Similar to the previous Ultimate Collection, the set offers a variety of new listening experiences, ranging from the brand new Ultimate Mixes of the main album, which put John’s vocals front and center and sonically upgrade the sound, to the Elements Mixes, which isolate and bring forth certain elements from the multitrack recordings to reveal new levels of detail and clarity, and the Raw Studio Mixes, which allows listeners to experience the moment John and the Plastic Ono Band recorded each song, mixed raw and live without effects, tape delays or reverbs.

The Evolutionary Documentary is a track-by-track audio montage that details the evolution of each song from demo to master recording via instructions, rehearsals, recordings, multitrack exploration and studio chatter. The Blu-rays present an array of listening options including high-definition, studio quality 192kHz/24bit audio in stereo and enveloping 5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos mixes.

Plastic Ono Band will also be released in concurrent multiple physical and digital configurations, including as a 1CD that includes the Ultimate Mixes of the original album and the three non-album singles and as an expanded 2CD or 2LP version that adds a disc of outtakes of each song.

THE ULTIMATE MIXES
The original John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album has been faithfully remixed from the ground up by the aforementioned Paul Hicks at Abbey Road Studios under the supervision of Yoko Ono Lennon. Hicks utilized high-definition 192kHz/24bit audio transfers of the original first-generation multitrack recordings to create the best possible recreations of the originals. These new Ultimate Mixes show different levels of sonic depth, definition and clarity, especially in 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos.

“Yoko is very keen that in making The Ultimate Mixes Series, we achieve three things: remain faithful and respectful to the originals, the sound is generally sonically clearer overall, and increase the clarity of John’s vocals. ‘It’s about John’ she says. And she is right. His voice brings the biggest emotional impact to the album.”

THE OUTTAKES
The collection includes unreleased stereo outtakes of each song which have been mixed with a balance and EQ more akin to the original album mixes, with a little bit of additional effects – in the style of a “rough listening mix” that John & Yoko and Phil Spector would have used to play them back at Abbey Road.

“Mother” (Take 61) removes the opening bell and has the drums mixed in mono, “Love” (Take 6) has John performing the song on acoustic guitar without the aid of Spector on piano, the first rehearsal of “Remember” (Rehearsal 1) started off as a slower song than the one it evolved into, “Well Well Well” (Take 2) ends with an instrumental jam, there is alternate clawhammer strumming on “Look At Me” (Take 2) and “Cold Turkey” (Take 1) has guitar playing by John and Eric Clapton.

DEMOS
In addition to the outtakes, the original recordings of each song, either from a home cassette, home tape, or the very first rehearsal or run-through in the studio are included. Most of these recordings have never been released until now.

THE ELEMENTS MIXES
The Elements Mixes mixed by Hicks bring some of the buried elements not otherwise heard, or in some cases used, up to the surface. The idea behind these is that once these elements have been heard listeners will hear details previously hidden in the album mixes in a completely way. These range from John’s isolated vocal track for “Mother,” the conga on “I Found Out,” the extra vocals on “Hold On,” the alternative organ take on “Isolation,” unused maracas on “Well Well Well” and the original guide vocal for “God.”

THE RAW STUDIO MIXES + OUTTAKES
Mixed by Rob Stevens, the Raw Studio Mixes songs have been mixed without effects, tape delays or reverbs, recreating as close to possible what these performances sounded like raw and live. The Raw Studio Mixes stand on their own to provide a markedly different set of listening experiences, stripping away the sound-shaping techniques that were used in the production of the original 1970 album.

THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY
The Evolution Mixes are mini-documentaries that explore the development of each song through their elements, arrangements and the musicians that play on them. Edited down from all the original 8-track multitracks, quarter-inch live recordings and mixes and a few demo cassettes by Sam Gannon, generally each Evolution Mix runs through each song’s sessions chronologically, starting with the demos and/or early takes and ending with the final mixes. 

THE JAMS
Despite the serious nature of the album, John and the Plastic Ono Band, which sometimes included Yoko, Billy Preston and Phil Spector, had fun in between takes by spontaneously jamming classic rock ‘n’ roll songs, improvisations and even early versions of some of John’s other songs. For the first time, these 22 jams are being made available and are presented in the order they were recorded. Some of the many gems include impromptu performances of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That A Shame” Little Richard’s “Send Me Some Lovin’” and a hilarious sendup of Elvis Presley, illustrating John’s love for early rock ‘n’ roll. Also included are run throughs of “Hold On” and a couple early attempts of “I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama, I Don’t Want To Die,” which would end up on his next album, Imagine.

YOKO ONO/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE LIVE SESSIONS
On October 10th, the day after John’s 30th birthday, Yoko, John, Klaus and Ringo recorded a freeform experimental jam session that would be edited into Yoko’s concurrent album, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band. For the first time ever, the full session, more than three times the length of the original album, can be heard as part of the Blu-ray in its entirety. Newly mixed by Sam Gannon, it is being presented in high-res audio and in its originally performed speed with no edits, with tracks like “Why” clocking in at 18 mins and “Why Not” exceeding 21 minutes. The live session is bolstered by three improvisations that have never been released before: “Life,” “Omae No Okaa Wa” and “I Lost Myself Somewhere In The Sky.”

JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND
Released on December 11, 1970, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band followed three hit singles John released in 1969 after the breakup of The Beatles - “Give Peace A Chance,” “Cold Turkey,” and “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On),” three avant-garde recordings released with Yoko (Two Virgins, Life With The Lions, and Wedding Album) and the live concert album, Live Peace In Toronto 1969, recorded with the ever-evolving Plastic Ono Band, which for this legendary performance featured Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann and Alan White.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was John’s first post-Beatles solo album so interest was high to see what he would do with his newfound creative freedom. The album reached the top 10 in both the US and UK, despite the absence of a major hit single.

50 years on, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is widely considered one of the best albums ever made. Most recently Rolling Stone, who also dubbed it #4 on their list of Best Albums of 1967-87, ranked the album #85 in their 2020 reassessment of The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time, hailing it ahead of its time: “a pure, raw core of confession that, in its echo-drenched, garage-rock crudity, is years ahead of punk.” 

As Rolling Stone’s retrospective review remarked, “left out in the open, without protective harmonies or racket, Lennon's singing takes on an expressive specificity that anyone in search of the century's great vocal performances would be foolish to overlook.”

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection continues the 50th anniversary celebration of this iconic album, which began in October 2020 with the release of the book, John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band for what would have been John’s 80th birthday. 

JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION
SUPER DELUXE EDITION

DELUXE 2 BLU-RAY TRACK LISTING

THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

THE ULTIMATE MIXES/THE OUT-TAKES (49 mins)
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
7. Love/Take 6
8. Well Well Well/Take 2
9. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5

THE ELEMENTS MIXES (60 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

THE DEMOS (45 mins)
1. Mother (Home Demo)
2. Hold On (Studio Demo)
3. I Found Out (Home Demo)
4. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo)
5. Isolation (Studio Demo)
6. Remember (Studio Demo)
7. Love (Home Demo)
8. Well Well Well (Home Demo)
9. Look At Me (Home Demo)
10. God (Home Demo)
11. My Mummy’s Dead (Home Demo)
12. Give Peace A Chance (Home Demo)*
13. Cold Turkey (Home Demo)*
14. Instant Karma! (Studio Demo)*

THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (59 mins)
1. Mother/Take 64
2. Hold On/Take 32
3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended
4. Working Class Hero/Take 9
5. Isolation/Take 29
6. Remember/Take 13
7. Love/Take 37
8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended
9. Look At Me/Take 9
10. God/Take 42
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 1
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4 Extended
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 10

THE RAW STUDIO MIXES/THE OUT-TAKES (50mins)
1. Mother/Take 91
2. Hold On/Take 18*
3. I Found Out/Take 7
4. Working Class Hero/Take 10*
5. Isolation/Take 1*
6. Remember/Take 1*
7. Love/Take 9*
8. Well Well Well/Take 5*
9. Look At Me/Take 3*
10. God/Take 1
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2*
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4*
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2*
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5*

THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (93 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance*
13. Cold Turkey*
14. Instant Karma (We All Shine On)*

THE JAMS/LIVE AND IMPROVISED (36 mins)
1. Johnny B. Goode
2. Ain’t That A Shame
3. Hold On (1)
4. Hold On (2)
5. Glad All Over
6. Be Faithful To Me
7. Send Me Some Lovin’
8. Get Back
9. Lost John (1)
10. Goodnight Irene
11. You’ll Never Walk Alone (Parody)
12. I Don’t Want To Be To be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (1)
13. It’ll Be Me
14. Honey Don’t
15. Elvis Parody (Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog/When I’m Over You)
16. Matchbox
17. I’ve Got A Feeling
18. Mystery Train
19. You’re So Square
20. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (2)
21. Lost John (2)
22. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)

YOKO ONO/PLASTIC ONO BAND - THE LIVE SESSIONS (110 mins)
1. Why*
2. Why Not*
3. Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Carriage All Over The City*
4. Touch Me*
5. Paper Shoes*
6. Life*
7. Omae No Okaa Wa*
8. I Lost Myself Somewhere In The Sky*
9. Remember Love*
10. Don’t Worry Kyoko*
11. Who Has Seen The Wind*

*BLU-RAY DISCS ONLY

DELUXE 6CD TRACK LISTING

CD1: THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

CD2: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/THE OUT-TAKES (49 mins)
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
7. Love/Take 6
8. Well Well Well/Take 2
9. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5

CD3: THE ELEMENTS MIXES (60 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

CD4: THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (74 mins)
1. Mother/Take 64
2. Hold On/Take 32
3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended
4. Working Class Hero/Take 9
5. Isolation/Take 29
6. Remember/Take 13
7. Love/Take 37
8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended
9. Look At Me/Take 9
10. God/Take 42
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 1
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4 Extended
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 10
15. Mother/Take 91
16. I Found Out/Take 7
17. God/Take 1

CD5: THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (72 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead

CD6: THE JAMS & THE DEMOS (71 mins)
1. Johnny B. Goode (Jam)
2. Ain’t That A Shame (Jam)
3. Hold On (1) (Jam)
4. Hold On (2) (Jam)
5. Glad All Over (Jam)
6. Be Faithful To Me (Jam)
7. Send Me Some Lovin’ (Jam)
8. Get Back (Jam)
9. Lost John (1) (Jam)
10. Goodnight Irene (Jam)
11. You’ll Never Walk Alone (Parody) (Jam)
12. I Don’t Want To A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (1) (Jam)
13. It’ll Be Me (Jam)
14. Honey Don’t (Jam)
15. Elvis Parody (Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog/When I’m Over You) (Jam)
16. Matchbox (Jam)
17. I’ve Got A Feeling (Jam)
18. Mystery Train (Jam)
19. You’re So Square (Jam)
20. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (2) (Jam)
21. Lost John (2) (Jam)
22. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow) (Jam)
23. Mother (Home Demo)
24. Hold On (Studio Demo)
25. I Found Out (Home Demo)
26. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo)
27. Isolation (Studio Demo)
28. Remember (Studio Demo)
29. Love (Home Demo)
30. Well Well Well (Home Demo)
31. Look At Me (Home Demo)
32. God (Home Demo)
33. My Mummy’s Dead (Home Demo)

2 CD

CD1
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/
ALBUM + SINGLES
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

CD2
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES/
ALBUM + SINGLES
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
7. Love/Take 8
8. Well Well Well/Take 2
9. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) / Take 1
20-page booklet with lyrics, rare photos, memorabilia and extensive notes.
WAR IS OVER! Poster.

1 CD

THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ALBUM + SINGLES
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
20-page booklet with lyrics, rare photos, memorabilia and extensive notes.

A Bonus Q&A with Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue

This past January, I did an interview with Ricky Ross, the singer/songwriter of veteran Glasgow pop/rock hitmakers Deacon Blue, for American Songwriter magazine. Ross also hosts Another Country, a weekly Americana music-based program on BBC Radio Scotland.

My feature on the band - rounded out by singer Lorraine McIntosh, keyboardist James Prime, drummer Dougie Vipond, guitarist Gregor Philp and bassist Lewis Gordon - can be found here: https://bit.ly/3kPNnGY

Our chat included additional tidbits about the stellar new 'Riding on the Tide of Love' album, Ross' career and more that longtime Deacon Blue fans should be interested in checking out... 

Question: On the title track "Riding on the Tide of Love" and "Nothing’s Changed," you really give your falsetto vocal range a workout. Did it take long to nail those vocals?

Answer: You know, it’s funny. Someone said to me that in the last 10 years, it’s been interesting that I’ve done more falsetto. I was talking to and doing an interview with Gary Barlow from Take That. He’s a great singer. We did a little thing together and YouTube as well. I was interviewing him about his songwriting career for my radio program and he said he’d worked with John Shanks the producer. He said he used to lock him in the booth and said, ‘You’ve got to get this falsetto. You’ve really got to develop it.' I don’t have a big range. When it goes over a certain note, I can’t reach that, so I have to go into falsetto. It’s pragmatic in some ways.

Q: The closing tune “It’s Still Early" reminded me of your 1989 tune "Sad Loved Girl" or something off 1990's ‘Bacharach & David’ EP. The power is in its simplicity. Would you agree?
A: Yeah. It was a really rough demo. It was the only song that was completely unfinished. In fact, it was barely started. I got the file and all it had was a rough vocal; not even the finished lyric, [it was] me and the piano and a click track. I sent it to Jim and said, 'just take my piano off. You play it properly. Just play it really like you would play.’ It was beautiful. It came back and we built the song back up again. Then Lorraine and I did the vocals. That time I finished the lyric as well. 

Q: Looking back to 2020's ‘City of Love’: it made impressive chart debuts in Scotland and the U.K. Many of the sales were physical LPs. Was that a pleasant surprise?

A: Yeah, it was a real surprise - especially in these times when there’s a whole generation that’s grown up now that don’t really buy records. So, for us, it was great. The fact that the vinyl was there as well. It just got such a lovely reaction and was nicely reviewed. That was great - the audience sending Facebook messages, tweeting messages, people were connecting with the album.

Q: Since the 2010s, Deacon Blue has consistently made new albums and isn’t just satisfied with resting on its laurels and coasting on the hits. Do you think that has helped to the band stay relevant?
A: I think it’s vital for the band and the audience [for] people feel the band is alive. They feel they’re watching something that’s an organic thing; not just, ‘I know what they’re gonna do when they play live.’ We did it for about 10 years. We were out there playing gigs. And you could just go back to your greatest hits. You put your life and soul into these shows. There was never a show that we did where we didn’t want to do our best.

But it came to a point where Lorraine and I came home one night and we said, ‘We’re either going to do this properly or we’re not going to do it.’ That decision eventually became ‘The Hipsters’ and so on. A number of things – Gregor joining us was a big, big factor - and us getting amazing new management…It’s been like a real renaissance for us. But making music has been like a lifeblood. That’s definitely the thing that has kept the band fresh.

Q: Back in December, the band launched a concert archive series with downloads available from throughout your career. How have fans responded so far?
A: The feedback has been great…there is a mainstream audience out there who are really happy you make albums; that you do gigs. They’ll be happy you do either of these things. Then there’s other people who want every B-side, every obscure track and want you to do them live. We had all these tapes sitting around [and wondered,] 'What are we gonna do with them? Is it gonna sit in a garage somewhere and at some point, they’ll get pulled out and not mean anything to anyone?' We’d rather get these things out.

There’s been a really great reaction. We tidied up the tapes, EQ’d and mastered them. They’re not [done with] the detail that go into doing a live album. Neither are they very expensive. They’re for fans. I think people are glad to be able to pick and choose a [particular] night.

Q: Since the pandemic hit, you've done various social media performances and events such as the #TimsTwitterListeningParty for 1987 debut album ‘Raintown.' Have you enjoyed doing them?

A: We really enjoyed it. Lorraine doesn’t do Twitter. We sat down one night and I had to explain Twitter to her. It was funny. We put ‘Raintown’ on vinyl on my stereo. It was so lovely: You see all these people tweeting from all over the world. We hadn’t listened to the album like that in a long time. That was a really special thing. I suppose it felt that night like you connected to an audience. That was the most live thing that we’ve done [in awhile].

We wanted to do a streaming show. We had it all planned [last] November, then the lockdown really hit hard. We were going to record where they had all these facilities in Liverpool. It was completely locked down. We thought, ‘We can’t go down there and put people at risk - our crew and in Liverpool by travelling.’ We had to cancel that. We still might do it. Who knows, we might do it if lockdown continues longer than we think. We’re hopeful that we’ll get back out and we won’t need to do it. The Twitter Party was actually so enjoyable because you felt you really were [in a shared experience].

Q: Were all of you surprised when listeners of Radio Clyde in Glasgow named “Dignity,” your first UK top 40 single off  'Raintown,' the best song of all time from Scotland?

A: Yeah, we were actually...It’s a lovely tribute to a song that seems to have found a place in people’s hearts.

Q: Your band is one of the few acts from Scotland that came to prominence in the 1980s, made it big and continued to tour and record - excluding the five year break. Do you take pride in that longevity?
A: You know, bands go through different phases and relationships. People always say to you, ‘Are you all friends? Do you all meet up when you’re off the road?’ You spend so much time together. That never happens. Ask any band. You’ve had to wait in airports for hours on end having to make up endless games. Sitting on buses. You’ve had every conversation you can ever have with each other.

The odd thing about this [past] year is despite the fact we’ve all been separate, we’ve all been more in touch and really valued each other’s support. Jim and Dougie, especially. [Original members] Graham and Ewen, these guys are like brothers to me. I never had any brothers, only a sister. They’re the brothers I never had. We went through amazing, sometimes great times. You also went through hard things. So, these people are really very close. I think the fact that we’ve survived all these different things makes us even closer. Now, with Gregor and Lewis – Gregor has been playing with us the last 13 years, way longer than the first time of the band. Lewis has for the last 10, 11 years. It’s amazing. We’re kind of a very close bunch.

Q: When it comes to the band’s catalog, do you think there are certain albums that stand the test of time more than others you’ve done?

A: Albums are what they are. Records sound the way they are because they were made in a certain time. That was the technology available. If it’s got good songs on it, I think it will always last longer. I was always keener to use organic instruments because I felt that they dated less. But it doesn’t really matter what you use or what you do, it still has the imprint of the reverbs and the recording process of the time.

There’s gonna be a reissue on vinyl of ‘Fellow Hoodlums.’ Last weekend, I had to listen to the files. The master of it. I hadn’t done that for a long, long time. I listened to it on my stereo system and I was like, ‘Wow, it sounds amazing!’ I sent it to the other guys, and we all had the same reaction. There were things I hadn’t heard since the mix. I think always with Deacon Blue, we made the best record we felt we could make at the time. B-sides, session tracks, all that kind of stuff - yeah, some of them were good; some of them not so good. They were extras. The albums themselves I felt all of them, I could say, hand on heart, we did the best we could.

Q: When you first started the BBC Scotland radio show in 2008, did it take some time getting used to being the interviewer instead of the subject?

A: It kinda did. It also felt liberating. I spent so much of my life talking about me. I’m so bored with me [laughs]. No one can talk about themselves. I defy anyone to do it. It gets so much, ‘How can I talk about me again?’ It was lovely to talk to people where you weren’t part of that conversation…[On commercial radio here], very few people get to go in and play the music they want to play. No one ever says to us, ‘Don’t play this or play that’…my producer and I have worked together for 13 years and are very close. I really enjoy it. I love it. It takes me out of my own space and makes me really enjoy other great songwriters. Country music for me is just a really great tradition of songwriting. It’s just fantastic.

'Riding on the Tide of Love' is available on physical CD and LP at amazon.com on Friday. Band photo courtesy earMUSIC. For info on live downloads, future concert dates, etc. go to www.deaconblue.com.

Rostam returns with new album in June

Rostam's new album Changephobia is due out June 4 on Matsor Projects. Alongside the announcement, he shares new single “4Runner.” Previously released singles include “These Kids We Knew” and “Unfold You,” whose video featured actress Hari Nef.

Stream “4Runner” HERE

Rostam Batmanglij is the Grammy award-winning producer of eight full-length albums, Changephobia is the ninth, and the second album of his artist project, for which he uses just his first name, Rostam.

In a departure from many of Rostam’s previous records, Changephobia doesn’t feature baroque lines, harpsichord, or references to classical music.

“The harpsichord and the cello are these iconic instruments of baroque music — my love affair with them is obvious from a decade of referencing Bach and using those instruments in songs. But in the last few years, and throughout this album, I became obsessed with the Baritone sax, inspired by jazz on a deeper level than ever before, and wanting to bring those things into my musical world.”

The record touches on global warming (“These Kids We Knew”), sharing a cab ride out of town with a loved one (“From the Back of a Cab”), sex (“Unfold You”), and the distinctly American phenomenon of the road trip (“4Runner”).

Watch “These Kids We Knew” HERE

About Rostam

One of the founding members of Vampire Weekend, Rostam Batmanglij has produced Haim's Women in Music Pt III (nominated for Album of the Year at the forthcoming Grammy Awards) and Clairo's Immunity albums, done soundtrack work for film, TV and Broadway, as well as collaborative work with the likes of Hamilton Leithauser, Lykke Li, Maggie Rogers and many others.

Preorder Changephobia HERE

Track list:

1. These Kids We Knew
2. From the Back of a Cab
3. Unfold You
4. 4Runner
5. Changephobia
6. Kinney
7. Bio18
8. [interlude]
9. To Communicate
10. Next Thing
11. Starlight

Headed to PBS this weekend: A rare 1960s music program

Famed New York disc jockey "Murray The K" (Murray Kaufman) became known as "The Fifth Beatle" when he befriended John, Paul, George & Ringo during the musical British Invasion of the 1960s.

In addition to presenting all-star rock and soul concerts at the historic Brooklyn Fox theatre, Murray The K hosted a legendary star-studded special, It's What's Happening Baby to be telecast for the first time in more than a half century.

The show featuring live, on-stage performances by some of the greatest soul, rock and R&B artists of the 20th century debuts Saturday, March 6 at 7:00 pm Eastern/Central/Pacific Time on Public Television outlets with encore telecasts; check local listings.*

The long-unseen landmark program is being presented by veteran public television producer TJ Lubinsky, creator of the hugely popular My Music specials on PBS. It's What's Happening Baby has been newly-restored from original video and audio master tapes. The ground-breaking program was the brainchild of Kaufman, who had given many of the greatest African-American performers their breakthrough in his staged concerts and radio shows.

He then fought to present that powerful pool of talent, including many of the bright soul-pop stars of Motown on It's What's Happening Baby. The once-in-a-lifetime special was originally commissioned by the U.S. government's Office of Economic Opportunity as part of the war on poverty, encouraging American youth to seek summer employment while out of school.

Featuring over a dozen iconic artists -- including Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick, The Righteous Brothers, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Rivers, The Miracles, Herman's Hermits, The Temptations and Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles -- It's What's Happening Baby proved to a huge success when it first aired on June 28, 1965 on CBS, attracting over 20 million viewers.

Of special note is the fact that Mary Wilson of the Supremes shared her recollections of the show of which she was part. She recorded her interview for the program on January 26, 2021. It was to be the very last interview she would ever give as she passed away just 13 days after that nostalgic encounter.

Now, nearly 56 years later, many of the original musical artists appear in new segments, offering fond memories of working with Murray The K, who helped put rock and roll music into the mainstream during his days as one of the most influential radio personalities in New York during the 1950s and 1960s. Dionne Warwick recalls, "He was the man! To be part of a Murray The K show was the thing to be." Little Anthony adds, "He was a real showman. Everybody fell in love with him.”

It's What's Happening Baby performances include:

Nowhere To Run - Martha & The Vandellas
Walk On By - Dionne Warwick
Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter - Herman's Hermits
Pride & Joy - Marvin Gaye
Land Of 1,000 Dances -Cannibal & The Headhunters

You'll Never Walk Alone-Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles

I'm Alright-Little Anthony & The Imperials
Be My Baby - The Ronettes
I Don't Want To Cry - Chuck Jackson
My Guy - Mary Wells
The Seventh Son - Johnny Rivers
The Way You Do The Things You Do - The Temptations
Count Me In - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
Up On The Roof - The Drifters
Stop! In The Name Of Love - The Supremes
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling - The Righteous Brothers
I Can't Help Myself - Four Tops

Ooo Baby Baby - The Miracles

What'd I Say - Ray Charles

Murray the K and Ronettes photo above courtesy of PBS

Beach Boys members and family come together to 'Add Some Music' in April

“In March 2020, while focusing on the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys’ Sunflower album, I was moved by the poignancy of the message and lyrics of the album’s 'Add Some Music to Your Day.' Inspired by this, I thought that combining members of the Beach Boys with the next generation of voices (the children of the Beach Boys) was the perfect way to bring attention to a charity during these challenging times. As 2020 concluded, I became painfully aware of the number of people struggling to feed their families, so I chose Feeding America as the charity recipient.”

—David Beard, editor and publisher of Endless Summer Quarterly, the Beach Boys publication of record.

“The world could come together as one.”

These lyrics are from the 1970 Beach Boys composition “Add Some Music to Your Day,” and they are the inspiration for a new Omnivore Recordings album, California Music Presents Add Some Music, due out April 23 on CD and digital.

Beach Boys historian and documentarian David Beard initiated the project. Last year, he re-recorded the classic 1970 Beach Boys song “Add Some Music to Your Day” (written by Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Joe Knott) with Beach Boys members Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks and the children of the Beach Boys, including Carnie and Wendy Wilson (Brian Wilson’s daughters), Christian, Hayleigh and Ambha Love (Mike Love’s children); Justyn Wilson (son of Carl Wilson); and Matt Jardine (son of founding Beach Boys member Al Jardine).

Their new version of “Add Some Music to Your Day” was arranged and produced by Rob Bonfiglio (member of the Brian Wilson Band and husband to Carnie Wilson).

Filling out the 10 tracks are recordings by Love, Jardine, Johnston, Marks, longtime Beach Boys associate Jeffrey Foskett, Bonfiglio, and a previously unreleased recording of The Beach Boys’ classic ‘Friends” from the next generation. A portion of the proceeds of this release will be donated to http://www.feedingamerica.org.

From Beard’s liner notes: “Gathering together these incredible talents in order to help those in need is as good as it gets, and when it comes to the music of The Beach Boys, it makes sense. We get to listen to music while helping others. It’s ventures like this one that make the future a little brighter.”

Quotes from The Beach Boys:

“‘Add Some Music to Your Day’ brings to mind almost a decade ago when, Brian, Alan, Bruce, David and I gathered around the piano during the 50th Reunion Tour. It’s a real joy to listen to this new incarnation of the song recorded with so many family members. The hope expressed in the lyric of the song is that music can bring people together. The world in harmony — something that is desperately needed. It’s a sweet song with an uplifting message. A special thanks to David Beard for all his work in getting us all together for this sweet song with a purpose. Peace and Love.”
—Mike Love

“It’s been a great pleasure to be involved in this new version of ‘Add Some Music to Your Day,’ something we should ALWAYS be doing and having the proceeds go to the charity Feeding America to help feed the hungry is something I truly believe in. Thank you, David Beard, and everyone involved!” —Al Jardine

“I’ve always loved ‘Add Some Music to Your Day’ as a wonderful sweet song to have originally recorded and I’m honored to be part of this new ‘next century’ recording. I also think that the additional vocals from our close family and friends sounds great! Best of all: Musically we all are part of helping to benefit Feeding America.” —Bruce Johnston

“I am honored to be part of this worthwhile project, especially with the other Beach Boys! Thanks to David Beard” —David Marks

Track Listing:

1) Add Some Music To Your Day – California Music
2) Ram Raj – Mike Love
3) Jenny Clover – Al Jardine
4) She Believes in Love Again – Bruce Johnston
5) Long Promised Road – David Marks
6) Friends – Christian Love, Matt Jardine, Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson, Justyn Wilson, Ambha Love, Adam Jardine, Carl B. Wilson

7) Get Together – Jeffrey Foskett
8) Golden State – Rob Bonfiglio
9) Add Some Music to Your Day (A Capella Version) – California Music
10) Add Some Music to Your Day (Instrumental) – California Music

The band James return in June with 'All The Colours Of You'

UK alternative band James have announced the release of their new album All The Colours Of You on June 4, 2021 via Virgin Music Label & Artist Services (formerly Caroline International).

Recorded in part before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the album was produced by the Grammy award-winning Jacknife Lee (Taylor Swift, U2, REM’s, Snow Patrol, The Killers). Fans can hear the title track “All The Colours Of You” on all streaming services now.

Listen to “All The Colours Of You” here:
https://james.lnk.to/ATCOYSo/Youtube

The songs on the new album were directly influenced by what bandleader and frontman Tim Booth experienced during a nearly apocalyptic time; with the pandemic raging while wildfires burned so close to Booth’s home that he had to evacuate three times over the course of a few months. The lyrics reflect the intense emotions Booth was experiencing, living as an expat in Los Angeles as the US was buffeted by ever-increasing political chaos in the last year of Trump’s presidency.

Producer Jacknife Lee worked remotely from his studio with Booth (Lee’s Topanga Canyon neighbor) and liaised in a daisy chain with fellow band member Jim Glennie, reimagining their demos, and capturing the band in all their virtual glory.

Tim Booth says “With all the shit that went down in 2020 this was a miraculous conception and another big jump forward for us on the back of the last three albums. I hope it reflects the colours of these crazy times. Sweet 16 is a proper album, no fillers and is up there with our best."

Bassist Jim Glennie says “I'm pleased, proud and surprised by this record in equal amounts. Jacknife has pushed us and the songs somewhere new and it's very exciting. After all these years, we are still challenging ourselves and our fans.”

From the first line on album opener “ZERO”, ‘We’re all gonna die’, Tim addresses many difficult subjects throughout the 11 tracks, with themes ranging from politics and climate change, to dealing with the loss of a loved one during the pandemic.

Lead track “All The Colours Of You” tackles the Trump years head on. Based in the US for many years, Tim witnessed first-hand the divisiveness and hatred stoked by the former President. Highlighting the sharp rise of white supremacy during his reign, the track ultimately offers a glimmer of hope, a new and brighter future with the refrain ‘Love all the colours, all the colours of you’.

“Beautiful Beaches” focuses on the fires that ravaged California over the summer and came distressingly close to Tim and his family’s home. The song came after a vision Tim had of an earthquake and fires, which caused his family to race for refuge on beautiful beaches ‘That life we left behind, we’re racing down to those beautiful beaches’.

“Recover” deals with the death of Tim’s father-in-law from COVID-19 in the UK. It’s about honouring a loved one’s legacy and spirit.

Since their breakthrough single in 1991, “Sit Down”, James have released fifteen studio albums, selling over 25 million copies in the process, and performed countless headline shows and festivals across the world. Many in the US will know James from their 1993 hit “Laid” which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, was featured as the theme song to the American Pie movies and has appeared numerous times in film and tv over the years. They continue to be a huge live draw, having sold 60,000 tickets for a UK arena tour scheduled for this November and December; a tour which has sold faster than any previous James tour. Their last US tour dates were a 2019 sold out, national run of shows with the Psychedelic Furs.

Says Booth, “The truth is we felt we were built to last.”

Tracklist:

1. ZERO
2. All The Colours Of You
3. Recover
4. Beautiful Beaches
5. Wherever It Takes Us
6. Hush
7. Miss America
8. Getting Myself Into
9. Magic Bus
10. Isabella
11. XYST