London is a great city to mythologise and punk rock loved to do it. The Clash were almost as good as the Kinks in talking up the Smoke , as much through the pages of the NME as through their actual songs. London Calling is more sophisticated than its older and shoutier brother London's Burning, but I remember the impact of someone singing about concrete flyovers when most songs that we heard on the radio were about dancing and keepin' on truckin'. Of course, when I eventually saw for myself The Westway in London, that overpass of Portobello that Joe Strummer had been on about, it reminded me of the flyover on Lecky Road in Derry, and made me wonder why our band didn't write about that. Possibly because nothing much ever happened there, apart from the odd burned out car. Also tonight, a reminder of Johnny Thunders' passing, 21 years ago this week. News also coming in of Levon Helm tonight. I'll stop before it gets too sad.
Ìý
Ìý
The Jam - The Place I Love
The Clash - London's Burning
Action Pact! - Stanwell
Sator - Pigvalley Beach
Boyz- Charlotte
Boys - Teachers Pet
REM - Pretty Persuasion
Gol Gappas - Albert Parker
Fruit Eating Bears - Chevy Heavy
New York Dolls - Private World
Adam & The Ants - Zerox
Go Gos - Our Lips Are Sealed
Dexys Midnight Runners - Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire....
Johnny Thunders - You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory
I see that John Cale is approaching Belfast for this years CQAF (first word is Cathedral, work out the rest yourself) and in honour of the Greatest Living Welshman we start with White Light/White Heat, the title song from the last Velvets LP he worked on. Most punk rock bands were inspired by the Velvet Underground but very few took their lead and got the bass player to learn the viola. Of course, it was the other way around with John Cale. Did the Velvets lose something when he departed ? No comment, but I don’t think his replacement Doug Yule gets many invites to festivals in Belfast. Although there’s an idea.... Also tonight, two numbers with numbers in the titles. Can you spot them ?
Ìý
Ìý
Ìý
Velvet Underground - White Light White Heat
Lurkers - Freak Show
B52s - 6060 842
The Offs - 624803
Skids - Hope & Glory
Fleshtones - HexbreakerÌý
Magazine - The Light Pours Out Of Me
Stingrays - I Want My Woman
The Loft - Why Does The Rain
Highspeed V - Sally
Choo Choo Train - Flower FieldÌý
Greeting Number 4 - Photos
Mojo Men - She’s My Baby
Stiff Little Fingers - State of Emergency
Were the Shop Assistants the best band to come from Edinburgh ? It's not the most important question you'll be asked today but I do think their records were wonderful. Cross the Ramones with The Shangri-las and see what emerges - it will be very like the Shop Assistants. There's an who disparages their debut LP , after loving their first singles. Do I detect that he only likes a band when no one else has heard of them ? I thought I was the only one who did that. To answer the question, no, the Shop Assistants were not the best band ever from Edinburgh. The Bay City Rollers were. Also tonight, San Francisco punk rockin' noise creators Chrome - who I had never heard of until I bought a compilation called Cool Punk. Not a promising title, but what do I know ? I like them now but if people start talking about them, I'll change my mind.
Shop Assistants - Looking Back
Ramones - I Wanted Everything
Young Marble Giants - Final Day
Chrome - TV As Eyes
Johnny Moped - No One
Cortinas - Ask Mr Waverley
John Cooper Clark - Conditional Discharge
Kleenex - Eisger Wind
Only Ones - Lovers Of Today
Joy Division - The Kill
Half Man Half Biscuit - Architecture, Morality, Ted And Alice
Johnny Thunders - Its Not Enough
Josef K - Pictures of Cindy
Wilmer X - Motorbike Driving
Flaming Groovies - Absolutely Sweet Marie
