This playlist is 79% vinyl friendly. Not bad.

With that brass look reminding me of something you’d get in a hardware shop this chunky but small turntable from 1998 is still in production, and at 13kg weight Kuzma’s Stabi S is sturdy. ‘A uniquely designed turntable, (it) is a minimalist, beautifully engineered piece of kit. Its uni pivot design, silicone damping system and two-piece counterweight on its arm – to name but a few design choices – all help it deliver top-notch sound quality… Insightful, dynamic, natural-sounding and able to deliver vocals with real passion, this turntable is something special.’ it was said somewhere.

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Any track marked * has been given either a tiny or a slightly larger 41 Rooms tweak/edit/chop and the occasional tune might sound a bit dodgy, quality-wise. On top of that, the switch between different decades and production values never helps in the mix here. 🙂

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Lyric of Playlist 133

For it bonkers value… it’s with Roisin!

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00.00

(Intro) THE FLAMINGOS – Stars (Edit) – Unreleased demo – 1983. Episode #1 for info.

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00.41

NEW ORDER – Truth (Movement…….) One-sided Movement 12″ acetate – The Town House – Unreleased – 1981

When Hooky was researching for his Substance – Inside New Order he called me. He had a copy of my From Heaven To Heaven… with him and he reckoned the acetate had likely been Martin Hannett’s own copy, and as such there’s a very slightly different mix of a couple of the tracks on side one of the album, rather than different versions. This ‘Truth’ starts with Hooky’s bass isolated and finishes slightly differently. I think the bit of a wobble on the melodica is down to the acetate and not Barney’s playing…

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05.04

HACIENDA – Nightmare Of Max – 12″ – Harthouse – 1996

There was a lot of this type of big beats, dancefloor friendly, slow shuffling stuff around in the ’90s, this romp from a DJ crew out of Germany. Throw is some head nodding, too.

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11.28

RAE & CHRISTIAN – Spellbound (Live at Nulle Part Ailleurs) – Unreleased, stream only

Nulle Part Ailleurs (Nowhere Else) was a French leftfield entertainment TV show and certainly included Antoine de Caunes as a co-host for a period, so Rae & Christian turning up on there, playing live, would have been just ‘right’. With Steve Christian’s guitar-strumming intro (not on the recorded version), vocalist, Veba is, as always, the star.

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16.29

JAH WOBBLE and JULIE CAMPBELL – Slavetown (Pts 1 & 2) – Psychic Life, LP – Cherry Red – 2011

Apart from assuming ‘Lonelady’ Julie would have been an admirer of PIL’s former guitarists, Keith Levine and John McGeogh (both now sadly departed, but the former appeared on Psychic Life) I’m not sure how this partnership came to pass. Worth it though, as it gives Julie a chance to ‘soul’ her vocals. Very coincidentally, via a few short days back in Bedford in November I’ll be catching Mr Wobble play live, as he’s at Esquires. Result!

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22.14

MALCOLM McLAREN – Waltz Darling * – 7″ – Epic – 1989

It wasn’t really the greatest leap for the Sex Pistols manager to want a bit of pop stardom for himself and with Bootsy Collins and Phil Ramone in the producer’s seat with him on this particular release I’d say this is one of his finer moments. And not for the first time on 41 Rooms, hellzapoppin’ crops up in the lyrics of a tune.

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26.05

CARON WHEELER – I Adore You – 12″ – Perspective – 1992

‘More from the Mo Money movie soundtrack, the former Soul II Soul singer’s Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis created slinkily rolling hacksawing swayer is in its Sybil ‘Don’t Make Me Over’ sampling (0-)98-0bpm LP Version and (0-)96.6-0bpm LP Radio Mix plus jam & Lewis’s more sombrely jogging 0-96.4bpm Dance Hall Version, pleasant enough until Danny Tenaglia then transforms it with his gorgeous piano plonked gossamer light bubbling lush jazzy 108.6-108.3bpm Club House Mix, 108.3bpm Catch The Groove Mix and loping 108.5bpm I Adore Dubb‘. – James Hamilton, Record Mirror (Music Week), 31.10.92

On a par with her Jazzy B, Soul II Soul background.

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30.27

DEAD CAN DANCE – Opium – Anastasis, 2LP – (PIAS) Recordings – 2012

At the time, Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard’s first DCD album in 16 years.

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36.09

RICHARD HARVEY – Elegy (Shroud For A Nightingale soundtrack) – 7″ – ASV – 1983

Seeing this Richard Harvey was a member of ’70s folk rock band, Gryphon I instantly knew I didn’t go for them back in the day… and having just listened to the first track of theirs I could now find… I know why. However, soundtrack work is where he’s flourished pretty much ever since and Elegy was from a UK TV series that I didn’t watch but must have caught enough of an opening or closing credit to clock the music and then realise it was on a 7″ single. Looking at the timeline I maybe see why it hit a spot with me and also worked in a soundtrack type way… even with the panpipes. They might appear again on another edition of 41 Rooms but they really should have a warning the way the banjo does on here.

If you’re old enough, sounding in places like incidental music to the BBC’s Robinson Crusoe TV series of the 1960s – and that’s a good thing.

I can nearly guarantee Elegy isn’t being played by anyone near you right now (apart from the sole buyer on eBay back in Sept – hammer down at 50p) but it’s also yours for between 80p and (with the pic cover I didn’t get) £2 or so on Discogs. No need to panic, there are plenty of copies. 🙂

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38.53

THE MONOCHROME SET – Eine Symphonie Des Grauens – 7″ – Rough Trade – 1979

Jaunty! And in between the sort of records we’d have expected Rough Trade to release this could have been one that label head, Geoff Travis was quietly hoping could ‘break through’ and ‘chart’ (to some degree) to help the RT coffers.

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40.58

JOSEF K – 16 Years (Live) – The Sound Of Josef K: Live At Valentino’s, CD only – Rhythm Of Life – 2003

As it happens, recorded the night before I was watching New Order for the first time (in Heaven, London) but in a venue I’d see NO three months later. They may have only been in existence for three years but the JK hardcore following that’s grown since has no doubt fuelled the many subsequent re-releases and unearthed recordings.

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43.35

MOIRA & THE MICE – Sight and Sound – 7″ – Rodent Records – 1980

The copy below being in far better condition is the reason you’re not seeing mine here but I still have both of this Cardiff band’s two (only) singles. John Peel must have played one or both of them. It would have been the only way I’d heard a sound like this at that point in time. Like an early Blondie single that never was.

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46.36

LENE LOVICH – I Think We’re Alone Now – 7″ – Stiff – 1978

Quirky pop from my short lived, couple of years (Elvis Costello, Rachel Sweet, Jane Aire…) fraternising with Stiff music and when I had the pic disc version of her Stateless album.

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49.17

THE SOUND – Contact The Fact – From The Lions Mouth, LP – Korova – 1981

Another album that must nearly be on 41 Rooms in full.

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53.29

BIG JOANIE – Your Words – Back Home, LP – Kill Rock Stars – 2022

If Throwing Muses’ Bright Yellow Gun and Kitchens Of Distinction’s Railwayed hadn’t already made it to 41 Rooms one or both of them would have been right here next door to these girls.

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57.05

TIM BUCKLEY – Get On Top * – Greetings From L.A., LP – Warner Brothers – 1972

I’m not over keen on any ‘soloing’… so some of the keyboards wigging out in the middle of this had to get the red card but Buckley’s funk folk (here anyway) is class. Outro’ing with some tempo increase (accelerando?) and vocal inflection reminiscent of Jon Lucien, it’s only now occurred to me.

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01.03.24

808 STATE – 10 x 10 (Gorgeous) c/w 10 x 10 (Vox) – 12″ – ZTT – 1991

I’ve rarely coupled together two versions of the same track by an artist but with Graham Massey and co it’s the second time I’ve done it on this show. I’ve a pile of early ’90s Record Mirrors when it shrunk to be included as a dance music focus within trade mag, Music Week and whenever I eventually get to go through them there will no doubt be a James Hamilton review that I can include here that does justice to the ‘italo piano plonked’ Gorgeous version and the ‘pulverising beats’ Vox takes I’ve linked here.

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01.09.33

SINK YA TEETH – The Hot House – Two, LP – Hey Buffallo – 2020

With funky electronica as its base, some modern day no wave from Nor folk.

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01.13.44

A CERTAIN RATIO – Dirty Boy (Unknown Remix) – ????

Tony Wilson ghosts in on one version of Dirty Boy but it’s definitely New Order manager, Rob Gretton here with the “You asked me ‘why do I do it?’ Because of the music, is the answer” sample.

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01.16.52

RANDY BROWN – Love Is All We Need – 7″ b-side – Expansion – 2020

In a previous life, Ralph Tee gave The Flamingos a cracking review (in Blues & Soul, possibly) so, he’s alright, and here he is as Expansion’s modern day owner with a track originally on Brown’s Welcome To My Room album from 1978 and it’s very definitely alright.

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01.20.48

MARY J BLIGE – Fade Away – Growing Pains, 2LP – Geffen – 2007

Not unlike the emotional build of her No More Drama – a track she stormed on Later With Jools a couple decades back.

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01.24.32

THE BLUE BOY – Remember Me (Original 12″ version)– 12″ – Pharm – 1997

‘After infuriating many as an untraceable import last year, this ridiculously simple and thus ultra-catchy funkier is now available on Sure Is Pure’s label. Marlena Shaw/Blue Note samples and the subsequent “Remember me, I’m the one who had your babies” hook added to a sparse hip hop break and a gently throbbing baseline not only recalls another classic – the Young Disciples’ Apparently Nothin’ – but commands an instant top 10 chart placing‘. – ***** James Hyman, Record Mirror (Music Week), 1.2.97 

In its time it was certainly an earworm.

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01.28.40

ASHLEY THOMAS – Mas Music – Soulful, CD only – Cavendish Music – 2006

Snappy r&b/soul of the blue-eyed sort, I thought Ashley had made it to 41 Rooms more than the three times he now has. Must do better. Him, not me. With his most recent release seemingly fifteen years back maybe he’s moved on to other pastures.

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01.31.30

9 Lazy 9 – Swingpool – Electric Lazyland, LP – Ninja Tune – 1994

It certainly swings in a pool, with stuttering jazz.

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01.34.58

MOLOKO – Fun For Me (Extended Play) – 12″ – Echo – 1995

‘Spinning ludicrous lyricisms over crazy psychedelic stoner grooves and ending up in a rather weird world on the fringes of rationality, Moloko are a Deee-Lite for the trip hop generation. Fun For Me is just as bizarre, imaginative and off-kilter as Where Is The… A wacky world of nonsensical sensi-smiles awaits‘. *** – Calvin Bush, Muzik #5, Oct ’95

‘With its Dr Dre/G-funky/Bootsy P-funky backbeat, lush female vocals and soporific lyrics, this stand-out single also manages to blend in a whole heap of strange sounds. Do not let this get lost amid all the established Tricky/Portishead/Mo Wax, trip hop fraternities‘. – James Hyman, Record Mirror (Music Week), 18.11.95

I heard this kookie sounding tune pre-release I think, but very late at night/early morning on a KISS FM show, possibly Wilber Wilberforce’s. Unsurprisingly, the vocals really stood out in a WTF type of way. Not a sassy black rapper out of the Bronx but despite the Sheffield hook up with Brydon, originally a girl out of Arklow, Ireland. Just up the road from me she was there last year championing the town in a video.

Jazid (#5) article, 9-10.96

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01.39.41

THE SUNDAYS – I Won – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, LP – Rough Trade – 1990

Now I could have gone for iD’ing the track in its purest form – on a one-sided 7″ flexi disc given away with the independent music trade mag, The Catalogue (below) but we all know they sounded pretty ropey… and we’d want nothing getting in the way of Harriet Wheeler’s English-as-a-very-English-thing vocal sprinkling on us like confetti. Yep, if ever a voice ‘sprinkled’ it may have been hers.

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01.43.56

MARVIN GAYE – Right On – What’s Going On, LP – Tamla Motown – 1971

With the album forever right up there, I could have sworn I’d playlisted this already. I should have… but I hadn’t. So, I have now. When the album title was being considered I bet there was a debate had over whether it should be ‘What’s Going On’ or ‘What’s Goin’ On’, with some A&R/marketing ‘dude’ pushing for the latter. It will have happened, especially as the album version of the track itself intro’s with some ‘What’s happenin’, brother?’ found sound. I bet Marv thought, ‘No point preaching only to the converted. I need to be reachin(g) the suits in power‘.

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1.50.41

WILLIE HUTCH – Brother’s Gonna Work It Out – 7″ – Tamla Motown – 1973

When I was sweeping up UK Tamla Motown singles in the ’70s I think this just somehow passed me by. I say ‘think’. Sometimes tastes can change slightly through the decades.

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01.53.25

GIL SCOTT-HERON – Winter In America (Bottom Line, NY, 20.8.77) – Stream only – 1977

Nov 5 in America looms. Beware the lunacy below could be back, and if Gil was still around he wouldn’t know whereto start.

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Show 134 due Dec 1.

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