Britpop ran out of steam by 1997 with the big players in the movement moving in a new musical direction, suffering from burnout, splitting up or just seeing further sales diminish. Blur released a self titled album which took its influence from the American lo-fi scene. Pulp released ‘This Is Hardcore’, which sounded like morning after the night before. Oasis released ‘Be Here Now’ which was an overproduced bloated mess.
Bands that followed on from this took elements that had inspired the Britpop bands, but looked to make music that would appeal to a wider audience. There was less focus on Britain, the lyrics became more introspective and there was a greater attempt to appeal to the American market.
Many of the bands that made up the Post-Britpop era started during the Britpop years. Radiohead and The Verve predated it but found critical acclaim with their ‘OK Computer’ and ‘Urban Hymns’ albums respectively. Coldplay became one of the biggest selling bands of the era with their first two albums going multi platinum. Travis, Catatonia and Snow Patrol also shifted a good deal of units at this time. As with any movement, this also ran out of steam by 2002 when bands such as The White Stripes, The Strokes and The Hives were hailed as the saviours of rock and roll.
Like ‘The Britpop Years’ compilations from the last few months, there are a number of artists that would not normally be associated with the Post Britpop years. Once again, the compilations look at the years the music was produced in, not necessarily sticking to what would be considered Post Britpop as that would mean artists from outside the UK could be included.
Disc 1
Holes – Mercury Rev
Hundred Mile High City – Ocean Colour Scene
Porcelain – Moby
Don’t Falter – Mint Royal (with Lauren Laverne)
78 Stone Wobble – Gomez
Praise You (Radio Edit) – Fatboy Slim
Boys Better – The Dandy Warhols
Jesus Says – Ash
Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz
Prologue To History – Manic Street Preachers
Cement Mixer – Clinic
Tequila (Mint Royal Shot Mix) – Terrorvision
Korean Bodega – Fun Lovin’ Criminals
Pure Morning – Placebo
Dolphins Were Monkeys (UNKLE Remix) – Ian Brown
Rising Sign – Hurricane #1
Shining Light – Ash
Disc 2
My Star – Ian Brown
Scar Tissue – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Go Let it Out – Oasis
You Stole The Sun From My Heart – Manic Street Preachers
Celebrity Skin – Hole
Whatever Happened To My Rock & Roll – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Denise – Fountains Of Wayne
Subterranean Homesick Alien – Radiohead
Walk Like A Panther (7” Version) – The All Seeing I
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad – Moby
Brimful Of Asha (Single Version) – Cornershop
Underdog (Save Me) – Turin Brakes
Pipe Dreams – Travis
To You – I Am Kloot
Great Divide – The Cardigans
Wishing Stone – Dot Allison
Come Back To What You Know – Embrace
Morning Afterglow – Electrasy
All I Want – Puressence
Delta Bottleneck Stomp – Mercury Rev
Interlude – Blur
The front cover, which is pretty much the same for all of the volumes, was adapted from a compilation released many moon ago and I have no idea what it was.
This disc could not be reproduced on Spotify due to one more songs not being available on that platform.
Last month, I posted a what-if compilation of The Beatles and what could have been their LP release of 1969, with additional singles. They were one of the bands mentioned by multiple artists during the Britpop era as a major influence. They even got back together (sort of) to release two new(six) songs during the mid 90s. So, wouldn’t it be interesting to put together a compilation of artists that were an influence on that period so this is what I put together.
Britpop was a harking back to the great British song book of the 60s, 70s and 80s. It was also a rejection of American grunge music, so many of the songs writers from this period looked to write about Britishness in their lyrics. The 60s influences (especially Blur) ranged from The Kinks (especially when they were banned from the USA and their songs became more British in their lyrical content), The Beatles, and Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd. From the 70s, Noel Gallagher took inspiration from Slade. Art rockers such as Roxy Music were an influence on Suede. Bands from the late 70s such as The Strangers and Wire were such an influence on Elastica that the band lost plagiarism court cases due to the similarity of their songs to those of these earlier bands records. The indie scene of the 80s and very early 90s played a part in creating Britpop. The Madchester Scene where bands such as the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays played a part, incorporating dance beats and jangly guitars into their sound. With all this thrown into the mix, Britpop emerged.
Whilst not all of these songs were the most inspirational in terms of Britpop, with The La’s and the song ‘There She Goes’ being called by Rolling Stone magazine, the foundation of Britpop, I did not want to use songs that were used on other compilations I have put together for this years celebration. If this compilation had actually been released back in the 90s, and I am surprised nothing like this was, then The Beatles and Pink Floyd would have been nowhere near it with those bands and/or record labels would not have released these songs for a compilation such as this. I also feel that compilers back in the day would have picked a Beatles song by John Lennon, but I went with ‘The Inner Light’, a George Harrison number as I needed to have something with an Indian influence to cover Kula Shaker.
Disc 1
My Generation (Mono) – The Who
The Last Time – Andrew Oldham Orchestra
Arnold Layne – Pink Floyd
The Inner Light – The Beatles
Autumn Almanac – The Kinks
Lazy Sunday – Small Faces
Street Fighting Man (Single Mono Mix) – The Rolling Stones
Starman (Single Mono Mix) – David Bowie
Cum On Feel The Noize – Slade
Do The Strand – Roxy Music
20th Century Boy – T.Rex
No More Heroes – The Stranglers
Take My I’m Yours – Squeeze
Radio, Radio – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
I Am The Fly (Single Version) – Wire
Groovy Times – The Clash
Cleopatra – Adam & The Ants
Harmony In The Head – The Buzzcocks
Disc 2
The Eton Rifles – The Jam
Bloody Revolutions – Crass
Treason – The Teardrop Explodes
Do Nothing (Single Version) – The Specials (feat. Rico & the Ice Rink String Sounds)
Senses Working Overtime (Single Edit) – XTC
Our House (Radio Edit) – Madness
The Cutter – Echo & The Bunnynmen
This Charming Man – The Smiths
24 Hour Party People – Happy Mondays
I Wanna Be Adored (Single Version) – Stone Roses
Brassneck – The Wedding Present
Def Con One – Pop Will Eat Itself
Timeless Melody – The La’s
Dragging Me Down – Inspired Carpets
L.S.I. – The Shamen
Cut Your Head – Pavement
Disc 2 could not be reproduced on Spotify due to one or more songs not being available.
The front cover images is adapted from pinterest user, Tim Benson. Virgin Records released several compilations during this era so I used their logo here.
As I noted last month, I did spend the mid 90s listening to a lot of what we would now call Britpop, but that was not all that made its way onto my record player. There was a lot of other good music being produced at that time that was not Britpop and I thought I would put together another compilation of songs that reflected the period. Like last month, I could not produce a compilation for 1996 or 1997 individually so I have combined these years not a CD length playlist.
Premiers Symptômes (Modular Mix) – Air
Remember Me (Original 12” Version) – Blue Boy
Drinking In L.A. – Bran Van 3000
Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? – Paula Cole
Who Do You Think You Are? – Spice Girls
Mint Car – The Cure
Oh Marie – Sheryl Cole
Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) – The Beautiful South
Someone’s Daughter (Single Version) – Beth Orton
Black Eyed Boy – Texas
The Bright Light – Tanya Donelly
Don’t Speak – No Doubt
Have You Seen Mary? – Sponge
Kiss Me – Sixpence None The Richer
Real Love – The Beatles
Miss Misery – Elliott Smith
My Love – Mark One
Simple Beautiful – Briana Corrigan
Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space – Spiritualised
I did spend the mid 90s listening to a lot of what we would now call Britpop, but that was not all that made its way onto my record player. There was a lot of other good music being produced at that time that was not Britpop and I thought I would put together a compilation of songs that reflected the period. I did try producing a compilation that would cover one year, but this proved to be a bit difficult. Therefore, both this and next months entry cover two years each. On reflection, this is a real mixed bag.
Bizarre Love Triangle – Frente!
Cornflake Girl (Edit) – Tori Amos
Missing (Todd Terry Remix) – Everything But The Girl
Stay (I Missed You) – Lisa Loeb
Turn On Turn In Cop Out – Freak Power
All I Wanna Do – Sheryl Crow
Sense – Terry Hall
Patience Of Angels – Eddi Reader
Change – The Lightning Seeds
Inside – Stiltskin
Ode To Billy Joe – Sinead O’Connor
Hallo Spaceboy – David Bowie
Tongue – R.E.M.
Streets Of Philadelphia – Bruce Springsteen
Take It Back (Edit) – Pink Floyd
’74-’75 – The Connels
Black Gold – Soul Asylum
One Of US – Joan Osborne
Blackhole – Beck
Unlike the majority of my compilations, I have made this fit onto a CD with no vinyl equivalent. I also chose the title as it was a nice play on the ‘Now That’s What I Call Music’ compilations that were also a mixed bag of genres, depending on what was selling that particular month.
I added the Virgin Records logo as they seemed to be kings of the compilation i the mid 90s if what I have in my record collection is anything to go by.
This playlist could not recreated on Spotify due to one or more of the songs not being available.
In compiling the playlists I have been posting since the beginning of the year, I have listened to a lot of what could be considered Britpop. Even though the term was an invention of the media to describe the musical landscape of the mid 90s, a lot of the bands that featured in it shared a few characteristics. These included being influenced by British music of the 60s and 70s, distancing themselves (at least initially) from US grunge music, championing the working class and for the most part, were guitar bands.
However, not all was what it would seem and delving into the murky depths of the B-Sides revealed there was an attempt to appeal to clubbers and dance music. Not everyone got in on the act with Oasis being one such act who avoided a dance remix. This did not stop most of the others joining in, including Suede who enlisted Brian Eno to remix their song ‘Introducing The Band’, but as this was included on the ‘Lost Lullabies’ compilation from a few months back, I decided to not put it here as well. There are also a couple of acts that would not be described as Britpop (e.g. Paul Weller and Portishead) but all of these recordings came out in the era so, like the other volumes in the Britpop Years series, I feel that they can have a home here.
Disc 1
Wide Open Space (Perfecto Remix) – Mansun
Govinda (Monkey Mafia Ten To Ten) – Kula Shaker
The Man Don’t Give A Fuck (Howard Marks Mix)
He’s On The Phone (Motif 8 Remix) – St Etienne
Nighthood (Freaky Aspirin Remix) – Space
Daydreamer (Dubdreamer) – Menswear
Sun Hits The Sky (Bentley Rhythm Ace Remix) – Supergrass
I Don’t Get Enough (PMFF Lite) (Went Down to ‘Frisco Just for the Disco Mix) – Theaudience
Sleeper (The Mr Scruff Mix) – Audioweb
Found You (Underground Excursion Mix) – Dodgy
Disc 2
Jailbird (Sweeney 2 Mix) – Primal Scream
You Showed Me (Attica Blues Vocal Mix) – The Lightning Seeds
Begging You (Chic Mix) – The Stone Roses
Girls & Boys (Pet Shop Boys 7” Remix) – Blur
Science (Lynch Mob Remix) – Paul Weller
Sour Times (Airbus Reconstruction) – Portishead
Hallo Spaceboy (Pet Shop Boys Remix) – David Bowie
Wog (Witchmann Alternative Mix) – Cornershop
Mulder & Scully (The Ex-Files) – Catatonia
Kelly’s Heroes (The Milky Bar Kid Mix) – Black Grape
Here Comes the Big Rush (Midfield General Vocal Remix) – Echobelly
Everything Is Sorrow (Granby Remix) – The Boo Radleys
I am a couple of days early with this one but on 11th May 1979, The Cure released their debut album, ’Three Imaginary Boys’. The members of this first line up had all attended Notre Dame Middle School in Crawley and first appeared on stage together in a one-off school band called Obelisk. Eventually settling down into a four piece called Easy Cure consisting of Robert Smith (guitar, vocals), Porl Thompson (guitar), Michael Dempsey (bass) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). Entering and winning a competition that resulted in the band being signed to German label Hansa, a number of demos were recorded which have yet to see the light of day. The label soon dropped the band because they did not see eye to eye on what they wanted. The band wanted to record original material where as the label wanted them to be a covers band. Released from their contract, Thompson would leave due to conflict with Smith. Smith felt that Thompson’s guitar playing was too busy (or too good) for a punk band. Smith was also writing songs that were considerably more minimalistic than their earlier work. Thompson would rejoin the band in 1983 but for the time being, he was out of the picture.
Dropping the Easy part of the name, the three piece recorded a demo at Chestnut Studios in Essex for distribution to record labels. Eventually, Chris Parry at Polydor decided that he would sign them as one of the first acts on his newly formed Fiction label. The resulting album, ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ did not meet Robert Smith’s standard as he was not given control over the track listing and cover art. This is clearly shown by the inclusion of a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song, ‘Foxy Lady’, which the band used as a soundcheck. As far as I can tell, it is the only cover the band has ever released on one of its records. It also has the distinction of being the only song by The Cure that was not sung by Robert Smith. On this occasion, bass player Michael Dempsey took on vocal duties. Three singles were also recorded during these early days and none of the A-Sides appeared on this album. Dempsey would leave before the recording of the next album as the band would leave this post punk sound behind and go on a much darker path.
The album has been re-released many times over the years but in 2004, a deluxe edition came out which contained a number of unreleased songs from those early days as well as the aforementioned single cuts*. Having been a bit of a Cure fan, and even more so of their earlier work, I knew that there was a number of songs that could have been included to round this collection out and make it more substantial. With this being (nearly) the 45th Anniversary of its release, I though this would be a perfect opportunity to do so.
On disc 1, the first twelve tracks are the same as the original album. We then have all of the Single A and B-Sides, including those recorded at the time but not released until ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ was rereleased with a different vocal in the mid 80s. This disc also includes a number of sessions outtakes, a Peel Session from 1978 and ‘The Weedy Burton’, a hidden track on the original album which sounds as though it should be at the end of the CD and not half way through.
Disc 1
10:15 Saturday Night – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Accuracy – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Grinding Halt – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Another Day – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Object – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Subway Song – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Foxy Lady – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Meat Hook – Three Imaginary Boys Album
So What – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Fire in Cairo – Three Imaginary Boys Album
It’s Not You – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Three Imaginary Boys – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Killing an Arab – Single A-side
Boys Don’t Cry – Single A-side
Plastic Passion – Single B-side (Boys Don’t Cry)
Pillbox Tales – Single B-side (Boys Don’t Cry Reissue)
Do The Hansa – Single B-side (Boys Don’t Cry Reissue)
Jumping Someone Else’s Train Single – Single A-side
I’m Cold – Single B-side (Jumping Someone Else’s Train)
Winter – Three Imaginary Boys Out-Take
Faded Smiles (I Don’t Know) – Three Imaginary Boys Out-Take
Play With Me – Three Imaginary Boys Out-Take
World War – Three Imaginary Boys Out-Take
10:15 Saturday Night – Peel Session (11/12/1978)
Killing an Arab – Peel Session (11/12/1978)
Fire in Cairo – Peel Session (11/12/1978)
Boy’s Don’t Cry – Peel Session (11/12/1978)
The Weedy Burton – Three Imaginary Boys Album
Disc 2 is a deeper dive into the early years of the band, including songs that were recorded when they were still known as Easy Cure. The first four songs are, I believe, from the sessions recorded at Hansa. These show the band as a lot more of a punk band than the tunes included on ‘Three Imaginary Boys’. Opening song is ‘See The Children’ and it is easy to see why this one has never ‘officially’ seen the light of day as it tells the story of a man who prays on children. The demo that secured the band its record deal with Fiction Records is also included as well as few live tracks and another Peel Session.
Disc 2
See The Children – Easy Cure Demo
Meathook – Easy Cure Demo
I Just Need Myself – Easy Cure Demo
I Want to be Old – Easy Cure Demo
Listen (Pillbox Tales) – Easy Cure Demo
I’m Cold – Sav Studio Demo
The Cocktail Party – Group Home Demo
Grinding Halt – Group Home Demo
Heroin Face – Live At The Rocket Crawely, December 1977
It might seem a bit excessive, especially as the listener would have to listen to five different versions of ’10:15 Saturday Night’, but it is a more comprehensive package than the original Deluxe Edition from 2004.
The front cover is the same as the one used on the 2004 Deluxe Edition reissue of the album.
*Except for ‘Killing an Arab’. Even though it is an adaptation of ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus, the song has had a controversial history due to a view that is promotes violence against Arabs. The Cure have even changed the lyrics when performing it in the 21st Century to either ‘Kissing an Arab’ or ‘Killing Another’. This was not concluded on the 2004 re-release of this album.
Following on from last months ‘Unbelievable’ compilation, here we go with another set of songs from just before the Britpop era. The majority of the songs comes from 1992-1993 with the odd song from before this and just after, but these seemed to fit better on this compilation that the main Britpop Years ones. The only anomalies to all these are ‘The Shoe Of The Moon’ by The Waterboys and ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’ by Morrissey. The Waterboys songs originally came out in 1985, but I only became aware of it from the 1991 re-release so it fits in here better (for me anyway) than an 80s compilation.
Disc 1
Connected – Stereo MC’s
Hit – The Sugarcubes
Ebeneezer Goode – The Shaman
Jump Around – House Of Pain
Ain’t No Love (Radio Edit) – Sub Sub feat. Melanie Williams
Regret – New Order
Runaway Train – Soul Asylum
For Love – Lush
Sex Type Thing – Stone Temple Pilots
Far Gone & Out – The Jesus & Mary Chain
Rocks – Primal Scream
Spin The Bottle – Juliana Hatfield 3
No Rain – Blind Melon
Two Princes – Spin Doctors
Lenny Valentino – The Auteurs
Hey Jealousy – Gin Blossoms
Is It Like Today – World Party
So Glad (Single Version) – Thrum
Creation – Stereo MC’s
Haze On The Hills/The Majestic Song – The Tea Party
We were unable to recreate this playlist on Spotify due to one or more songs not being available on that platform.
Disc 2
Born Of Frustration – James
Good Morning Britain – Aztec Camera
Friday I’m In Love – The Cure
Movie’ On Up – Primal Scream
Whole Of The Moon – The Waterboys
Motorcycle Emptiness – Manic Street Preachers
Alice, What’s The Matter – Terrorvision
Shadow Of The Season – Strangelove
Lucky You – The Lightning Seeds
Welcome To The Cheap Seats – The Wonder Stuff
Step It Up – Stereo MC’s
Creep – Radiohead
Babies – Pulp
Put The Message In The Box – World Party
Everyday Is Like Sunday – Morrissey
Wild Wood – Paul Weller
One – U2
Me In Honey – R.E.M.
The artwork is adapted from the compilation of the same name that came out in 2002.
