The Last Drive: Underworld Shakedown 1986

 

The Last Drive is a Greek punk garage rock group which formed in 1983, broke up in 1995, and reunited in January 2007.
 
1983-1987: The beginnings

The Last Drive started playing under the name "Last Drive" in late 1983 and their first performance was at the "Rodeo club" on December 27, 1983. They adopted the name "Last Drive" after noticing a cocktail by that name at a bar menu. During 1984, Yiorgos Karanikolas was added on lead guitar. The group was basically playing garage rock mixed with rockabilly and surf rock. They started playing in underground joints of that time, while some band members played with Blue Light (group) at their first live performance at Pegasus club.
                                                                                                                    

In 1985 they released their first record, the 7" single Midnite Hop, which now is the most sought-after record by collectors in Greece. They also participated with a song in a compilation tape by Dikaioma Diavasis records, Live at the Kyttaro club. In 1986 they released their full-length LP album Underworld Shakedown, the content and the quality of production (by the Drive themselves) of which was considered by some as unusually high for the standards of the independent scene of that time. The LP contained covers of garage standards such as Misirlou and Night of the phantom, as well as their own material.

1987-1990: Europe

                                                                        

They continued to appear live in Athens and many other cities in Greece, and in the spring of 1987 they toured abroad for the first time, in Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands. They performed

alongside the Fuzztones, the Creeps, the Stomachmouths, the Dizzy Satellites and others. In 1988, having replaced Nick "Pop Mind" with Panos Kasiaris on rhythm guitar, they released Heatwave, which was produced by Peter Zaremba of the Fleshtones.  That was the album that brought them to the attention of Music Maniac Records, a German label specializing in garage-rock releaseses, which re-released it with a new cover. This release brought them to Germany, where they participated in the Berlin Independence Days festival and also recorded the Time EP.
                                                                               

 
By this time the sound of the group had started to somewhat change, becoming harder and speedier and moving towards stoner rock and neo-psychedelia, without however burning the bridges with its garage past. The band also caught the eye of Paul B. Cutler, of Dream Syndicate fame, who would produce their next two records.

[COMPLETE BIOGRAPHY 1981 - 2010
                                                                 

[1981-1982 Early rehearsals by nascent band and occasional gigs in clubs in Athens.

27/12/83 First official gig at Rodeo (Cult). Line-up: Alex K (vocals, bass), Chris B. I. (drums), Nick ‘Pop Mind’ (guitar) and P.E.P. (guitar).
                                                                             

24/02/84 First gig in Salonica (Now! at Basement Club). P.E.P. has already left the band.  March ’84 The Last Drive record first demo. Includes originals ‘Race to Hell’, ‘Train of Pain’ and ‘Graveyard Cat’ and a version of ‘Lonesome Train’ by Johnny Burnette.  December ’84 George, a.k.a. ‘Be George Bop’, Be Bop Jungle guitarist, joins the band. The Last Drive become a quartet again and at December 30 play at the legendary club Pegasus, in Exarchia, in the midst of the Greek underground mid-80’s explosion.
                                                                     

14/02/85 The Last Drive record first EP. Includes ‘Poison’, ‘Midnite Hop’ and ‘Right by My Side’, all originals.  26/02/85 Live at Kyttaro Club. ‘Calhoun Surf’ and ‘Blue Girl’ included in cassette-compilation by Di-Di Music.  Spring ’85 Gigs in Giannena (Chevrolet Club) and Salonica (Berlin Club).  June ’85 ‘Midnite Hop’ released on independent Art Nouveau, distributed by Polygram.
                                                             

Winter ’86-’86 After explosive gigs, the band signs with new independent label Hitch-Hyke. February ’86 The Last Drive enter the studio to record first LP, ‘Underworld Shakedown’. Sessions completed in just under two months, resulting in eight originals – ‘Me ’n’ my Wings’, ‘Valley of Death’, ‘Poison’, ‘This Fire Inside’, ‘Sidewalk Stroll’, ‘The Shade of Fever’, ‘Repulsion’ – and four representative

covers: ‘Misirlou’ (by Roubanis), ‘Every Night’ (Human Expression), ‘Night of the Phantom’ (Larry and the Blue Notes) and the classic ‘Blue Moon’.  April ’86 The band plays with The Watermelon Men from Sweden at Kyttaro. Mick Blood (lead singer with The Lime Spiders from Australia) joins them on stage for ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’, ‘Five Years Ahead of My Time’, ‘Have Love Will Travel’, and an attempt at ‘Creature of My Dreams’ – Mick’s version of ‘Sidewalk Stroll’. The audience takes over the stage and the Swedes appear reluctant to follow!  June ’86 First LP ‘Underworld Shakedown’ released on Hitch-Hyke Records. Dedicated to James Cagney (‘Top of the world, ma!’).  Summer-Fall ’86 The album causes a stir, receiving rave reviews in Greece and abroad.

Winter ’86-’87 The Drive shows in Athens continue to be a unique experience, while more and more provincial towns witness their live power. Touring abroad comes next.  24/02/87 The Last Drive begin their first European ‘Outer Limits’ tour in Hamburg, appearing alongside The Fuzztones, The Stingrays, The Vietnam Veterans a.o. Gigs in Berlin, Bochum, Dusseldorf, Amsterdam, and in France

and Italy. Tour ends with a dynamite show in a packed Asphalt Jungle club, in Rome.  March ’87 The band returns to Athens, appears at Kyttaro club.  Spring ’87 The Last Drive put Greece on the international rock’n’roll map for the first time after twenty years. Increased press coverage and airplay are followed by contributions to US compilation albums ‘Battle of the Garages vol. 4’ (Voxx) and ‘Sounds of Now’ (Dionysus). Voxx releases 7-inch single ‘Blue Moon’/’Sidewalk Stroll’/’Every Night’.  June ’87 They open for the Wipers in Salonica. Last show with Nick ‘Pop Mind’. P.E.P. (a.k.a. P.E.P.P. or P.PEP) rejoins the band two months later.  December ’87 Appear in Rodon Club alongside Swedes The Creeps, with new line-up and new material.

February ’88 They re-enter the studio after two years to record ‘Heatwave’, with co-producer and special guest Mr. Peter Zaremba, lead singer with New York soul bohemians The Fleshtones.  April ’88 ‘Heatwave’ is completed. The Last Drive play at Rodon Club with Finns Deja Voodoo, with Peter

Zaremba on lead vocals.  May ’88 ‘Heatwave’ is released, featuring some of their best songs – ‘I Love Cindy’, ‘Baby It’s Real’, ‘Gone Gone Gone’, ‘Blue City Shores’, ‘Joe Espositoe’s Gun’, ‘Heatwave ’88’, ‘Devil May Care’, ‘Whisper Her Name’ – and a great cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘It’s All Over Now Baby Blue’. The following summer, the band re-ignites its stage terrorism in Athens and the provinces.  03/09/88 They play big outdoor festival in Rome.   04/09/88 The band returns to Athens for a show with The Jesus And Mary Chain and The Gun Club, which was cancelled eventually.  October ’88 They play at Chalon Sur Saone outside Lyon, after an invitation from The Vietnam Veterans. German label Music Maniac releases ‘Heatwave’ in Europe.

Winter ’88-’89 Two Last Drive recordings (‘Night of the Phantom’ and ‘Every Night’) are featured in the film «Landscape in the Mist» by Theo Angelopoulos. Excited by the warm reception to ‘Heatwave’, Music Maniac releases the CD ‘Their Story So Far’, a special repackaging of their two albums aimed at the European market.

The Pleasure Hustlers, a joint venture by The Last Drive and The Fleshtones, appear on the Greek release of the Fleshtones party-compilation album ‘Time Bomb’ with ‘I Was a Teenage Zombie’.  Summer ’89 The band takes a temporary break from touring to work on new material.  October ’89 The Last Drive launch their most eventful and subversive series of shows of their career, appearing at the opening night of Berlin Independence Days, a festival/conference for independent labels and promoters, with American Music Club, Deja Voodoo, and St. Vitus. The band records ‘Time’ EP in Berlin, shortly before the fall of the Wall.  November ’89 Sold-out gigs in Athens, with a wilder show. Things get louder…  December ’89 ‘Time’ EP is released, featuring two originals (‘Black Limo’ and ‘Have Mercy’) and a cover of the Chambers Brothers’ ‘Time Has Come Today’. Christmas gig at Rodon Club, one of the best for that year. ‘Time’ confounds critics but is embraced by fans.

Winter ’89-’90 The band plays at the Elispontos cinema in Salonica to a large number of fans. Touring continues – bringing the band into contact with the more restless portion of Greek youth.  Spring ’90 ‘Black Limo’ (Methedrine Mix) appears in Spanish compilation album ‘Munster Dance Hall Favorites vol. 3’. The Last Drive lay low, working on material for new LP.  May ’90 They appear at the School of Agronomics festival, with Villa 21 and the Chills.  June-July ’90 Sessions for ‘Blood Nirvana’ in 111

Studios, with producer Paul B. Cutler (The Dream Syndicate, Green On Red, Naked Prey, etc.) The album features all original material (‘Bite’, ‘Overloaded’, ‘Chain Train’, ‘Desert Rose’, ‘The Bad Roads’, ‘Cool Spine’, ‘Holy War’, ‘Sweet Thing’, ‘Slave to the Wave’, and ‘Fleshdiver’). Alan Vega’s ‘Outlaw’ was also recorded, but remained an out-take.  December ’90 ‘Blood Nirvana’ is released in Greece to tentative reviews. Perceiving a turn towards a heavier sound, fans seem divided. The Last Drive appear on the cover of OZ music paper and renew their relationship with their audience through gigs.

Winter ’90-’91 Music Maniac releases ‘Blood Nirvana’ in Germany with distribution in Europe, apart from Spain, where it is released on Romilar D Records. Screening of the band’s first video for ‘Overloaded’ in Greece and all over Europe. «Apocalyptic» symbols on the record cover and the video cause stir in reactionary circles eager to find ‘satanic’ references in ‘Blood Nirvana’.

Undeterred, The Last Drive play benefits for squats and social solidarity groups and continue to monopolize the top spots in Pop & Rock readers’ poll for one more year.  Spring ’91 American label Restless proposes US distribution deal for ‘Blood Nirvana’, with an option for the band’s next four releases.  August ’91 German tour with Portland legends Dead Moon: twenty-four dates in twenty cities, in clubs and squats, including shows with the Lemonheads and All. Many nights end with members of both bands (Dead Moon, The Last Drive) onstage.

September ’91 Tour ends at Lycabettus Theater in Athens, with the Cosmic Teds. The Skate Pirates were responsible for the non-musical part of the ‘Blood Nirvana Freakshow’.  October ’91 Restless releases ‘Blood Nirvana’ in the US.  November ’91 Line-up changes, as P.E.P. leaves to pursue a career in graphic design and is replaced by ‘new blood’ Thanos Amorginos.
                                                                      

Spring ’92 The band is working on material for a new album, testing songs in gigs all over Greece, with a high-point of two explosive nights at Rodon club in Athens (April 5 & 6). Once again, The Last Drive are in the midst of another explosion in the Greek underground scene, with bands like Deus Ex Machina, Honeydive, Make Believe, a.o.  July ’92 ‘Blood Nirvana’ producer Paul B. Cutler returns to Greece to produce the band’s next album. Pre-production takes place at a small studio in downtown Athens, with frequent visits to an abandoned monastery in the island of Milos. The sessions last six weeks and the result is ‘F*head Entropy’. Shot with Crystal Balls in my Hands.  October ’92 The Last Drive welcome old friends Dead Moon with an unforgettable show at An Club. Exarchia is on fire.
                                                                           

January ’93 At the special show for the release of ‘F*head Entropy’ in Rodon club, The Last Drive and Deus Ex Machina give their all, turning the gig into a strong statement for rock in Greece..  March ’93 Spanish tour to promote ‘F*head Entropy’. The band plays five dates from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, captivating Spanish audiences with powerful performances.  October ’93 The Last Drive sign with major label BMG, which also takes on the distribution of ‘F*head Entropy’.
                                                        

Winter ’93-’94 The band tours Greece, shaping the material of their next album.  February ’94 Pre-production for the album begins at an abandoned recording studio in Pireos Str, together with preparations for the shooting of ‘Killhead Therapy’ video.  April-June ’94 Sessions for the new album co-produced by the band and Jim Spliff, the band’s live soundman.  October ’94 The new Last Drive album, ‘Subliminal’, is released, with artwork by Beat artist Panos Koutroumbousis.

February ’95 The Last Drive play at Rodon club in Athens.  Fall ’95 The Last Drive suspend action.
                                                                     

December 2006 ‘Midnite Hop’, Last Drive’s first EP, is re-released by Blind Bastards Records, an underground rock-n-roll label based in Athens.
                                                        

January ‘07 Rumors spread among rock circles concerning a possible reunion of the Last Drive. They are confirmed when the band announces through the web two live dates in May, concluding ‘Brothers and Sisters, keep your dreams burnin’ forever’.  May ‘07 The Last Drive are back in action after 12 years.  They play three explosive sold out concerts at Gagarin Club, Athens, launching their new era.

Two more gigs in Thessalonica on the 19th and Larissa on June 2nd  follow. They also play at ‘Open Air Festival’ in Athens on July 6th and headline the first day of the ‘Indie Rocket Festival 2007’ (along with the Devastations, Acid Cobra and The Cesarians) in Pescara, Italy on June 22nd. The reunion concerts are filmed for the purpose of a documentary on the band.  At the same time, Dimitris Milonas, the band’s long standing friend and photographer launches his photo exhibition with Last Drive material.    September ’07 Sony BMG releases ‘The Bad Roads/The Best Of The Last Drive’ a compilation including classics like ‘I Love Cindy’, ‘The Bad Roads’, ‘Gone Gone Gone’ and ‘Blue Moon’.
                                                    

February ‘08 The band participates in the concert in memory of maverick Greek film director-writer Nikos Nikolaidis.  May ‘08 The Last Drive play two more sold-out gigs at Gagarin Club. ‘Time is not Important’, a limited edition live CD-DVD covering their reunion shows in Athens is released by Blind Bastard Records.

December ‘08–March ‘09 Amidst a city electrified by the December riots, the Last Drive start pre-producing their  sixth album, entitled ‘Heavy Liquid’. The final recordings take place at Sierra Studios

in Ampelokipi, Athens -turf of the Last Drive gang during its nascent days. Heavy Liquid is produced by the band itself, long time companion Jim Spliff and the band’s live engineer, Akis Paschalakis.   May ‘09 ‘Heavy Liquid’ cd is released on ‘Happy Crasher’, the new band’s own label. It contains eleven original songs and one cover, J.B. Lenoir’s ‘Alabama Blues’. The Last Drive celebrate the release with another explosive gig at Gagarin club.
July ‘09 The Last Drive perform at 14th Anti-Racist Athens festival.   September ‘09 ‘2000 Miles Ahead: Α Last Drive Story’, the rockumentary of director Dimitris Kotselis about the Last Drive is premiered at 15th International Film Festival of Athens. The film participates in various international film festivals and independent screenings.  December ’09 Inner Ear Records releases Ηeavy Liquid as a limited edition LP (500 copies in black vinyl and 500 in red).

March ‘10 ‘At the Drive Ink’, the comic album containing works of leading greek graphic artists inspired by ‘Heavy  Liquid’ and The Last Drive appears in print by Tilt Comics, George’s publishing label.   May ’10 Starting from Athens on May 8th, The Last Drive tours in eleven cities and festivals. September ’10 The band participates in the big solidarity concert at Petra Theater, Athens.  October ’10 The band contributes the track "Love & Terror" to the CD/booklet ‘Horror & Romance in Another Planet’, a compilation of songs and music inspired by Stefanos Rokos' art exhibition under the same title.]  READ HERE

 

Label: Hitch-Hyke Records LD01 (With ΠΟΠ & ΡΟΚ)
Format: CD, Album
Country: Greece
Released: 1986
Genre: Rock
Style: Rock & Roll, Garage Rock

TRAXS

 

01. Me 'N' My Wings     2:52
02. Valley Of Death     3:36
03. Poison      2:37
04. Misirlou   2:30
05. This Fire Inside     2:24
06. Blue Moon  (Written-By – Rogers-Hart)   7:20
07. Sidewalk Stroll     3:18
08. The Shade Of Fever     3:40
09. Every Night  (Organ – Hannelore Thospann/Written-By – The Human Experience)  4:12
10. The Night Of The Phantom  (Written-By – Larry And The Blue Notes)  3:23
11. Repulsion     6:54

 

Drums, Tambourine, Vocals – Chris B.I.
Guitar, Guitar [Fuzztone], Vocals [Feedback] – Nick "Pop Mind"
Guitar, Vocals, Other [Fuzztone Mess], Slide Guitar – George
Producer – The Last Drive
Recorded By, Mixed By, Mastered By – Manolis Vlachos
Voice, Bass [Ripper] – Alex K.
Recorded At – In Recording Studios
Mixed At – In Recording Studios
Mastered At – In Recording Studios

MP3 @ 320 Size: 107 MB
Flac  Size: 321 MB

The last Drive: Midnite Hop (7' Single) + Time EP  HERE

Carmen: Fandangos In Space 1973

 

In the early seventies, the British-American group CARMEN broke new ground in rock music, combining the British flair for progressive rock with traditional Spanish folk themes into a very fresh, energetic and powerful new mix. 

                                                                                                                

 

The sound is centered around guitar, keyboards are used subtly but to good effect. On the whole, they are a rather hard band to describe ... "They sound only like themselves, because it IS so unique". Some vague comparisons could be made to JETHRO TULL, MEZQUITA (some of the Spanish themes), and TRIANA (the flamenco/prog combination).
                                                                                            

David Allen started Carmen in LA in July 1970. Originally there were seven members: Dennis Trerotola - extra lead singer, Mark Anthony - an extra guitarist, David Clark Allen, Brian Glascock - drummer, Angela Allen, Vicente,   Mark Moody. They were named Los Angeles at this point.

                                                                                           

Summer 73 - Jan 74
Carmen began recording their first album - Fandangos in Space, in the summer of 73. They met Bowie, Angie, Bolan, Bryan Ferry amongst many others, and whilst recording their first album, Bowie helped promote them on his tv show, Midnight Special. Paul Fenton became Bolan's drummer when Carmen weren't touring or recording.

                                                                                        

Jan 73: leaving for london
After a lot of shuffling about, David decided to come to London with a reduced Carmen (David, Brian Glascock, Roberto Amaral, Angela, and now John Glascock) in January 1973, after finding no label in the States that was interested. They were now known as Rose.
                                                                                                

As Brian finally decided not to come, David then needed a drummer and found Paul Fenton in Kensington in a snakeskin boot shop ("the drummer I need will be the kind of man who wears snakeskin boots so I'll look in the snakeskin boot shop!"). Through Paul Fenton, David met Brian Longely, who was managing the band Paul was already in (that band was called Christie).
                                                                                

Four months on, Carmen (now complete with David Clark Allen, Angela Allen, John Glascock, Roberto Amaral and Paul Fenton) met Tony Visconti and were signed almost immediately.
                                                                                      

In London, they became friendly with several rock stars of the time, including David Bowie - who introduced them internationally by including them on his Midnight Special '1984 Floor Show', Marc Bolan (Paul Fenton became his studio and tour drummer), and Bryan Ferry. Obtaining the services of producer Tony Visconti, Carmen released three albums: Fandangos in Space (1973), Dancing on a Cold Wind (1974), and The Gypsies (1975).
                                                                                        

By early 1975, the band was enjoying its greatest success, playing as an opening act at concerts by Santana, Blue Öyster Cult, and Electric Light Orchestra, and touring for three months as the opener for Jethro Tull. A series of unfortunate events then occurred while the group was recording The Gypsies at Longview Farm. Paul Fenton seriously damaged his knee, stopping his career as a drummer for many years. Carmen and Tony Visconti ended their musical relationship, and the band's manager left. Carmen disbanded shortly after finishing their last album in 1975 and John Glascock went on to join Jethro Tull. 

                                                                              

Feb 74 - May 75
Carmen recorded their second album, Dancing On A Cold Wind, with Tony Visconti in Feb/March of '74. They flew to the US and began touring for the next year. Played with Santana, Blue Oyster Cult, Golden Earring, Rush, ELO and others.
                                                                        

For three months Carmen opened for Jethro Tull. They recorded their third album, The Gypsies, in April/May '75 at Longview Farm.
By now Carmen were no longer with Tony Visconti, and Brian quit as manager after the third album was recorded. Carmen found themselves bankrupt. Paul Fenton was badly injured in a fall off a horse, and the band lost heart. When they disbanded John Glascock joined Jethro Tull and took Angela with him - they were a couple. Roberto returned to flamenco dancing and David to flamenco guitar.
                                                                                            

   
Carmen's stage performances featured Amaral and Angela Allen dancing on a specially amplified stage floor, so that their flamenco zapateado became an integral percussive addition to the music. Spanish influences in their sound included acoustic guitar interludes in flamenco style, occasional Spanish lyrics, themes of betrayed love reminiscent of Federico García Lorca, and castanets, all supported by a traditional rock rhythm section.
                                                                            

[ Artist Biography by Eugene Chadbourne

David C. Allen and his sister Angela Allen fronted the unusual band Carmen for three albums' worth of material released in the early to mid-'70s, some of which borders on mind-boggling. The group created a fusion where no performer had before, and it seems to be a musical terrain few have wanted to visit since -- namely, the melding of progressive rock and flamenco music. Not everything this band attempted succeeded; for example, bullfighting did not replace Satan as the main subject in heavy rock. But the versatility of the musicians involved in the Carmen band is the sonic equivalent of a full-table covering of tapas tasties.
                                                          

The flamboyant producer Tony Visconti was involved with these recordings, his previous credits including artists such as Gentle Giant and David Bowie. The guitar work of David Allen is excellent, much closer to the mark in terms of an aggressive flamenco fusion model than the powder-puff noodlings of Al di Meola or Paco de Lucía]
                                                                          

DO THE FANDANGO! – THE STORY OF CARMEN!(An interview with David Clark Allen and Angela Allen-Barr - By Madeline Bocaro & Gil Soliz) READ HERE

TRACKS

01. Bulerias   5:24
a)  Cante
b)  Baile
c)  Reprise   
02. Bullfight (Roberto Amaral)    4:28
03. Stepping Stone (Roberto Amaral)    2:52
04. Sailor Song     5:13
05. Lonely House    4:07
06. Por Tarantos (Trad. arr. by David Allen)    1:44
07. Looking Outside (My Window)
a)  Theme
b)  Zorongo
c)  Finale (David Allen, Roberto Amaral)  7:20
08. Tales of Spain   5:17
09. Retirando (John Glascock, Paul Fenton, Andrea Allen, Roberto Amaral, David     Allen)    2:14
10. Fandangos in Space (Roberto Amaral)     4:33
11. Reprise Finale   3:00

MEMBERS

David Allen - lead vocals, electric guitar, flamenco guitar
Roberto Amaral - lead and backing vocals, vibraphone, castanets
Angela Allen - lead and backing vocals, synthesizer, Mellotron
John Glascock - backing vocals, bass guitar, bass pedals
Paul Fenton - drums, percussion

MP3 @ 320 Size:  MB
Flac  Size:  MB

V.A: Bez's Madchester Anthems: Sorted Tunes from Back in the Day 2006

MADCHESTER was a musical and cultural scene that developed in the English city of Manchester in the late 1980s, closely associated with the indie-dance scene. Indie-dance (sometimes referred to as indie-rave) saw artists merging indie music with elements of acid house, rave music, psychedelia and 1960s pop. The term Madchester was coined by Factory Records' Tony Wilson, with the label popularised by the British music press in the early 1990s, and its most famous groups include the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, the Charlatans, James and 808 State. It is widely seen as being heavily influenced by drugs, especially MDMA. At that time, the Haçienda nightclub, co-owned by members of New Order, was a major catalyst for the distinctive musical ethos in the city that was called the Second Summer of Love.

The music scene in Manchester immediately before the Madchester era had been dominated by The Smiths, New Order, and The Fall, who were to become a significant influence on the Madchester scene. The May 1982 opening of the Haçienda nightclub, an initiative of Factory Records, was also influential in the development of popular culture in Manchester. For the first few years of its life, the club played predominantly club-oriented pop music and hosted gigs by artists including New Order, Cabaret Voltaire, Culture Club, Thompson Twins, and the Smiths. It had DJs such as Hewan Clarke and Greg Wilson and switched focus from being a live venue to being a dance club by 1986. In 1987, the Hacienda started playing house music with DJs Mike Pickering, Graeme Park, and "Little" Martin Prendergast hosting "Nude Night" on Fridays.

The Festival of the Tenth Summer in July 1986, organised by Factory Records, helped to consolidate Manchester's standing as a centre for alternative pop culture. The festival included film screenings, a music seminar, art shows, and gigs by the city's most prominent bands, including an all-day gig at Manchester G-Mex featuring A Certain Ratio, the Smiths, New Order, and the Fall. According to Dave Haslam, the festival demonstrated that "the city had become synonymous with larger-than-life characters playing cutting edge music. [...] Individuals were inspired and the city was energised; of it's own accord, uncontrolled".

Festival of the Tenth Summer

The Festival of the Tenth Summer was a music and art festival that took place in Manchester in July 1986. The festival was organised by Factory Records to 'celebrate Manchester' specifically with reference to the first performance by the Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester on 4 June 1976. It consisted of ten events, culminating in an all day music festival at the Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre on 19 July 1986. The festival has its own number in the Factory Records catalogue, FAC 151.
The ten events took place between 12 July and 19 July 1986.

Six music events across the City: "the great hall show": Margi Clarke sings 'Chaos in Cancerland' plus The Durutti Column at Manchester Town Hall, 14 July 1986; "Blanco meet Creation at the Factory": The Bodines and James at PSV/The Russell Club, Hulme, 15 July 1986; "The Eagle has Landed" at The International 16 July 1986; "Back in the Cellar": Easterhouse, Happy Mondays and the Weeds at Rafters 17 July 1986; "More labels than one": The Railway Children and Distant Cousins at the Boardwalk 18 July 1986; "Later that night": The Faction at the Gallery 18 July 1986.

G-Mex – The Tenth Event, an all day festival featuring A Certain Ratio, The Smiths, New Order, The Fall, Cabaret Voltaire, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Pete Shelley/Buzzcocks, Luxuria, The Worst, Sandie Shaw, John Cale, John Cooper Clarke and Margi Clarke. The event was compered by Paul Morley and Bill Grundy. 

                                                                                     

Various: Bez's Madchester Anthems (CD, Compilation)
Label: Warner Music TV ‎– WMTV013, V2TV ‎– WMTV013
Format: 2 × CD, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 2006
Genre: Rock
Style: Breakbeat, Electronic, Downtempo, Brit Pop, Indie Rock

CD 1.

01. Happy Mondays: Step On   5:18
02. The Charlatans: The Only One I Know   3:58
03. James: Come Home     3:56
04. New Order: Blue Monday '88   4:07
05. The Stone Roses: Sally Cinnamon     2:49
06. The Farm: Groovy Train     4:09
07. Shamen: Move Any Mountain     3:23
08. 808 State: Pacific State     3:51
09. Adamski: N-R-G     3:43
10. The Beloved: Hello     4:19
11. Electronic: Get The Message   5:11
12. World Of Twist: She's A Rainbow     4:19
13. Paris Angels: Perfume (Loved Up)     5:35
14. A Certain Ratio: Shack Up     3:15
15. Northside: Shall We Take A Trip?     4:22
16. MC Tunes Vs. 808 State: The Only Rhyme That Bites     4:16
17. That Petrol Emotion: Abandon     3:59
18. The House Of Love: Shine On     4:02
19. The La's: There She Goes     2:41
20. The Smiths: Panic     2:22

MP3 @ 320 Size: 183  MB

Flac  Size: 570 MB

CD 2.

01. The Stone Roses: She Bangs The Drums   3:38
02. Primal Scream: Loaded   4:15
03. Happy Mondays: Kinky Afro     3:48
04. Inspiral Carpets: This Is How It Feels     3:11
05. The Smiths: How Soon Is Now?     6:43
06. The Mock Turtles: Can You Dig It?     4:00
07. The Farm: Stepping Stone     6:32
08. New Order: Fine Time     3:09
09. Together: Hardcore Uproar     3:33
10. Orbital: Chime     3:13
11. The Future Sound Of London: Papua New Guinea   3:48
12. Utah Saints: What Can You Do For Me?   6:07
13. Candy Flip: Strawberry Fields Forever  4:07
14. The Cure: Never Enough     4:27
15. Saint Etienne: Only Love Can Break Your Heart     5:01
16. A Guy Called Gerald: Voodoo Ray     4:25
17. The Beloved: The Sun Rising     5:03
18. Bez feat. Monica Ward: One Dream     3:40

Track 18 is a bonus track and not numbered on release.

MP3 @ 320 Size: 181 MB

Flac  Size: 548 MB

Philip Glass: Orion 2005

 

Barbican, London/John L Walters/The Guardian
Wed 16 Jun 2004 01.59 BST

                                                                             

                                                                                    
Philip Glass has never been a man for vivid colours. While other post-minimalist composers have experimented with saturated hues and splashes of pigment, Glass makes the most of a thousand shades of grey. Which makes him a great collaborator. The Escher-like complexity of his scores complements the broader brush strokes of directors such as Robert Wilson or musical personalities such as Foday Musa Suso, whose supple kora playing against Glass's rolling triple figures is a central highlight of Orion.
                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                 
Commissioned for the Cultural Olympiad 2001-04, and premiered in Athens on June 3, the ambitious and agreeably populist suite features a sequence of musicians from Australia, China, Canada, the Gambia (Suso), Brazil, India and Greece. All the soloists return for the finale, a traditional Greek tune sung by Eleftheria Arvanitaki.
                                                                                  

                                                                          
The Philip Glass Ensemble - three woodwinds, three synthesisers, voice and two percussionists - provides a flexible, if slightly muddy orchestral backdrop. Australia features busy, cascading figures over the massive tones of Mark Atkins's didgeridoo: Atkins does everything with one note - Glass does one thing with a constellation of notes.
                                                                                        

                                                                          
Wu Man is fabulous on the pipa, which she plays with the virtuoso insouciance of a rock guitarist for the more chromatic China section. Nova Scotia fiddler Ashley MacIsaac strides on in a kilt for Canada - though this is where the composer is at his least individual. Brazilian trio Uakti are terrific on flutes, boobams and other tuned percussion instruments, with a hint of Glass's early systems music. Gaurav Mazumdar plays sitar for India, composed jointly by Glass and his mentor, Ravi Shankar.

                                                                       

The Ensemble is note-perfect, but the choice of keyboard sounds - or at least the way they are mixed - is perhaps a shade of grey too far, even within Glass's distinctive signature. In terms of timbre, some of Orion's best moments are the improvised exchanges between movements: a duet for didgeridoo and pipa; another for fiddle and nyanyer; and the strange and wonderful meeting of Mazumdar and Uakti, whose flautist, Artur Andres Ribeiro, whirls like a dervish.
                                                                                        

                                                                              
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Glass’ ‘Orion’ strikes a deep chord
By Mark Swed
June 27, 2005
12 AM
Times Staff Writer

The mood at the beginning is slightly dark, ominous. A didgeridoo, the snake-like Australian instrument, booms and gurgles, the sound of a primeval sea creature coming to life. The Philip Glass Ensemble purrs and pulses.
                                                                                          

                                                                               
In a stately order of segments lasting 10 to 15 minutes each, there follows an elegant pipa player from China, a Cape Breton fiddle player with attitude from Nova Scotia, a princely Mandingo griot (a “musician/historian”) from Gambia, a bouncy group of percussionists from Brazil, a breathtaking sitar player from India and a glamorous Greek folk singer.
                                                                                             

                                                                              
If you wanted to be really cornball, you could say that Philip Glass is reaching for the stars in “Orion.” Or you could call his new world-music extravaganza -- created for the Cultural Olympiad preceding the Olympic Games in Athens last year and given its West Coast premiere at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Friday night -- a musical “Family of Man.”
                                                                           

                                                                             
At the very least, you might wonder whether the Philip Glass ensemble has gone soft. Though the embodiment of Minimalist SoHo hip for more than three decades, the players walked onto the Segerstrom stage in white. White! Ice cream suits for these men and women who always before were in black?
                                                                         

                                                                              
Maybe Glass has gone a little soft, as his detractors have been trying to convince some of us for a long time. Or maybe, just maybe, he has something important to say, and he is enough of a showman to have found a flashy but theatrically effective way to say it.

Music is not a universal language. People have problems with other people’s music. Did I read recently that classical concerts can be scary for some people? Doctors tell us we should fear rock concerts that reach ear-damaging volumes. I know someone who would probably prefer torture to the very, very long musical events that I love -- Wagner operas, Morton Feldman’s six-hour string quartet, Terry Riley’s all-night concerts, Indonesian puppet plays that last forever.
                                                                 

                                                                               
Glass is not like the rest of us. He is musically fearless, at home with a symphony orchestra or in a rock club blasting music at ear-shattering levels. A true citizen of the world, he is ever on the road and often finding and collaborating with great musicians of other traditions. He, in fact, found his own voice as a student in Paris working with Ravi Shankar.
                                                                              
Nor is he like most of us in the way he works. He has no difficulty writing the same, or almost the same, music day after day. He gets up and writes, and if it’s yesterday’s music, that appears to trouble him not at all. But in the process, he evolves -- subtly, incrementally, naturally. He is lambasted for repeating himself, which, of course, he does all the time, but there is something heartening in the deep trust he puts in the process.
                                                            

It is that trust -- along with his sociability, excellent connections and restlessness -- that makes him the world-music connoisseur that he is. He’s worked, over the years, on projects with all the musicians of “Orion,” except the Greek singer. The minute Friday’s concert was over, the audience invaded the CD table in the lobby. Even the most sophisticated in the crowd probably discovered someone new and amazing and wanted more.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this project is just how much the guest musicians seem to be extensions of their instruments and yet at ease in Glass’ sphere. Mark Atkins played the didgeridoo.

He’s appropriately large, sports a walrus mustache, and blowing into his long tube he added a new but appropriate bass burble to all the other bass burbles of Glass’ sound world.
Wu Man has made the pipa, a Chinese lute, relatively well known. She is used to working with all kinds of Western and mixed groups (Kronos as well as Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road project). Here, the Glass Ensemble of keyboards, woodwinds, percussion and a vocalist, kept modestly in the background, setting the stage for her virtuosity, which is stunning.

Ashley MacIsaac, wearing a kilt, is young, anything but elegant and a show stealer. For him, Glass created a kind of amused accompaniment (assuming arpeggios can demonstrate amusement) and let the Canadian folk fiddler stomp and turn up the temperature to his heart’s content.

Foday Musa Suso, dressed in billowing black-and-white checks and playing the kora (a 21-stringed lute) and nyanyar (an African fiddle), brought a quiet majesty, and Glass almost disappeared. The affable Brazilian percussion trio, Uakti, were, on the other hand, seemingly happy to give percussive understatement to Glass’ music.
                                                       

Glass met Ravi Shankar, whose music was played on sitar by Kartik Seshadri, halfway. Given the fresh exuberance of this segment, Shankar still has the power, after 40 years, to set Glass on new paths.
                                                              

                                                                           
For the traditional Greek song “Tzivaeri,” sung by Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Glass brought everyone back on stage. It is probably too hopeful to suggest that music can provide a roadmap to world peace. This finale was more a kind of “We Are the World” for the Olympic spirit.
                                                                

                                                                         
But what did give powerful hope were the small moments. To hear the ensemble’s soprano, Lisa Bielawa, sing in counterpoint to Wu Man’s pipa or MacIsaac’s fiddle, to hear Jon Gibson’s emotional clarinet accompaniment to Arvanitaki’s song, was to discover flashes of deep communication. It was also a nice touch for Glass to include interludes in which didgeridoo met pipa, Cape Breton violin jammed with nyanyer, Brazilian percussion interacted with sitar.
                                                             

                                                                            
The lesson of “Orion” is that Glass gets us to listen. His voice is unmistakable, yet he always finds room for other voices. We aren’t the world, but it’s good to know what’s on the world’s mind. It can also be truly pleasurable. “Orion,” which will be released on CD this week, proves it.

[ AllMusic Review by Blair Sanderson  
Philip Glass comments in his liner notes that the constellation Orion may be seen year-round from both northern and southern hemispheres and that it appears to have inspired myths and stories in almost every culture. Organized around this unifying idea, Orion, a collaborative work by Glass and other artists for the 2004 Olympiad, is an expansive multicultural celebration, inspired by stargazing but ultimately oriented toward the Earth and its diverse inhabitants.

Starting with Australia, then moving on to China, Canada, Africa, Brazil, India, and Greece, Glass portrays each nation through its characteristic style or instrumental associations, and provides energetic pattern music for an impressive roster of international artists. Mark Atkins' deep drones on the didgeridoo, Wu Man's brilliant playing of the Chinese pipa, and Ashley MacIsaac's poignant Celtic fiddling carry the musical journey across the first disc, and the overlapped performances by Mandingo drummer Foday Musa Suso, the Brazilian group UAKTI, sitarist Gaurav Mazumdar, and vocalist Eleftheria Arvanitaki bring this globe-trotting extravaganza to its anthemic culmination in Athens, backed along the way by the Philip Glass Ensemble.

Whether or not one likes Glass' music, which is considerably tempered by the cooperative effort and toned-down for general consumption, one may still appreciate the sincerity of this generous tribute to world music and the Olympic spirit. ]

Label: Orange Mountain Music ‎– omm0021
Format: 2 × CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2005
Genre: Classical, Folk, World
Style: Modern Classical, Minimal, Contemporary

TRACKS

CD1.

01. Australia   12:14
02. Interlude: Australia & China     2:18
03. China     9:48
04. Canada     10:47
05. Interlude: Canada & The Gambia     2:24
06. The Gambia   15:00

MP3 @ 320 Size: 125 MB
Flac  Size: 246 MB

CD2.

01. Brazil     10:24
02. Interlude: Brazil & India   3:38
03. India     12:51
04. Greece     11:17

MP3 @ 320 Size: 92,9 MB
Flac  Size: 198 MB

Credits

Composed By [Composition For Sitar] – Ravi Shankar
Composed By, Performer – Philip Glass
Ensemble – The Philip Glass Ensemble
Ensemble [The Philip Glass Ensemble Member], Directed By [Music Director], Keyboards – Michael Riesman
Ensemble [The Philip Glass Ensemble Member], Flute, Piccolo Flute – Andrew Sterman
Ensemble [The Philip Glass Ensemble Member], Keyboards – Philip Glass, Ted Baker
Ensemble [The Philip Glass Ensemble Member], Percussion – Frank Cassara, Mick Rossi
Ensemble [The Philip Glass Ensemble Member], Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Jon Gibson
Ensemble [The Philip Glass Ensemble Member], Tenor Saxophone – Richard Peck
Ensemble [The Philip Glass Ensemble Member], Voice – Lisa Bielawa
Executive-Producer – Philip Glass
Executive-Producer, Producer [Cd Produced By] – Don Christensen, Kurt Munkacsi
    
Guest [Featured Guest], Didgeridoo – Mark Atkins
Guest [Featured Guest], Ensemble – Uakti
Guest [Featured Guest], Kora – Foday Musa Suso
Guest [Featured Guest], Pipa – Wu Man
Guest [Featured Guest], Sitar – Gaurav Mazumdar
Guest [Featured Guest], Violin – Ashley MacIsaac
Guest [Featured Guest], Vocals – Eleftheria Arvanitaki

Mixed By – Michael Riesman
Mixed By [Assistant] – Ichiho Nishiki
Programmed By [Synthesizer Programming Consultant] – Nathaniel Reichman

Notes

Recorded June 2004 at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens.

Philip Glass on this Blog HERE