Gone But Not Forgotten

Gone But Not Forgotten! NICK CAVE And THE BIRTHDAY PARTY (1976–1983)

Posted on by JL

Back in time

12 December 2021

Band: THE BIRTHDAY PARTY
Who: One of the most chaotic, disordered, savage post-punk bands
in rock’s turbulent history. Originally known as The Boys Next Door) these
desperados left their home country Australia, moved to London, and started
a hellish adventure. Voice and face was a young disoriented, out-of-his-mind
junkie called Nick Cave who acted like a self-destructive anarchist. The music
was raw, rough and rowdy. TBP was one of those rare bands with an instant flabbergasting impact on your senses. One you’ll never forget once you
heard/saw them.

Active: 1976–1983
Albums: 1 as The Boys Next Door
and 3 as The Birthday Party

Original line-up…

Nick Cave – vocals, saxophone
Mick Harvey – guitar, drums, keyboards
Rowland S. Howard – guitar, vocals (R.I.P.)
Tracy Pew – bass, clarinet (R.I.P.)
Phill Calvert – drums

1-2-3 TBP moments…

– NICK THE STRIPPER –

– JUNKYARD –

– FEARS OF GUN –

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY: History

(Band pic on top: cover of ‘John Peel Sessions’ album)

IAN CURTIS

Posted on by JL

Stretford, UK 15 July 1956 – Macclesfield, 18 May 1980

Walk in silence
Don’t walk away, in silence
See the danger
Always danger

Endless talking
Life rebuilding
Don’t walk away

Walk in silence
Don’t turn away, in silence
Your confusion
My illusion

Worn like a mask of self-hate
Confronts and then dies
Don’t walk away

People like you find it easy
Naked to see
Walking on air
Hunting by the rivers,
through the streets,
every corner

Abandoned too soon
Set down with due care
Don’t walk away in silence
Don’t walk away

IAN CURTIS: Story


Paris, 1979

Gone But Not Forgotten – CHRIS CORNELL (1964-2017)

Posted on by JL

Great late artists from the past

7 April 2022

CHRISTOPHER HUGH CORNELL (real family name Boyle) was born in Detroit, Michigan
on 20 July 1964. He was a musician at heart with a gigantic voice and was best known as
the frontman of Soundgarden (1984–1997 / 2010–2019).

He also played for and recorded 3 albums with Audioslave (2001-2007),
a band formed with Rage Against The Machine‘s brill guitarist Tom Morello.

In the early 90s, he launched a project called Temple Of The Dog (1990-1992)
as a tribute to his late friend Andrew Wood (Malfunkshun / Mother Love Bone).

Cornell also performed and made several albums as a solo artist.

He struggled with depression for most of his life. He committed suicide in
a Detroit hotel room on 18 May 2017, after performing with Soundgarden
an hour earlier at the Fox Theatre. He was only 52. R.I.P.

Three great Cornell moments…

– BLACK HOLE SUN –
(Mega Soundgarden hit)

– LIKE A STONE –
(With Audioslave)

– CAN’T CHANGE ME –
(From solo album Euphoria Morning)

CHRIS CORNELL: Story

Gone But Not Forgotten – Electrifying Guitar Hero MICK RONSON (1976-1993)

Posted on by JL

Great artists from the past

29 March 2022

Highly praised and outstanding guitar hero (although he didn’t think of himself
like that) MICK RONSON was born in 1993 in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England

He was a lot more than just the guitarist for Ziggy Stardust and his Spiders Of Mars.
He toured with Bob Dylan, played with Mott The Hoople, worked with Lou Reed, and produced an impressive number of albums. He also made 6 solo albums. He passed
away in the spring of 1993 at the young age of 46 due to that deadly beast cancer.

David Bowie: “Mick was the perfect foil for the Ziggy character. He was very much a
salt-of-the-earth type, the blunt northerner with a defiantly masculine personality so
that what you got was the old-fashioned Yin and Yang thing.”

Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople): “I’m entirely different from Mick. He’s schooled musician.
Mick came up the serious way. He was a cello player, I mean he wanted to be a cello player.”

Three great Mick Ronson live moments…

– With BOWIE –

– SOLO –

– With MOTT THE HOOPLE –

MICK RONSON: Story

(Image on top: cover of his biography book)

Gone But Not Forgotten! JOHN TOVEY Aka FAT GADGET (1956-2002)

Posted on by JL

Great artists from the past

23 March 2022

Artist: FAD GADGET
Who: The stage name of London’s
post-punk maverick Frank Tovey.

Albums: 4 under the Fad Gadget moniker
and 6 under his own name.
Full discography: here.

AllMusic: “For all intents and purposes, Frank Tovey was best known as the man behind Fad Gadget, one of the most significant cult acts of the post-punk boom. As Fad Gadget, Tovey and his revolving door of conspirators released several singles and four full-length albums that stretched the boundaries of pop music during the late ’70s and early ’80s. And after Tovey started making records under his own name in the mid-’80s, he continued to remain as unpredictable as ever, working within the realms of Cajun, blues, and folk, in addition to furthering his journey into experimental electronics.”

Tovey was born on 8 September 1956. He died of
a heart attack on 3 April 2002, only 45. R.I.P.

Three great Tovey moments…

– COLLAPSING NEW PEOPLE –
(From the 1984 ‘Gag’ album)

– KING OF THE FLIES –
(From ‘Incontinent’ album.
Live in Manchester 1984)

– LADYSHAVE –
(B-side from 1981 single Make Room)

All FAD GADGET singles…

.
FAD GADGET: Story

(Image on top: cover of his ‘Gag’ LP)

Gone But Not Forgotten! WILLY DEVILLE (1950-2009)

Posted on by JL

19 March 2022

Artist: WILLY DEVILLE
Who: Celebrated singer-songwriter, born William Paul Borsey Jr.
in Stamford, Connecticut on 25 August 1950. He’s best known as
frontman of his band Mink DeVillle, but he also had a succesful
solo career after that band broke-up. He passed away on 6 August
2009, only 58, due to pancreatic cancer.

With the release of debut album Cabretta in 1977 critics put him
in the ‘new wave’ category just because these were the years of new
wave. He had nothing to see whatsoever with that label. He was a rock
and soul man at heart, adding Latin rhythms, blues riffs, doo-wop, Cajun
music. That effervescent mix, his high-quality songwriting talent, his
energetic live shows (I saw a couple of them) and last but not least his
genuine voice made him really special.

Active: 1968-2009 / 6 LPs with Mink Deville and 10 solo

DeVille told an interviewer at one point: “I have a theory.
I know that I’ll sell much more records when I’m dead. It isn’t
very pleasant, but I have to get used to this idea.”

Bob Dylan: “DeVille stood out, his voice and presentation
ought to have gotten him in there (Rock and Roll of Fame)
by now.”

Three top live moments…

– SPANISH STROLL –
(Sweaty version in Montreux 1982)

– LOVE AND EMOTION –
(Pinkpop Festival, The Netherlands 1985)

– HEAVEN STOOD STILL –
(Goosebumps – Berlin 2002)

WILLY DEVILLE: Story

 

Gone But Not Forgotten! THE AUTEURS (1991-1999)

Posted on by JL

Great bands from the past

13 March 2022

Band: THE AUTEURS

Who: Alt rock group from London orchestrated by
singer-songwriter Luke Haines who never stopped
making music.

Active: 1991-1999

Albums…

New Wave (1993),
Now I’m A Cowboy (1994),
After Murder Park (1996),
How I Learned To Love The Bootboys (1999)
Das Capital (2003)

After the split, Luke Haines released several solo LPs,
wrote soundtracks for movies a couple of memoirs,
and played in some indie bands here and there.

Full band bio here.

Three great Auteurs moments: New French Girlfriend
/ How Could I Be Wrong / Lenny Valentino

– NEW FRENCH GIRLFRIEND –

– THE RUBETTES –

– LENNY VALENTINO –
(Live version – from ‘Now I’m A Cowboy’ album)

LUKE HAINES: Facebook – Tour Dates April 2022

Gone But Not Forgotten! The Fabulous POLY STERENE And X-RAY SPEX

Posted on by JL

Great bands from the past

5 March 2022

One of the most genuine Brit punk bands of
the late ’70s was, unquestionably, X-RAY SPEX.

School friends Marianne Joan Elliott-Saidn, loudmouth Poly Styrene, and
Susan Whitby, saxophonist Lora Logic, started the group in 1976 and made
an instant intense impact on London’s punk scene with loud and clear feminist
punk manifestos, but they also ranted about our consumer society, environment
issues and other essential daily life problems.

They sounded amazing, they looked amazing and they
made an amazing debut LP with Germ Free Adolescents.

By 1979 Styrene left the band an ddid some solo work and
later X-Ray Spex had some reunion shows, but in 2011 Poly
was diagnosed with breast cancer. She didn’t survive the
cruel attack on her body. She was only 53. R.I.P.

Three great X-Ray moments…

– THE DAY THE WORLD TURNED DAY GLO –

– IDENTITY –

– OH BONDAGE! UP YOURS! –
(Saxy live version. ACE!)

Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard
But I think “oh bondage, up yours!”
One-two-three-four!
Bind me, tie me, chain me to the wall
I wanna be a slave to you all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more

X-RAY SPEX: Story

Gone But Not Forgotten – ULTRAVOX! (Original Line-Up With JAMES FOXX)

Posted on by JL

Great band from the past

27 February 2022

ULTRAVOX!

I’m quite sure that the masses think that Vienna boys outfit Ultravox led by Casanova
Midge Ure was the band’s original line-up. Wrong; the band formed in 1974 in London named Tiger Lily at first, but became quickly Ultravox! (with exclamation mark) led
by charismatic singer/songwriter John Foxx (in the middle on the cover of their debut album on top) who definitely was a huge Roxy Music fan.

The new wavers’ two LPs (Ultravox! and Ha! Ha! Ha!) had that early
glam and glitter Rpxy-ness and their appetite for sexy, provocative,
and razzle-dazzle pop/rock in look, vision and music.

Foxx left in 1979 to pursue a solo career. It was then that
Midge Ure took over and the band became a cheesy but
very popular pop group.

Three great Ultravox!John Foxx moments…

– RockWrok –

– HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR –

– MY SEX –

ULTRAVOX: Biography

Gone But Not Forgotten! SUGAR (Bob Mould Band) 1992-1995

Posted on by JL

Great alternative bands from the past

18 February 2022

Band: SUGAR
Who: Riff-loaded noise trio led by Bob Mould
Active: 1992-1995
Albums: Copper Blue (1992) and File Under: Easy Listening (1994)

After frontman Bob Mould left legendary group Hüsker Dü in 1988 he went
on a solo trip and canned two LPs. After his label dropped him, he recorded a
demo tape with over thirty songs for his new project Sugar with David Barbe
and Malcolm Travis.

The band was named by Mould after he spotted … a sugar packet on the table
in a restaurant. Their journey lasted only for 3 years. I saw them live once, when
they played in my home country (Belgium) in the 90s. It was a deafening assault
on my ears that kept ringing for several days

Three great Sugar moments…

– YOU’RE FAVORITE THING –
(From ‘File Under: Easy Listening’)

– A GOOD IDEA –
(From ‘Copper Blue’)

– THE ACT WE ACT –
(From ‘Copper Blue)

SUGAR: Story