tinrush

Old Man's Banjo

The Show Where We Just Listen To James Leyland Kirby - Calum - 26 Feb 2024

Christopher Shannon invites us to dive deep into his imagination for autumn/winter 16. Mixed by Maxwell Sterling.

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Show Soundtracks: Christopher Shannon - Autumn/Winter 16

Another classic lap steel tune... Home-made 8 strings lap steel in C6 tuning, Apogee one, Amplitube 3 with 65 Twin Reverb Fender module

Blue Hawaii

ZYDECO-LO  PHAT CAT

Taken from The Woodentops ‘Before During After’
REMASTERS REMIXES & RARITIES 1982-1992

'I wanted to fuse hi energy old school  rock and roll with futuristic block beat. I asked Keith LeBlanc from Sugarhill Gang and Tackhead if he would reprogram my drum track in his NYC Hip Hop style knowing the high tempo was not his comfort zone. ''Mix it all up a bit!.'' Keith copied my cassette bar by bar into his Dmx. His style leaps out. Adrian mix had the studio walls shaking in Tottenham Court with that helicopter bass . This much deeper mix has never been released previously. Rolo McGinty (April 2013)

Split across 3 CDs, ‘Before During After’ marks the definitive Woodentops retrospective, comprising re-mastered versions of their two albums, ‘Giant’ and ‘Wooden Foot Cops on the Highway’. Both were re-mastered from the original tapes - which themselves had first to be lovingly restored by an oven baking process overseen by lead singer Rolo McGinty. Also included in the package are never before released tracks including Adrian Sherwood’s mixes of ‘Give It Time’ and ‘Keep A Knockin’, Tony Johns & Dave Boreham’s Balearic re-edit of ‘Why Why Why’ and Arthur Baker’s completely unheard dub of ‘Give It Time’. On top of this are all manner of live, alternate and remixed versions, plus a handful of tracks that give a tantalising glimpse into what the 3rd unfinished album might have been. Also included is Rolo’s new commentary to the accompanying track lists.

Formed in South London in 1982 and signed to Rough Trade, The Woodentops heavily anticipated debut ‘Giant’ (1986) arrived off the back of a series of 12” single releases, hitting the indie charts No.2 spot on its release. With a sound propelled by jungle rumble tom toms, Latin cowbells, woodblock skulls, kicks and snares, by 1986, with electronic sounds and rudimentary sampling creeping into the rhythmic cacophony, The Woodentops had developed a reputation for their increasingly frenetic and experimental live shows (documented on ‘Hypno Beat Live’) that explored and tested song structures to breaking point by the techno-like repetition of simple motifs and tight, locked grooves.

Something of a live fixture on the Spanish coast in the mid 80's, the band often found themselves booked to play large outdoor clubs that were in fact all night discos. DJ Alfredo witnessed the ecstatic crowd reaction to once such performance, and from there began what was – on the face of it - the surprise wholesale adoption of ‘Why Why Why’ by Ibiza's nascent Balearic scene. Via DJs like Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox, Andy Weatherall, Danny Rampling and the likes of ‘Shoom’ and ‘Spectrum’, it fed back to the UK and an association with the burgeoning club culture was cemented (check Tony Johns & Dave Boreham’s thumping re-edit). Oakenfold recalls: “It was the last record on at Amnesia, this 150 bpm version, with the crowd cheering along to it. It sounded so unique, so different. I couldn’t believe they were playing this mad record by an English indie band as their last record of the night. The whole place went off." Inadvertently, The Woodentops had opened the gates for the indie/ dance crossover that was to follow – and began to revel in the new hybrid culture themselves.

It’s not by chance that kindred spirit Adrian Sherwood’s remixes dominate in this period – mirroring the more electronic, programming led direction the band was already moving toward with second studio album, ‘Wooden Cops On The Highway’ (1988) as the influence of the 808 drum machine made itself heard – and indeed felt. (Incidentally, there is also a previously unheard Arthur Baker remix of ‘Give It Time’ included here). The album sessions were sprinkled with a colourful litany of musicians - Lee Scratch Perry, Doug Wimbish (Tackhead), Gary Lucas (Beefheart) June Miles Kingston (Funboy 3) Fred Maher (Scritti Pollitti) Bernie Worrell (Parliament) all dropping in and making contributions.

The 3rd cd takes us up to 1992 and includes the final official release to bear The Woodentops name, Woodentops v Bang the Party’s, ‘Tainted World’ (1991) - picked up by DJ Tony Humphries and hardcore techno DJ’s like Lenny Dee. Headfirst into the dance world, this and the other final tracks give a tantalising glimpse into how the unfinished 1991 album might have shaped up.

The Woodentops influence is still remembered by a generation of musicians and DJs – not least huge fans David Bowie (who invited them to support him), Morrissey and Noel Gallagher – the latter electing to include ‘Why Why Why’ on Mojo magazine’s September 2011 cover mount CD he curated.

The Woodentops returned to live performance in October 2009, performing a special concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London's South Bank. They also curated the events in the Front Room of the QEH with an exhibition of works by artist Panni Bharti, and concerts by musicians Anchorsong, Worm, Othon and Ernesto Tomasini.

http://www.woodentopsmusic.com/ 




The Woodentops - Keep A Knockin’ (Adrian Sherwood Dub)

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