Mike the Knife
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Taste-testing some fresh mash-ups last week, I came upon an unholy alliance. Somewhere in France, DJ Le Clown brought together “I Love My Bitch,” rapper Busta Rhymes’ cheerfully raw ode to inner-city romance, and “Echo Beach,” the bittersweet 1980 new-wave anthem by Canadian one-hit wonders Martha & the Muffins.
I decided not to stream the result, “Eko Bitch,” as the keystone of a full post because of the incessant repetition of the n-word, albeit pronounced “nigga” and used as a term of endearment. But, hearing the slinky, seductive guitar intro to “Echo Beach” put me in search of the original. And what better time to toast that song than on New Wave Wednesday?
In addition to being the only Martha & the Muffins track to have any impact in the U.S. through airplay on alternative and college radio, “Echo Beach” became a staple of new-wave dance clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. It even provided the name of a San Fran nightclub that was a popular South-of-Market destination in the ‘80s.
Imagine going to Echo Beach on a weekend night and being on the dance-floor when the disc jockey spun “Echo Beach.” It was pandemonium.
Anyway, the song – which recounts a young office worker’s dream of escaping her stultifying job - still sounds pretty good. (Love the horns!) It’s available for a listen here. And, in a bit of perverse glee over its dated look, I’ve also attached the promotional video with singer Martha Johnson garbed like an escapee from a “Star Trek” convention. Calling Captain Kirk!
He said he was going to retire from the mash-up game, but masterful British DJ and producer Mark Vidler a.k.a. Go Home Productions is back to confecting his brill, genre-hopping brand of bastard pop. If it’s only for one album’s worth of mp3s (currently available for download at his website: http://www.gohomeproductions.co.uk/mp3.html), I’ll take it!
Vidler is calling this collection of 11 wacky tracks Spliced Krispies. There are exceedingly clever jams that toy with the likes of R.E.M., Billy Joel, Stone Roses, Sex Pistols, the Supremes, Queen, the Commodores, CeCe Peniston, Black Sabbath, and Luther Vandross, and a couple of insane novelties (e.g. The Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” crossed with the jingle from a Cadbury’s Fudge ad).
Maybe the “Shine a Light” concert film goosed him, because Vidler continues his manipulation of the Rolling Stones’ discography with three cuts on Spliced Krispies featuring Stones classics linked up to very different artists. They’re actually my favorite numbers in the bunch, so I’ve attached an audio stream of the most flawless and inspired - “Rolling Confusion,” essentially mashing elements of the Stones’ cynical view of ‘60s revolution “Street Fighting Man” and their apocalyptic “Gimme Shelter” with the Temptations’ mind-expanding, socially-relevant Motown opus “Ball of Confusion.”
Since Vidler lined up video mash-ups of each piece on Spliced Krispies, I thought I’d offer up “Rolling Confusion,” plus the other two Stones-driven clips: "Mick n' Carly," mixing the Stones’ “Miss You” with Carly Simon’s “You're So Vain,” (the latter having featured Stones singer Mick Jagger on back-up vocals); and the spacey "2000 Light Years From Bolan," grafting together the Stones’ psychedelicacy “2000 Light Years from Home” and Marc Bolan & T.Rex’s glam-rock anthem “(Bang a Gong) Get It On.”
Spliced Krispies! It’s the Breakfast of Champions - any time of day or night…
"Rolling Confusion"
"Mick n' Carly"
"2000 Light Years from Bolan"
Comments
Generally I'm not a fan of sampling and/or Mash-ups but damn that Mick and Carly number is brillant!!!
Christ, Mike. Brilliant, all, though my favourite of them is the Bolan mix. the vid clips with Jones are quite nice, too.
mmm, MOG . Took me a minute to catch you. Thanks for the links, too:)
Have to agree w/Waydutch, Mick & Carly is brilliant! But then again that's one of my fave Stones tunes.
Somewhere…there’s a couple who started the growing tradition of assembling, burning and distributing mix CDs as keepsakes at weddings. So much for matchbooks as marriage mementos.
The first wedding CD that I encountered was handed out about five years ago when my longtime fellow nightclub habitué Shannon married her beau Michael. They gave out discs that featured music played during the ceremony and at the reception. Selections included gruff vocalist Tom Waits’ moving rendition of the achingly romantic “Somewhere” from the musical “West Side Story,” and, before it had been completely played out, singer-songwriter Norah Jones’ contemplative love song “Come Away with Me.” The CD cover was as simple and elegant as a wedding invitation: The names of the bride and groom and the date of the nuptials. I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise that every time I hear Waits sing “Somewhere,” I think of Shannon and Michael.
Things have gotten a little more elaborate on the wedding CD front. Another couple that I know – Scott and Mona – recently produced a beauty to celebrate their union. Scott is a major fan of the Beatles; and Mona is a photographer and designer. For their commemorative disc, Mona took a shot of the twosome and their longhair Chihuahua, Ringo, and created a reproduction of the classic cover that graced the Fab Four’s American debut album Meet the Beatles (including font and color scheme). The inside cover of the souvenir served as a program for the wedding ceremony, while the label on the CD itself recalled the design of the old Capitol Records logo, only retooled as “S & M Records.”
Tracks on the CD ranged from ”Here, There & Everywhere,” “Something” and “Real Love” by the Beatles, “Oh My Love” by a solo John Lennon, and a cover of the Lennon-McCartney song “The Two of Us” by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn to modern folk/cabaret singer Nellie McKay’s tongue-in-cheek “I Wanna Get Married,” jazz legend Louis Armstrong’s “We Have All the Time in the World” (from the James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”), and cool thrush Julie London’s rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon.” On the more rockin’ tip, they threw in the Cure’s “Lovesong,” the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” New Model Army’s “Love Songs” and, paying tribute to the rather unique city where they fell in love, the Arctic Monkeys’ “Fake Tales of San Francisco” and the Jam’s “Strange Town.” And there’s more, including a handful of nifty hidden tracks.
I could tell that Scott was thrilled to hand out the CDs to all of us who attended the reception. As for the album itself, it was such a sweet gesture, not to mention easy on the ears. Whenever I play the CD or look at the cover, it’ll be a lovely way for me to remember my friends’ special day, and their affection for one another.
I’d say that, as traditions go, this one’s a keeper.
Comments
Indeed. Mrs. Ivylander's cousin got married a couple of years ago and gave out a beaut of a mix, which is still on regular rotation in her car. Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon In The Sky" is the linchpin of the CD - a perfect marriage song, when you think about it....
Funny tradition which I haven't encountered anywhere else outside the US of A. I attended French weddings where keepsakes were confectioneries called "dragée" and sometimes dried flowers with the newly-weds' names on a ribbon. I also attended one Portuguese wedding where I was presented with a miniature pottery (a lovely vase it was). The only mix-CD I had from a wedding was one of some friends in Santa Monica. The choice I must say, well romantic.
I wonder if anyone could enlighten with regards other connubial keepsake traditions in their countries.
Well, out here in deadmandeadman country we hand out "bones" (chuckle, chuckle, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, wot?)
But yes, the cd mix is making appearances at more "events" every year. Weddings, Proms, & parties have all been commemorated of late with choice mixes.
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Speaking of perversity…
....ah MK... you've done it again...
I wanna hear the mashup w/Busta now Mike! This is good but Busta will make it so much betta I'm sure.