Cool As The Deep Blue Ocean

Happy birthday to Shirley Manson, born 26th August 1966.

I bought the 12" single of Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie's eponymous 1988 single, on the back of hearing their previous single The Rattler on The Chart Show. As with all of their singles on Capitol Records, it was released in a lovely (but not doubt costly to the band) gatefold sleeve and it was there that I saw my future wife. 

Unfortunately, that didn't come to pass though to be fair it was largely down to my not writing, phoning or even buying all that many Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie records after their debut album. Oh, and Shirley's complete ignorance of my existence. I think it's fair to say that Shirley got over the disappointment and got on with her life. Fortunately for me, so did I and I had the great fortune to meet Mrs. K some years later.

 

Whilst I can't say that I've followed Garbage closely beyond the first two albums, I've always admired Shirley's no-holds-barred approach to handling the music business and being a positive role model, cutting through the bullshit about age and gender particularly. 

 

And her voice is out of this world as this 15-song Garbage selection amply illustrates. It inevitably draws heavily on the debut album, but I've included a few B-sides, remixes and later period tunes, though even the most recent song in my collection is over a decade old. A return visit is overdue to see what Shirley and the band have been up to.

 

Here's raising a glass to you, Shirley.

 

1) Automatic Systematic Habit (Album Version) (2012)

2) It's All Over But The Crying (Remix) (2007)

3) Vow (Album Version) (1995)

4) Witness To Your Love (Original Version) (2008)

5) Only Happy When It Rains (Album Version) (1995)

6) Alien Sex Fiend (1996)

7) Supervixen (1995)

8) Androgyny (The Neptunes Remix By Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo) (2001)

9) Stupid Girl (Album Version) (1995)

10) I Think I'm Paranoid (Album Version) (1998)

11) You Look So Fine (Album Version) (1998)

12) Shut Your Mouth (Album Version) (2001)

13) Space Can Come Through Anyone (2005)

14) Milk (D Mix By Massive Attack) (#2) (1996)

15) Queer (The Most Beautiful Woman In Town Mix By Martin Gore, Gareth Jones & Paul Freegard) (1995)

 

1995: Garbage: 3, 5, 7, 9

1995: Queer EP: 15

1996: Milk (Massive Attack Remixes) EP (promo 12"): 14

1996: Stupid Girl EP: 6

1998: Version 2.0: 10, 11

2001: Androgyny EP: 8

2001: Beautiful Garbage: 12

2005: Why Do You Love Me EP: 13

2007: Absolute Garbage: 2 

2008: Give Listen Help: 4

2012: Not Your Kind Of People: 1

 

Cool As The Deep Blue Ocean (1:01:00) (KF) (Mega) 

 

Today's cover art is a modified photo by Kathryna Hancock, one of a number of fantastic images of Shirley shot to accompany an interview with Ladygunn magazine last year. A fascinating read.

Thank You For Wearing A Face

On 8th February, I celebrated Guy Manuel De Homen-Cristo's birthday, whilst acknowledging that I'd ignored Thomas Bangalter's the previous month. To redress the balance, here's some Daft Punk.

Not to celebrate the fact as such and, in typically contrary fashion, I'm a day late (although I did compile the selection on the actual day), but Daft Punk decided to exit in characteristically grand style one year ago. On 22nd February 2021, their official YouTube channel published an 8-minute video, Epilogue, a wordless, visually brilliant announcement of Daft Punk's demise, with De Homen-Cristo's robot activating Bangalter's robot's self-destruct to explosive effect. The legend "1993-2021" appears on screen before a musical, well, epilogue with the vocal refrain,

"Hold on...if love is the answer, you're home"

I don't own a single Daft Punk album - and I probably need to do something about that - but I have quite a few of their singles and remixes, which inform today's selection; 10 tracks in just under an hour. A truly unique duo, hugely successful and influential and yet, to the general, global public, unrecognisable behind their robotic faces.

I visited Stroud Library in Gloucestershire on Monday. There was an A-board in the entrance, with a poster advertising an event that partially obscured the (at the time) current Covid-related guidance about wearing face coverings indoors. The slightly truncated phrase seemed perfectly aligned with a post on Daft Punk. I love that life brings these little moments of serendipity.

1) Something About Us (Adithya Remix) (2021)

2) Revolution 909 (Radio Edit) (1996)

3) Da Funk (Serge Santiago Unreleased Live Mix) (2012) 

4) Technologic (Le Knight Club Remix By Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo & Eric Chedeville) (2005)

5) Face To Face (Night Drugs Rework) (ft. Todd Edwards) (2009)

6) Human After All (Emperor Machine Version By Andy Meecham) (2005)

7) Around The World (Daft Punk Edit) (1996)

8) Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (The Neptunes Remix Edit By Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo) (2001)

9) Get Lucky (Daft Punk Remix) (ft. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers) (2013)

10) The Son Of Flynn (Moby Remix) (2011)

Thank You For Wearing A Face (56:09) (KF) (Mega)

 

On a sadder note, I was completing this post when the news broke of Mark Lanegan's passing, aged 57. I did briefly considering replacing this post with an ad-hoc tribute, but I knew I wouldn't do it justice. Watch this space, but in the meantime here's John Robb remembering Mark Lanegan on Louder Than War.