More from my Throwback Thursday Retro Video Project. This week; Siouxsie & The Banshees, pt.2.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "HALLOWEEN";
This is a song off their best album, "Ju-Ju" from 1981. The video uses a 1907 short by the Spanish-French film-maker Segundo De Chomon, a contemporary of the more famous George Melies, whose style he expanded on.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "VOODOO DOLLY";
Another song off of "Ju Ju" using a Segundo De Chomon film.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "LET GO";
This song is a b-side off the 1984 "Swimming Horses" single using another Segundo De Chomon short film, "Les Oeufs De Paques" from 1907. I also used this film for an Ultravox song.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "PULLED TO BITS";
This song was originally a b-side that later appeared on the 1983 live album "Nocturne" using newsreel footage from the collapse of the Tacoma Bridge in 1946.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "SWITCH";
A song off their debut 1978 album "The Scream" using an Edwin S Porter film "Life Of An American Fireman from 1903.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "ISRAEL";
This track uses an odd short film featuring miniaturized versions of the Denishawn Dancers, an influential Modern Dance troupe from the 1910's.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "WE HUNGER";
This is a song from the 1984 "Hyena" album. This is a clip from a longer film "Shoes" (1916) directed by Lois Weber and seemed to fit the song perfectly.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "THE RAPTURE";
This epic track is obviously in need of a video, here using a chapter from a 1923 British serial about the "Dr Fu Manchu" character. Note the ending of this chapter has been lost.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "TURN TO STONE";
This track off the 1986 album "Peep Show" uses another film by Segundo De Chomon
Thursday, 21 September 2017
Thursday, 14 September 2017
Throwback Thursdays Retro Zines; "Rear Garde Magazine" ( June 1986)
"Rear Garde" was a Montreal based music magazine (mostly punk & post punk) from the late 1980's. Started by Paul Gott of the Ripcordz originally as a program guide for campus/community radio station CRSG out of Concordia University, the zine later evolved into a national music mag. This issue is from 1986 when it was still doubling as a program guide.
This issue is 20 pages in length and is subtitled the "Not a Cow-Punk" issue. The guide features in depth pieces on rockabilly guy Ray Condo, Montreal punk band The Asexuals, 8th Route Army, New York Garage Band the Fleshtones, Toronto Bluesman The Paul James Band, and California Garage-Psyche band The Three O'Clock Train and avant garde classical composer Wolfgang Bottenberg.
THE FLESHTONES ~ "SOUL CITY";
Reviews include Hasil Adkins, Nihilist Spasm Band, Chris Houston, Condition, Nurse With Wound, Current 93, Controlled Bleeding, Bowser & Blue. Concert reviews include Siouxsie & The Banshees, Lords Of The New Church & American Girls, Burning Spear and the 1986 Electro-Acoustic Festival with Pierre Henry.
Along with the CSRG top thirty charts there are listings for Montreal shows that month which included The Gruesomes, 10,000 Maniacs, The Shadowy Men, Green On Red, Donovan, Monty Cantsin, Killdozer, Three O'clock Train, 39 Steps, The A-Bones, Anne Clark, Depeche Mode, Julian Lennon, Deja Voodoo, Slickee Boys, The Darned, Sonny Okuson, Kool & The Gang, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Beach Boys, Archie Shepp, Public Image Limited (Hey! I saw that tour!), Tangerine Dream (saw them too).
THE THREE O'CLOCK TRAIN ~ "TAIN OF DREAMS";
CRSG Top 30 Charts;
This Week ~ Last Week ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Weeks On ~ Cancon;
1. ~ 1 ~ Three O'Clock Train ~ Wig Wam Beach ~ Pipeline ~ 11 ~ cc
2. ~ 2 ~ Ray Condo ~ Greenback Dollar ~ s/r ~ 6 ~ cc
3. ~ 4 ~ S.C.U.M. ~ Born Too Soon ~ Psyche ~ 12 ~ cc
4. ~ 8 ~ The Gruesomes ~ Jack The Ripper ~ s/r ~ 6 ~ cc
5. ~ 27 ~ The Cucumbers ~ All Shook Up ~ Fake Doome ~ 2
6. ~ 3 ~ The Paul James Band ~ Almost Crazy ~ Lick n' Stick ~ 4 ~ cc
7. ~ n.a ~ The Ramones ~ Something To Believe In ~ Beggars Banquet ~ n.a.
8. ~ 6 ~ The Nils ~ Sell Out Young ~ Psyche ~ 24 ~ cc
9. ~ n.a ~ Chris Houston ~ Hate Filled Man ~ Zulu ~ n.a ~ cc
10. ~ 7 ~ The Ripcordz ~ Circular Motion ~ s/r ~ 10 ~ cc
11. ~ 10 ~ Siouxsie & The Banshees ~ Tinderbox ~ Polygram ~ 3
12. ~ 12 ~ The March Violets ~ Electric Shades ~ Relativity ~ 3
13. ~ n.a ~ Nihilist Spasm Band ~ 1 x X = X ~ United Dairies ~ n.a ~ cc
14. ~ 15 ~ The Pandoras ~ It's About Time ~ Closer ~ 2
15. ~ n.a ~ Condition ~ Ghost Train ~ s/r ~ n.a ~ cc
16. ~ 14 ~ The Violent Femmes ~ The Blind Leading The Naked ~ Slash ~ 11
17. ~ n.a ~ Smudgeman ~ Changing My Name ~ s/r ~ n.a ~ cc
18. ~ 19 ~ Teenage Head ~ Trouble In The Jungle ~ Warpt ~ 13 ~ cc
19. ~ 9 ~ The Asexuals ~ Contemporary World ~ Psyche ~ 13 ~ cc
20. ~ 22 ~ My Dog Popper ~ Gino ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc
21. ~ 23 ~ Dayglow Abortions ~ Dayglow Abortions ~ Fringe ~ 2 ~ cc
22. ~ 25 ~ Johnathan Richman ~ It's Time For ~ Rough Trade ~ 3
23. ~ 28 ~ Sturm Group ~ Century Ho! ~ Green Fuse ~ 10 ~ cc
24. ~ 25 ~ Various Artists ~ It Came From Canada ~ OG! ~ 24 ~ cc
25. ~ 16 ~ The U.K.Subs ~ In Action ~ RFB ~ 6 ~ cc
26. ~ 24 ~ Mind Altering Device ~ To Touch The Face Of God ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc
27. ~ 24 ~ Rhythm Activism ~ Rhythm Activism ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc
28. ~ n.a ~ Test Dept. ~ Unacceptable Face Of Freedom ~ Some Bizarre ~ n.a
29. ~ n.a ~ Hasil Adkins ~ Out To Hunch ~ Norton ~ n.a
30. ~ n.a ~ Ludwig Von 88 ~ Houlala ~ Bondage ~ n.a
RAY CONDO & HIS HARD ROCK GONERS ~ "WAY OUT THERE";
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jazz Blues Top 5;
This Week ~ Last Week ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Weeks On ~ Cancon;
1. ~ 1 ~ Skywalk ~ The Bohemians ~ Zebra ~ 3 ~ cc
2. ~ 2 ~ Larry Carlton ~ Alone But Never Alone ~ MCA ~ 3
3. ~ n.a ~ UZEB ~ Between The Lines ~ A&M ~ n.a ~ cc
4. ~ 3 ~ David Grisman ~ Acousticity ~ MCA ~ 7
5. ~ 4 ~ Jackie Washington ~ Is You Is Or Is You Ain't ~ Roto-Noto ~ 12 ~ cc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reggae/Afropop Top 5;
This Week ~ Last Week ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Weeks On ~ Cancon;
1. ~ 2 ~ J.R.Express ~ She's A Dancer ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc
2. ~ 3 ~ Black Uhuru ~ Brutal ~ Attic ~ 3
3. ~ 4 ~ Becket ~ Stranger Man ~ Cocoa ~ 3
4. ~ 1 ~ Linton Kwesi Johnson ~ In Concert With The Dub Band ~ Rough Trade ~ 4
5. ~ n.a ~ Youssou N'Dour ~ The Rubberband Man ~ Magnetic ~ n.a
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "RED OVER WHITE";
This issue is 20 pages in length and is subtitled the "Not a Cow-Punk" issue. The guide features in depth pieces on rockabilly guy Ray Condo, Montreal punk band The Asexuals, 8th Route Army, New York Garage Band the Fleshtones, Toronto Bluesman The Paul James Band, and California Garage-Psyche band The Three O'Clock Train and avant garde classical composer Wolfgang Bottenberg.
THE FLESHTONES ~ "SOUL CITY";
Reviews include Hasil Adkins, Nihilist Spasm Band, Chris Houston, Condition, Nurse With Wound, Current 93, Controlled Bleeding, Bowser & Blue. Concert reviews include Siouxsie & The Banshees, Lords Of The New Church & American Girls, Burning Spear and the 1986 Electro-Acoustic Festival with Pierre Henry.
Along with the CSRG top thirty charts there are listings for Montreal shows that month which included The Gruesomes, 10,000 Maniacs, The Shadowy Men, Green On Red, Donovan, Monty Cantsin, Killdozer, Three O'clock Train, 39 Steps, The A-Bones, Anne Clark, Depeche Mode, Julian Lennon, Deja Voodoo, Slickee Boys, The Darned, Sonny Okuson, Kool & The Gang, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Beach Boys, Archie Shepp, Public Image Limited (Hey! I saw that tour!), Tangerine Dream (saw them too).
THE THREE O'CLOCK TRAIN ~ "TAIN OF DREAMS";
CRSG Top 30 Charts;
This Week ~ Last Week ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Weeks On ~ Cancon;
1. ~ 1 ~ Three O'Clock Train ~ Wig Wam Beach ~ Pipeline ~ 11 ~ cc
2. ~ 2 ~ Ray Condo ~ Greenback Dollar ~ s/r ~ 6 ~ cc
3. ~ 4 ~ S.C.U.M. ~ Born Too Soon ~ Psyche ~ 12 ~ cc
4. ~ 8 ~ The Gruesomes ~ Jack The Ripper ~ s/r ~ 6 ~ cc
5. ~ 27 ~ The Cucumbers ~ All Shook Up ~ Fake Doome ~ 2
6. ~ 3 ~ The Paul James Band ~ Almost Crazy ~ Lick n' Stick ~ 4 ~ cc
7. ~ n.a ~ The Ramones ~ Something To Believe In ~ Beggars Banquet ~ n.a.
8. ~ 6 ~ The Nils ~ Sell Out Young ~ Psyche ~ 24 ~ cc
9. ~ n.a ~ Chris Houston ~ Hate Filled Man ~ Zulu ~ n.a ~ cc
10. ~ 7 ~ The Ripcordz ~ Circular Motion ~ s/r ~ 10 ~ cc
11. ~ 10 ~ Siouxsie & The Banshees ~ Tinderbox ~ Polygram ~ 3
12. ~ 12 ~ The March Violets ~ Electric Shades ~ Relativity ~ 3
13. ~ n.a ~ Nihilist Spasm Band ~ 1 x X = X ~ United Dairies ~ n.a ~ cc
14. ~ 15 ~ The Pandoras ~ It's About Time ~ Closer ~ 2
15. ~ n.a ~ Condition ~ Ghost Train ~ s/r ~ n.a ~ cc
16. ~ 14 ~ The Violent Femmes ~ The Blind Leading The Naked ~ Slash ~ 11
17. ~ n.a ~ Smudgeman ~ Changing My Name ~ s/r ~ n.a ~ cc
18. ~ 19 ~ Teenage Head ~ Trouble In The Jungle ~ Warpt ~ 13 ~ cc
19. ~ 9 ~ The Asexuals ~ Contemporary World ~ Psyche ~ 13 ~ cc
20. ~ 22 ~ My Dog Popper ~ Gino ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc
21. ~ 23 ~ Dayglow Abortions ~ Dayglow Abortions ~ Fringe ~ 2 ~ cc
22. ~ 25 ~ Johnathan Richman ~ It's Time For ~ Rough Trade ~ 3
23. ~ 28 ~ Sturm Group ~ Century Ho! ~ Green Fuse ~ 10 ~ cc
24. ~ 25 ~ Various Artists ~ It Came From Canada ~ OG! ~ 24 ~ cc
25. ~ 16 ~ The U.K.Subs ~ In Action ~ RFB ~ 6 ~ cc
26. ~ 24 ~ Mind Altering Device ~ To Touch The Face Of God ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc
27. ~ 24 ~ Rhythm Activism ~ Rhythm Activism ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc
28. ~ n.a ~ Test Dept. ~ Unacceptable Face Of Freedom ~ Some Bizarre ~ n.a
29. ~ n.a ~ Hasil Adkins ~ Out To Hunch ~ Norton ~ n.a
30. ~ n.a ~ Ludwig Von 88 ~ Houlala ~ Bondage ~ n.a
RAY CONDO & HIS HARD ROCK GONERS ~ "WAY OUT THERE";
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jazz Blues Top 5;
This Week ~ Last Week ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Weeks On ~ Cancon;
1. ~ 1 ~ Skywalk ~ The Bohemians ~ Zebra ~ 3 ~ cc
2. ~ 2 ~ Larry Carlton ~ Alone But Never Alone ~ MCA ~ 3
3. ~ n.a ~ UZEB ~ Between The Lines ~ A&M ~ n.a ~ cc
4. ~ 3 ~ David Grisman ~ Acousticity ~ MCA ~ 7
5. ~ 4 ~ Jackie Washington ~ Is You Is Or Is You Ain't ~ Roto-Noto ~ 12 ~ cc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reggae/Afropop Top 5;
This Week ~ Last Week ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Weeks On ~ Cancon;
1. ~ 2 ~ J.R.Express ~ She's A Dancer ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc
2. ~ 3 ~ Black Uhuru ~ Brutal ~ Attic ~ 3
3. ~ 4 ~ Becket ~ Stranger Man ~ Cocoa ~ 3
4. ~ 1 ~ Linton Kwesi Johnson ~ In Concert With The Dub Band ~ Rough Trade ~ 4
5. ~ n.a ~ Youssou N'Dour ~ The Rubberband Man ~ Magnetic ~ n.a
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "RED OVER WHITE";
The Throwback Thursdays Retro Video Project Presents; Siouxsie & The Banshees (pt.1)
More from my Throwback Thursday Retro Video Project. This week; Siouxsie & The Banshees. I always though their music had a cinematic quality.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "CARCASS";
Happily this track off the first album about festishizing "dead pork" turned out to be perfect for this weird French film
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "SUBURBAN RELAPSE";
Here's another song from the first album using an early French film from Pathe;
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "RED OVER WHITE";
This song originally appeared as the flipside to the "Israel" 45. This second, more lush version, appeared on "The Thorn" ep. The video is a collection of fan dancers from the 1900's. Some of the footage are of Loie Fuller, an American who invented the style and became very popular, especially in France. The others are various imitators from France and America including American Chrissie Sheridan, filmed by Thomas Edison. This may be my favorite video.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "PLACEBO EFFECT";
Another song off "The Thorne" the original version of which on the second album, this one using a film by Segundo De Chomon
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "OVERGROUND";
Another song off of "The Thorn" this time using a fairly obscure silent film "A Daring Crime".
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "MELT";
A song off the 1982 "Kiss In The Dreamhouse" album using an abstract film by German experimental film-maker Walter Ruttman; "Opus 2" from 1921.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "GREEN FINGERS";
Another song off of "Kiss In The Dreamhouse" using a short art film, "Tails" from 1976, by Paul Sharits. This film spliced together the faded, underdeveloped ends of other films, hence the title. I used this same film for songs by Cabaret Voltaire and Simple Minds song but couldn't decide which version I liked better so I kept them all.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "CITIES IN DUST";
This video shows Berlin shot from the air in the 1920's, it's only a fragment but it suited the sunject matter so perfectly that I couldn't resist.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "CARCASS";
Happily this track off the first album about festishizing "dead pork" turned out to be perfect for this weird French film
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "SUBURBAN RELAPSE";
Here's another song from the first album using an early French film from Pathe;
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "RED OVER WHITE";
This song originally appeared as the flipside to the "Israel" 45. This second, more lush version, appeared on "The Thorn" ep. The video is a collection of fan dancers from the 1900's. Some of the footage are of Loie Fuller, an American who invented the style and became very popular, especially in France. The others are various imitators from France and America including American Chrissie Sheridan, filmed by Thomas Edison. This may be my favorite video.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "PLACEBO EFFECT";
Another song off "The Thorne" the original version of which on the second album, this one using a film by Segundo De Chomon
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "OVERGROUND";
Another song off of "The Thorn" this time using a fairly obscure silent film "A Daring Crime".
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "MELT";
A song off the 1982 "Kiss In The Dreamhouse" album using an abstract film by German experimental film-maker Walter Ruttman; "Opus 2" from 1921.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "GREEN FINGERS";
Another song off of "Kiss In The Dreamhouse" using a short art film, "Tails" from 1976, by Paul Sharits. This film spliced together the faded, underdeveloped ends of other films, hence the title. I used this same film for songs by Cabaret Voltaire and Simple Minds song but couldn't decide which version I liked better so I kept them all.
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "CITIES IN DUST";
This video shows Berlin shot from the air in the 1920's, it's only a fragment but it suited the sunject matter so perfectly that I couldn't resist.
Wednesday, 6 September 2017
The Throwback Thursdays Retro Video Project Presents; Clock DVA
More from my Throwback Thursday Retro Video Project.
This week; Clock DVA. A Northern English band led by Adi Newton who combined a jazz-funk lineup with post-punk/industrial influences on their first three albums. After that the band broke up and Newton continued on as a purely techno band under the Clock DVA name. Guitarist John Valentine Carruthers would go on to join Siouxsie & The Banshees. They don't seem to have made any proper videos during their classic early phase so mine appear to be the only ones.
CLOCK DVA ~ "SENSORIUM";
A track off their 1981 second album "Thirst" (also their best) using a silent "Lone Ranger" cartoon which was filmed off of a television set. This one definitely has the feel of an early Cabaret Voltaire video.
CLOCK DVA ~ "BLUE TONE";
Another song off of "Thirst" using an early French film "History Of A Crime". The film itself obviously filmed on a stage backdrop and is interesting in using a second stage during the scene where the prisoner is shown sleeping to portray him dreaming of his past life. This was a technique used on stage but not in film once they figured out how to do flashbacks.
CLOCK DVA ~ "MOMENTS";
This song from "Thirst" uses a strange British sci-fi comedy "The Automatic Motorist" from 1911. The film's idea of space is basically that of George Melies films but unlike Melies this film uses multiple sets and allows for a car chase and would have made the Melies films of only a few years earlier seem old hat by comparison.
CLOCK DVA ~ "FOUR HOURS";
The closest thing early Clock DVA had to a single (from "Thirst), here mashed up with a George Melies film "Zeus' Thunderbolts".
CLOCK DVA ~ "PIANO PAIN";
Another track from "Thirst" using some very early BBC TV footage that was captured on an American TV where it was somehow beamed through freak atmospheric conditions. Since almost no TV recordings exist from that era it's interesting to see how similar it was to that of the 1950's Golden Age. Incidentally while most people assume that TV started in the 1950's it's not at all true as I've written about here.
CLOCK DVA ~ "NORTH LOOP";
This one uses Edison Studios newsreel footage of the San Francisco earthquake and fire.
CLOCK DVA ~ "DISCONTENTMENT";
This track off the obscure 1980 debut album "White Souls In Black Suits" which was put out by Industrial godfathers Throbbing Gristle on their Industrial label on cassette only. Yes I actually have one. The video uses newsreel footage of New York shot for the French Pathe company sometime in the mid 1930's. Note; I had some trouble with sound levels on this one.
CLOCK DVA ~ "STILL SILENT";
This track from "White Souls" uses another Op-Art Fluxus film, by John Cavanaugh.
CLOCK DVA ~ "THE CAGE"
This track comes from a set of early demos and uses a "In The Land Of Nod" a weird film which uses some early stop action animation.
CLOCK DVA ~ "SEXUAL OVERTURE";
Another early demo for which I used a WW1 British film "The German Spy Peril". Actually it's only part of the final reel in which the hero is captured by an oddly large group of spies and tossed into a tunnel under Big Ben with a bomb. The rest of the film is apparently lost.
CLOCK DVA ~ "UNTITLED DEMO TRACK 2";
This is another early demo and uses one from a series of amateur videos various people made as homages to the Andy Warhol "Screen Tests" of the 1960's
CLOCK DVA ~ "THE SONOLOGY OF SEX";
This song is from the b-side of the "Sound Mirror" single from 1990 put out by the latter, synth only version of Clock DVA. The song is about Elizabeth Bathory the infamous Bloody Countess of the sixteenth century so I used various still photos portrayals of the Countess including some of actresses who have played her on screen including Isabelle Hupert and Palmoa Picasso.
This week; Clock DVA. A Northern English band led by Adi Newton who combined a jazz-funk lineup with post-punk/industrial influences on their first three albums. After that the band broke up and Newton continued on as a purely techno band under the Clock DVA name. Guitarist John Valentine Carruthers would go on to join Siouxsie & The Banshees. They don't seem to have made any proper videos during their classic early phase so mine appear to be the only ones.
CLOCK DVA ~ "SENSORIUM";
A track off their 1981 second album "Thirst" (also their best) using a silent "Lone Ranger" cartoon which was filmed off of a television set. This one definitely has the feel of an early Cabaret Voltaire video.
CLOCK DVA ~ "BLUE TONE";
Another song off of "Thirst" using an early French film "History Of A Crime". The film itself obviously filmed on a stage backdrop and is interesting in using a second stage during the scene where the prisoner is shown sleeping to portray him dreaming of his past life. This was a technique used on stage but not in film once they figured out how to do flashbacks.
CLOCK DVA ~ "MOMENTS";
This song from "Thirst" uses a strange British sci-fi comedy "The Automatic Motorist" from 1911. The film's idea of space is basically that of George Melies films but unlike Melies this film uses multiple sets and allows for a car chase and would have made the Melies films of only a few years earlier seem old hat by comparison.
CLOCK DVA ~ "FOUR HOURS";
The closest thing early Clock DVA had to a single (from "Thirst), here mashed up with a George Melies film "Zeus' Thunderbolts".
CLOCK DVA ~ "PIANO PAIN";
Another track from "Thirst" using some very early BBC TV footage that was captured on an American TV where it was somehow beamed through freak atmospheric conditions. Since almost no TV recordings exist from that era it's interesting to see how similar it was to that of the 1950's Golden Age. Incidentally while most people assume that TV started in the 1950's it's not at all true as I've written about here.
CLOCK DVA ~ "NORTH LOOP";
This one uses Edison Studios newsreel footage of the San Francisco earthquake and fire.
CLOCK DVA ~ "DISCONTENTMENT";
This track off the obscure 1980 debut album "White Souls In Black Suits" which was put out by Industrial godfathers Throbbing Gristle on their Industrial label on cassette only. Yes I actually have one. The video uses newsreel footage of New York shot for the French Pathe company sometime in the mid 1930's. Note; I had some trouble with sound levels on this one.
CLOCK DVA ~ "STILL SILENT";
This track from "White Souls" uses another Op-Art Fluxus film, by John Cavanaugh.
CLOCK DVA ~ "THE CAGE"
This track comes from a set of early demos and uses a "In The Land Of Nod" a weird film which uses some early stop action animation.
CLOCK DVA ~ "SEXUAL OVERTURE";
Another early demo for which I used a WW1 British film "The German Spy Peril". Actually it's only part of the final reel in which the hero is captured by an oddly large group of spies and tossed into a tunnel under Big Ben with a bomb. The rest of the film is apparently lost.
CLOCK DVA ~ "UNTITLED DEMO TRACK 2";
This is another early demo and uses one from a series of amateur videos various people made as homages to the Andy Warhol "Screen Tests" of the 1960's
CLOCK DVA ~ "THE SONOLOGY OF SEX";
This song is from the b-side of the "Sound Mirror" single from 1990 put out by the latter, synth only version of Clock DVA. The song is about Elizabeth Bathory the infamous Bloody Countess of the sixteenth century so I used various still photos portrayals of the Countess including some of actresses who have played her on screen including Isabelle Hupert and Palmoa Picasso.
Wednesday, 30 August 2017
The Throwback Thursdays Retro Video Project Presents; Cabaret Voltaire pt.2
More in my ongoing retro video project. This time more Cabaret Voltaire, pt.2, mid-period recordings.
"IF THE SHADOWS COULD MARCH";
This video for a remixed track recorded in 1974 which eventually turned up in a shortened form on the second album. The footage is from a short art film made by Wolf Vostell for a Dada film collective called Flux Films who made a series of such shorts in 1965-67. I think this one really captures the feel of the Cabs early vids.
In 1983 Cabaret Voltaire did a soundtrack for an obscure film called "Johnny Yesno". I took a couple of these tracks to make videos of.
JOHNNY YESNO";
For this one I used a short art film, "Tails", by Paul Sharits. This film spliced together the faded, underdeveloped ends of other films, hence the title.
"TAXI MUSIC";
Another from "Johnny Yesno". For this one I used one of DW Giffith's first film (from 1908) about a home invasion. I also used this film for a Monoton video but couldn't decide which I liked better so I kept both.
"SPREAD THE VIRUS";
This track is off the 1981 "Red Mecca" album. The video uses newsreel footage of the Red Baron's funeral and wreckage of his plane from 1918.
"INVOCATION";
This track is from the 1988 album "Eight Crepescule Tracks" using a performance art film from 1968 directed by Dutch art film-maker Franz Zwartjes.
Besides these found film videos I also made a few collages using still images.
"BAADER-MEINHOFF";
For this track off the second album about the 1970's terrorist group I used newspaper footage of the group.
"SLUGGIN FOR JESUS";
OK; the idea of three (very) pale white English dudes covering the theme from a 1970's blacksploitation flick may seem ill-advised but you can't argue with the results. We're just talkin' bout Shaft. Shut your mouth.
"IF THE SHADOWS COULD MARCH";
This video for a remixed track recorded in 1974 which eventually turned up in a shortened form on the second album. The footage is from a short art film made by Wolf Vostell for a Dada film collective called Flux Films who made a series of such shorts in 1965-67. I think this one really captures the feel of the Cabs early vids.
In 1983 Cabaret Voltaire did a soundtrack for an obscure film called "Johnny Yesno". I took a couple of these tracks to make videos of.
JOHNNY YESNO";
For this one I used a short art film, "Tails", by Paul Sharits. This film spliced together the faded, underdeveloped ends of other films, hence the title.
"TAXI MUSIC";
Another from "Johnny Yesno". For this one I used one of DW Giffith's first film (from 1908) about a home invasion. I also used this film for a Monoton video but couldn't decide which I liked better so I kept both.
"SPREAD THE VIRUS";
This track is off the 1981 "Red Mecca" album. The video uses newsreel footage of the Red Baron's funeral and wreckage of his plane from 1918.
"INVOCATION";
This track is from the 1988 album "Eight Crepescule Tracks" using a performance art film from 1968 directed by Dutch art film-maker Franz Zwartjes.
Besides these found film videos I also made a few collages using still images.
"BAADER-MEINHOFF";
For this track off the second album about the 1970's terrorist group I used newspaper footage of the group.
"SLUGGIN FOR JESUS";
OK; the idea of three (very) pale white English dudes covering the theme from a 1970's blacksploitation flick may seem ill-advised but you can't argue with the results. We're just talkin' bout Shaft. Shut your mouth.
Thursday, 24 August 2017
The Throwback Thursdays Retro Video Project Presents; Cabaret Voltaire
Lately my newest hobby is making music videos by taking old silent movies and adding music to them, usually from 1980's Post-Punk, New Wave and Proto-Industrial Bands whose music has a certain cinematic quality. I remember growing up in the 1980's early days of videos when a few such bands like Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, Severed Heads and Sturm Groups made such super low-budget videos using a mixture of "found footage", abstract art films, grainy super home movies and excerpts from various old movies and TV shows. And for a couple years such videos could actually get played on TV, at least on Much Music in Canada if not on American MTV.
So far I've made about a hundred including such old faves as Cabaret Voltaire, Simple Minds, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Clock DVA, Destroy All Monsters, Savage Republic, Killing Joke, Ultravox, Wire and The Silver Apples. I've already uploaded them on to Youtube so for the next while I can collect them in one place here. Starting with;
CABARET VOLTAIRE pt.1 (the early years);
One of the founders of Industrial Music, before it became techno-metal dance music, the Sheffield trio actually started recording their experiments in tape-collages, feedback, analog synths and distortion as early as 1974, although it took the post-punk fallout in 1978 to actually get around to releasing anything or doing actual gigs. They were not exactly welcomed by punk audiences of the time, at one gig the audience actually stormed the stage, assaulted the band and smashed their gear. However their noise experiments and theories about what they called "Industrial Music" became hugely influential, along with those of their even more outrageous (albeit less talented) compatriots Throbbing Gristle. Partly due to their aloof image and lack of any stage stage presence whatsoever the Cabs also pioneered the use of video presentations. The use of visual backdrops using film clips, slide shows, light shows and smoke machines was nothing new going back to the psychedelic era with bands like the Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd (Syd Barret era), Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and the Creation, but Cabaret Voltaire took these ad-hoc displays with their own moody electro drones into fully realized video art.
My videos attempt to invoke this era of video art using found footage;
"SPACE PATROL";
This piece is an early sound collage and the video uses another Flux Film op-art film made by Paul Sharits for a Dada film collective called Flux Films who made a series of such shorts in 1965-67.
"SAD SYNTH";
This track is a simple analog synth doodle using another Flux Film short.
"COUNTER REACTION 2";
Another early sound experiment, this time I used old newsreel footage of the aftermath of an explosion shot by Edison Studios.
"REVERSE PIECE ONE";
Yet another early sound experiment, this time I used old newsreel footage from the Graf Zeppelin, probably from 1929.
"STOLEN FROM SPECTRA";
This video uses another Edison Studios film, however this one is not a newsreel but is instead a recreation of the execution of the assassin of President William McKinley along with some shots of the actual prison.
"SYNTHIACS 2";
Another early synth noodle. This time I used an a short by the pioneering Spanish filmmaker Segundo De Chomon who was a contemporary of the more famous Frenchman George Melies upon whom Chomon built his own style.
"VOICE OF AMERICA";
A snippet from of a track from the second album using a George Melies film "Gold Fever".
NEXT TIME; CABARET VOLTAIRE pt.2
So far I've made about a hundred including such old faves as Cabaret Voltaire, Simple Minds, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Clock DVA, Destroy All Monsters, Savage Republic, Killing Joke, Ultravox, Wire and The Silver Apples. I've already uploaded them on to Youtube so for the next while I can collect them in one place here. Starting with;
CABARET VOLTAIRE pt.1 (the early years);
One of the founders of Industrial Music, before it became techno-metal dance music, the Sheffield trio actually started recording their experiments in tape-collages, feedback, analog synths and distortion as early as 1974, although it took the post-punk fallout in 1978 to actually get around to releasing anything or doing actual gigs. They were not exactly welcomed by punk audiences of the time, at one gig the audience actually stormed the stage, assaulted the band and smashed their gear. However their noise experiments and theories about what they called "Industrial Music" became hugely influential, along with those of their even more outrageous (albeit less talented) compatriots Throbbing Gristle. Partly due to their aloof image and lack of any stage stage presence whatsoever the Cabs also pioneered the use of video presentations. The use of visual backdrops using film clips, slide shows, light shows and smoke machines was nothing new going back to the psychedelic era with bands like the Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd (Syd Barret era), Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and the Creation, but Cabaret Voltaire took these ad-hoc displays with their own moody electro drones into fully realized video art.
My videos attempt to invoke this era of video art using found footage;
"SPACE PATROL";
This piece is an early sound collage and the video uses another Flux Film op-art film made by Paul Sharits for a Dada film collective called Flux Films who made a series of such shorts in 1965-67.
"SAD SYNTH";
This track is a simple analog synth doodle using another Flux Film short.
"COUNTER REACTION 2";
Another early sound experiment, this time I used old newsreel footage of the aftermath of an explosion shot by Edison Studios.
"REVERSE PIECE ONE";
Yet another early sound experiment, this time I used old newsreel footage from the Graf Zeppelin, probably from 1929.
"STOLEN FROM SPECTRA";
This video uses another Edison Studios film, however this one is not a newsreel but is instead a recreation of the execution of the assassin of President William McKinley along with some shots of the actual prison.
"SYNTHIACS 2";
Another early synth noodle. This time I used an a short by the pioneering Spanish filmmaker Segundo De Chomon who was a contemporary of the more famous Frenchman George Melies upon whom Chomon built his own style.
"VOICE OF AMERICA";
A snippet from of a track from the second album using a George Melies film "Gold Fever".
NEXT TIME; CABARET VOLTAIRE pt.2
Friday, 21 October 2016
Donald Trump's Book Reports Revealed
In the aftermath of Wednesday's Presidential debate and yet another stumbling, blustering, rambling, incoherent performance by Cheeto Mussolini some pundit described Trump's willfully ignorant attempts to bluff his way through answers to questions he had clearly given little thought to as akin to a high-school student trying to deliver a "book report". That's the sort of thing that is regularly said but this time it led to an immediate response on Twitter as thousands of people gleefully converted that throwaway line to a performance art tweet-storm. After seeing this I went on my first official Twitter tear myself with almost twenty "Trump Book Report" Tweets. OK; that's a tad excessive, I was clearly in the zone. I need to take a break. Read a book. Take a walk or something.
But first; In tribute to David Letterman (come back Dave we really need you, along with Jon Stewart) here are my personal top ten Trump Book Reports;
I stared out fairly conventionally;
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20
Frodo was really low energy. I'd build a wall and make make Mordor pay for it. Bigly. Make Middle Earth Great Again! #TrumpBookReport #Trump
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 "Edgar Allan Poe was weak, stop all Raven immigration until we can figure out what the Hell is going on. Not good" #TrumpBookReport #Trump
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 Robin Hood robs the rich to pay the poor? Thanks Obama. Not Good. Sad. #TrumpBookReport #Trumpland
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 #TrumpBookReport "1984"; "Big Brother is a strong leader. Stronger than Obama. He's laughing at us. Not Good"
#TrumpBookReports; "Zorro"; We have to get rid of these bad Mexican hombres. Build A Wall" #Trumpland #groperinchief #Debates2016 #Trump
#Trumpbookreports; "Killing a Mockingbird is for losers. Eric & Don jr are real big game trophy hunters. Big time" #Trumpland #groperinchief
#Trumpbookreports; "Aslan the Lion brought peace & love. So Eric & Don jr shot him. Make Narnia great again!" #Trumpland #groperinchief #GOP
Then started to get more obscure;
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 #TrumpBookReport "Heart Of Darkness";"Kurtz is really low energy. I was opposed to the jungle trip from the beginning Ask Sean Hannity" #GOP
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 #TrumpBookReport Josef Conrad's "Secret Agent";"There's no proof there's a Russian agent. Probably some 400 lb guy in parents basement. Sad"
#Trumpbookreports;"All The Kings Men: Demagogue gets elected. Big Time. Then he gets shot. I blame Crooked Hillary. Not Good" #Trumpland
#TrumpBookReport; "Raisin In The Sun"; The Blacks are living in Hell and it's Obama's fault.Sad" #Trumpland #groperinchief #Debates2016 #GOP
#TrumpBookReports; "1001 Arabian Nights"; Very dark. Something's wrong here. We need to get to the bottom of this. Not good" #debate #Trump
#trumpbookreports "The Art Of War"; I'm smarter than the generals. Really smart. I deserve a medal for not getting VD. So far." #Trumpland
#Trumpbookreports "The Good Earth; Chiina is laughing at us. I'll hit em with 35% tarrifs. Except for my ties. I make the best ties" #Trump
And darker. Way darker;
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Moby Dick "Ahab was really low energy, I would have bombed the shit out of that whale. Also sounds like a Muslim. Not good." #TrumpBookReport
#Trumpbookreports "Lair Of The White Worm; Probably about Lyin Ted Cruz. His dad killed JFK. I read that. His wife a 4 Not good!" #Trumpland
#TrumpBookReport "Mordor isn't sending us their best Orcs. They're killers, they're rapists and some I assume are good Orcs" #Trumpland #GOP
#trumpbookreports;"Oedipus Rex grabbed his mother's pussy because his daughter was only a three at best. Look at that face." #TrumpLand #GOP
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 #TrumpBookReport "Tale Of Two Cities"; "It was the best of times. Then black people moved into my building. I had casinos in those cities. #Trump
#TrumpBookReport "Diary Of Anne Frank"; "She's a four right now but in a few years I'll be dating her. Where are my TicTacs?" #GroperInChief
And big finish, drum-roll please;
#TrumpBookReports;"Mein Kampf";My second favorite book. Almost as good as "Art of The Deal".Everybody says so" #Trump #groperinchief #debate
OK that's actually 17 not 10. Apparently I have slightly more self control than the Tweeter-In-Chief. I'm guessing he's probably not actually read any of those books though. Except "Mein Kampf" of course. Bigly.
But first; In tribute to David Letterman (come back Dave we really need you, along with Jon Stewart) here are my personal top ten Trump Book Reports;
I stared out fairly conventionally;
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20
Frodo was really low energy. I'd build a wall and make make Mordor pay for it. Bigly. Make Middle Earth Great Again! #TrumpBookReport #Trump
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 "Edgar Allan Poe was weak, stop all Raven immigration until we can figure out what the Hell is going on. Not good" #TrumpBookReport #Trump
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 Robin Hood robs the rich to pay the poor? Thanks Obama. Not Good. Sad. #TrumpBookReport #Trumpland
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 #TrumpBookReport "1984"; "Big Brother is a strong leader. Stronger than Obama. He's laughing at us. Not Good"
#TrumpBookReports; "Zorro"; We have to get rid of these bad Mexican hombres. Build A Wall" #Trumpland #groperinchief #Debates2016 #Trump
#Trumpbookreports; "Killing a Mockingbird is for losers. Eric & Don jr are real big game trophy hunters. Big time" #Trumpland #groperinchief
#Trumpbookreports; "Aslan the Lion brought peace & love. So Eric & Don jr shot him. Make Narnia great again!" #Trumpland #groperinchief #GOP
Then started to get more obscure;
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 #TrumpBookReport "Heart Of Darkness";"Kurtz is really low energy. I was opposed to the jungle trip from the beginning Ask Sean Hannity" #GOP
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 #TrumpBookReport Josef Conrad's "Secret Agent";"There's no proof there's a Russian agent. Probably some 400 lb guy in parents basement. Sad"
#Trumpbookreports;"All The Kings Men: Demagogue gets elected. Big Time. Then he gets shot. I blame Crooked Hillary. Not Good" #Trumpland
#TrumpBookReport; "Raisin In The Sun"; The Blacks are living in Hell and it's Obama's fault.Sad" #Trumpland #groperinchief #Debates2016 #GOP
#TrumpBookReports; "1001 Arabian Nights"; Very dark. Something's wrong here. We need to get to the bottom of this. Not good" #debate #Trump
#trumpbookreports "The Art Of War"; I'm smarter than the generals. Really smart. I deserve a medal for not getting VD. So far." #Trumpland
#Trumpbookreports "The Good Earth; Chiina is laughing at us. I'll hit em with 35% tarrifs. Except for my ties. I make the best ties" #Trump
And darker. Way darker;
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Moby Dick "Ahab was really low energy, I would have bombed the shit out of that whale. Also sounds like a Muslim. Not good." #TrumpBookReport
#Trumpbookreports "Lair Of The White Worm; Probably about Lyin Ted Cruz. His dad killed JFK. I read that. His wife a 4 Not good!" #Trumpland
#TrumpBookReport "Mordor isn't sending us their best Orcs. They're killers, they're rapists and some I assume are good Orcs" #Trumpland #GOP
#trumpbookreports;"Oedipus Rex grabbed his mother's pussy because his daughter was only a three at best. Look at that face." #TrumpLand #GOP
Daibhid James @DiamondDaibhidJ Oct 20 #TrumpBookReport "Tale Of Two Cities"; "It was the best of times. Then black people moved into my building. I had casinos in those cities. #Trump
#TrumpBookReport "Diary Of Anne Frank"; "She's a four right now but in a few years I'll be dating her. Where are my TicTacs?" #GroperInChief
And big finish, drum-roll please;
#TrumpBookReports;"Mein Kampf";My second favorite book. Almost as good as "Art of The Deal".Everybody says so" #Trump #groperinchief #debate
OK that's actually 17 not 10. Apparently I have slightly more self control than the Tweeter-In-Chief. I'm guessing he's probably not actually read any of those books though. Except "Mein Kampf" of course. Bigly.
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