If Music Could Talk

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

07 Nov 2017, 11:25am

matedog wrote: ↑

07 Nov 2017, 11:12am

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

07 Nov 2017, 11:05am

matedog wrote: ↑

07 Nov 2017, 11:01am

Also, I love the notion that the run time is what made it a less marketable single. "If only we can get this song about the death of the steel industry in Northern England and American GIs fathering and abandoning their children in Vietnam under four minutes, it'll fit along nicely with Rick Springfield and Lionel Ritchie on the charts."

Well, yeah, but if the song is over four minutes long, short of it being "Hey Jude," it's not going to get airplay, no way no how. Taking care of run time was an important factor because radio stations would look at that before the lyrics.

I always assumed it was released as a "double A side" with SISOSIG not because they thought it would sell, but because they realized how great a song it was/is and wanted to give it extra exposure. A moody, super ambient song with no real chorus or 2/4 backbeat with some outstanding, but disparate lyrics has never and will never be a radio hit. So the idea of trimming it down seems pointless. But then again, I could be way off. Did this song get any level of radio play at the time?

Can't speak to your question about airplay, but trimming it down created a possibility that otherwise would not have existed. And the charts allowed for more oddities back then. The industry was still recovering from the disco oversaturation debacle and was a lot more open to anything that might move. It was a crisis that created opportunities for atypical singles.

Matey is correct about getting the song more exposure and trimming it down in this instance makes very little difference when it's on the wrong side of a double 'A' sided single with something so catchy as SISoSIG? Did it get any airplay? if it did I never heard it but I sure as hell heard SISoSIG? plenty of times. SISoSIG? got to no. 17 in the charts here first time out and that was after RtC only made no. 30. So the only reason for putting StH as a double A has to be for exposure. It's a shame when you think it was an AA with SISoSIG? becuase all that really happened was it got relegated to B-side status so it sits with First Nigh Back in London/Long Time Jerk. In the US SISoSIG? was backed with Innoculated City/Cool Confusion which tells it's own story that the band didn't think StH would get any radio play there. If the single edit had been released here as a stand alone 7'' it may have reached the top 40 but I doubt it would've gone much higher.

A new name has come into the fray for the Rock the Casbah bassline. Apparently Busta Cherry Jones (Talking Heads session man) did some session work on CR according to someone on FB who was present at the sessions. The plot thickens.

Heston wrote: ↑

01 Jul 2019, 2:02am

A new name has come into the fray for the Rock the Casbah bassline. Apparently Busta Cherry Jones (Talking Heads session man) did some session work on CR according to someone on FB who was present at the sessions. The plot thickens.

Reliable source?

101Walterton wrote: ↑

01 Jul 2019, 3:58am

Heston wrote: ↑

01 Jul 2019, 2:02am

A new name has come into the fray for the Rock the Casbah bassline. Apparently Busta Cherry Jones (Talking Heads session man) did some session work on CR according to someone on FB who was present at the sessions. The plot thickens.

Reliable source?

Yes.

Heston wrote: ↑

01 Jul 2019, 2:02am

A new name has come into the fray for the Rock the Casbah bassline. Apparently Busta Cherry Jones (Talking Heads session man) did some session work on CR according to someone on FB who was present at the sessions. The plot thickens.

I will stir the pot some more. Busta Jones replaced Andy Frazer in the band Sharks in 1973. They released the album "Jab It in Yor Eye" and this album contains the track "Sophistication" which SISoSIG borrows from.

Marky Dread wrote: ↑

01 Jul 2019, 4:44am

Heston wrote: ↑

01 Jul 2019, 2:02am

A new name has come into the fray for the Rock the Casbah bassline. Apparently Busta Cherry Jones (Talking Heads session man) did some session work on CR according to someone on FB who was present at the sessions. The plot thickens.

I will stir the pot some more. Busta Jones replaced Andy Frazer in the band Sharks in 1973. They released the album "Jab It in Yor Eye" and this album contains the track "Sophistication" which SISoSIG borrows from.

You beat me to it Marky.

deny wrote: ↑

01 Jul 2019, 4:58am

Marky Dread wrote: ↑

01 Jul 2019, 4:44am

Heston wrote: ↑

01 Jul 2019, 2:02am

A new name has come into the fray for the Rock the Casbah bassline. Apparently Busta Cherry Jones (Talking Heads session man) did some session work on CR according to someone on FB who was present at the sessions. The plot thickens.

I will stir the pot some more. Busta Jones replaced Andy Frazer in the band Sharks in 1973. They released the album "Jab It in Yor Eye" and this album contains the track "Sophistication" which SISoSIG borrows from.

You beat me to it Marky.

Sorry mate I was overpowered by funk

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2014, 5:47pm

I don't know but his live playing with the Gorillaz was very cool. It's funny/interesting that a musician can improve while not actually playing very much in the interim.

Maybe he practiced daily in his room while Damon was down The Crown planning his next move.

dave202 wrote: ↑

07 Jul 2019, 8:08am

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2014, 5:47pm

I don't know but his live playing with the Gorillaz was very cool. It's funny/interesting that a musician can improve while not actually playing very much in the interim.

Maybe he practiced daily in his room while Damon was down The Crown planning his next move.

It’s even more true of the most recent GBQ album. There’s some interesting rhythms there that would be difficult for some.

Just came across this in an Sean Egan interview with Topper:

There have been rumors that Mick played some of Paul's basslines on records.
Yeah, he did.

On every record?
On a hell of a lot, yeah.

Did Paul mind?
No. Paul's role in the band was mainly onstage and in charge of the artwork and the look of the band.

Kory wrote: ↑

23 Sep 2019, 10:22pm

Just came across this in an Sean Egan interview with Topper:

There have been rumors that Mick played some of Paul's basslines on records.
Yeah, he did.

On every record?
On a hell of a lot, yeah.

Did Paul mind?
No. Paul's role in the band was mainly onstage and in charge of the artwork and the look of the band.

I've read that previously. But it fails to mention that Paul made an awesome cup of tea.

Marky Dread wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 5:50am

But it fails to mention that Paul made an awesome cup of tea.

Is that what we're calling his boys? #SNEWS

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 6:07am

Marky Dread wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 5:50am

But it fails to mention that Paul made an awesome cup of tea.

Is that what we're calling his boys? #SNEWS

I visited SNEWS once but left pretty quickly. I couldn't understand what was going on.

Marky Dread wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 6:21am

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 6:07am

Marky Dread wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 5:50am

But it fails to mention that Paul made an awesome cup of tea.

Is that what we're calling his boys? #SNEWS

I visited SNEWS once but left pretty quickly. I couldn't understand what was going on.

Basically our dream thread, but only Clash related, plus questions about Joe's favourite snacks.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 6:32am

Marky Dread wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 6:21am

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 6:07am

Marky Dread wrote: ↑

24 Sep 2019, 5:50am

But it fails to mention that Paul made an awesome cup of tea.

Is that what we're calling his boys? #SNEWS

I visited SNEWS once but left pretty quickly. I couldn't understand what was going on.

Basically our dream thread, but only Clash related, plus questions about Joe's favourite snacks.

Joe did love his Shepherds Delight biscuits.