L.A. Guns will release a new studio album entitled ‘Black Diamonds’ on 14th April via Frontiers. Produced by founding member and guitarist Tracii Guns, ‘Black Diamonds’ is another tour-de-force by the long-running hard rockers that is guaranteed to please their legion of followers. The song ‘You Betray’ is available from today as the first single from the record.
Written and recorded during 2022, ‘Black Diamonds’ sees Guns, vocalist Phil Lewis and co. continuing on the same inspiring and successful musical journey that has already reaped the recent albums ‘The Missing Peace’ (2017), ‘The Devil You Know’ (2019) and ‘Checkered Past’ (2021). While not shying away from flexing their hard rock muscles, the Gunners have also incorporated introspective acoustic songs reflective of their ‘70s classic rock influences on what is a highly varied set.
From their self-titled 1988 debut right up to the aforementioned and widely praised comeback records, Guns and Lewis have always delivered solid rock ’n’ roll to their fans. Ever since reuniting as L.A. Guns in 2017, a rekindling of creative energy has continued unabated, with ‘Black Diamonds’ showing no sign of this renaissance slowing any time soon.
Unlike many of their peers, L.A. Guns were never pretty poster boys, but more the sort of outfit you would be terrified to bump into in a dark alley. However, despite having the songs to back up that streetwise image, they have also written numerous moving, powerful numbers such as ‘The Ballad Of Jayne’, proving that there have always been serious songwriting chops on display.
From their powerful early years to the prolific activity since Guns and Lewis reunited, the history of L.A, Guns has been well documented, but suffice to say that the duo have been the driving force behind their classic songs. As excited and inspired today as when they started out, but with years of experience and wisdom behind them (not to mention a renewed, stronger creative and personal relationship), they have just hit a new peak.
Phil Lewis – vocals Tracii Guns – electric & acoustic guitars, Mellotron Ace Von Johnson – electric guitars Johnny Martin – bass, electric guitars Shawn Duncan – drums (live) Adam Hamilton – drums (studio), string arrangements
London glamsters Rachel Stamp have announced a one-off London show in celebration of the reissue of their classic debut album.
The androgynous four-piece had become darlings of the London rock scene during the late 90s, sharing stages with acts as diverse as No Doubt, Cheap Trick and Korn.
Following a string of indie hits, Hymns For Strange Children was recorded and mixed in a week with Nine Inch Nails producer John Fryer. It emerged in early 2000 to waves of ecstatic reviews and magazine covers, leading to a sell-out UK tour culminating in a show at the 2,000 capacity London Astoria.
“We paved the way for a whole generation of fans to be themselves and not to blindly conform to what someone else told them they should be,” says singer/bassist David Ryder Prangley today. “It was really tough to walk around looking the way we did back then. There was a lot of verbal and physical abuse directed towards us and I’m sure it was the same for our fans, but we all lived through it and came out the other side for the better.
“I meet a lot of musicians who used to come and see us play when they were teenagers and were inspired by us,” he adds. “But I don’t think there has really been a band since Rachel Stamp that mixed heavy, distorted guitars with synths and melodic vocals like we did. We’re still unique in that way and I’m very excited that Hymns For Strange Children is being re-released and hopefully reaching a whole new audience.”
Now fully digitally remastered and repackaged, the album is being released on vinyl for the first time ever through Easy Action Records on 14 April, in a limited edition of 700 pink vinyl copies. There’ll also be new CD edition with bonus tracks, plus a digital edition available from all the usual platforms.
To celebrate Rachel Stamp will be playing a special show at London’s O2 Academy Islington on the album’s release date. Tickets are on sale to O2 priority customers now and go on general sale on Wednesday 8 February at 10.00 am.
I Get Knocked Down – The untold story of Leeds-based anarcho-pop band Chumbawamba.
IN CINEMAS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023LIVE Q&A FROM DUNSTAN BRUCE
I Get Knocked Down is the untold story of Leeds-based anarcho-pop band Chumbawamba. Founding band-member Dunstan Bruce is 59, and he is struggling with the fact that the world seems to be going to hell in a handcart. Twenty years after his fall from grace, Bruce is angry and frustrated, but how does a retired middle-aged radical get back up again? In this punk version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Dunstan is visited by the antagonistic ghost of his anarchist past – his alter ego, ‘Babyhead’ – who forces him to question his own life, sending him on a search for his long-lost anarchist mojo. Following Bruce’s personal voyage of rediscovery, redemption, and reawakening, I Get Knocked Down acts as a call to arms to those who think activism is best undertaken by someone else.
IN CINEMAS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023
(** SCREENING ACCOMPANIED BY A LIVE Q&A WITH Dunstan Bruce)
February 2, 2023 — Take a deep breath. Everything’s okay – and it’s about to take a stratospheric upturn with former Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer #keiferband’s “A Different Light.”
Penned a decade ago by Tom and Savannah Keifer, the song truly gives meaning to the saying, “Good music has no expiration date.” The lyric etches a timeless message that’s as relevant, if not more so, today than it was ten years ago. A fan favorite upon the release of Keifer’s 2013 critically acclaimed THE WAY LIFE GOES, “A Different Light,” now with a brand new music video, is being released to commemorate the ten year anniversary of #keiferband and Keifer’s debut solo release.
The new video, produced and edited by Joshua Smith, features fan-shot live footage of the band from the first year on tour (2013) through the most recent tour in 2022. Opening in somber black-and-white profiles of suffering souls, Keifer’s sultry vocals reflect the troubles of those in despair as shimmering instrumental vibrations build into an iconic key change. Within the first minute, the viewer is graced with an exalted perspective, and a fully technicolor, changed world. The anthem and video wind between contemplative compassion and explosive enthusiasm, ultimately landing on a perspective of hope and array of smiles where “everybody shines.”
Courtesy of Tom Keifer
Keifer says, “‘A Different Light’’s lyric really struck a chord with people and we’ve had countless requests since its release for a music video. The fans have been right there with us over this ten-year journey capturing show after show on their phones. Including the live videos they shot in the video is our way of expressing gratitude and making them part of the ten year anniversary.”
Tom Keifer remains a resilient, relevant figure in the rock world through constant reimagination and renewal. His story begins as the singer-songwriter, guitarist, and front man of hard rock heavyweights Cinderella. His signature voice and guitar, and bluesy, no-BS arena-shaking songwriting, were integral in moving 15 million records worldwide. Over the past decade, Keifer transitioned his talents to a solo career, enjoying continued success recording and touring with #keiferband. #keiferband is Tom Keifer, Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Jarred Pope, Kory Myers, Tanya Davis. Two critically-acclaimed albums have been released to date: THE WAY LIFE GOES (2013) and RISE (2019). THE WAY LIFE GOES was praised by industry publications upon its release: Rolling Stone described the album as “14 blues howlers… [it] calls to mind Cinderella but with an even more rootsy undercurrent”; Guitar Player said, “Keifer flat-out knows how to play vibey guitar parts with ungodly tone…. this guy is singing better than ever to complement his great 6-string parts”; Vintage Guitar praised the album’s “killer blues-rock playing and tones, hooks galore, and strong songwriting”; and the Los Angeles Daily News commended that Keifer has “an amazing, raspy voice and a knack for writing songs that lodge themselves on the brain and refuse to leave for days.”
With the release of #keiferband’s “A Different Light” video, 2023 will commemorate ten years of incredible memories with their fans. The band will be celebrating the milestone this year on their “LIVE LOUD TOUR.” Plenty of high energy, eardrum-shattering shows are in the works for 2023. Tour dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
As the second video for our two for tuesday we visit Keifers ‘Rise’ video from a few years ago as a tribute to lip syncing from a man unfairly lumped in with the hair metal because Keifer was so much more than that’ Enjoy
There was one album in particular that got me through the first Covid lockdown here in the UK, and that was ‘Graveyard Island’ the superb third album from Isle of Wight punk rocking skinheads Grade 2. Released at the tail end of 2019, it was a record that had initially passed me by, but once I discovered it (via a good friend who also resides on Graveyard Island) it was like a true beacon of punk rock hope shining through those darkest of days.
Fast forward to Rebellion 2022 and playing to a packed Pavilion audience Grade 2 then went and delivered one of the performances of the weekend, giving us an immediate sneak peak of the new album they already had up their sleeves (more of which in a second) to help kickstart a blistering set of older tunes that instantly had the audience in singalong punk rock heaven. They then turn up on the “hush hush” Pirates Press released Cock Sparrer tribute album, that snook out around Christmas time, and here the lads managed to take a Sparrer deep cut and truly make it sound like one of their own, which is no mean feat I’m sure you’ll agree. Reviewing that album for RPM (something you can read here) I declared that 2023 really could be Grade 2’s year, so with their fourth album now cued up on my system and ready to play, what would the next 35 minutes have in store for me, and would the album actually live up to my high expectations?
Just like during their aforementioned Rebellion slot ‘Judgement Day’ gets things off and running in fast and furious style, the bass of Sid Ryan rattling the speakers with its punchy bottom end and drummer Jacob Hull attacks his kit like the IOW’s very own Joey Castillo whilst it’s the almost Dick Dale like guitar work of Jack Chatfield that truly propels this 1 minute 32 second ball of sonic fury, and before you know it we’re into one of the album’s (many) highlights, the cowbell (yup punk rockers use cowbells too) tonking beauty that is ‘Fast Pace’. It’s on tunes like this where Grade 2 really stand out from the punk rock pack, ditching the speed for a more intense melody packed approach, in many ways they remind me of Newport’s very own 60 Foot Dolls. This is music meant to be danced to, and there’s even a Hammond organ solo that crops up mid song to seal the deal. Fantastic stuff!
Up next, ‘Under The Streetlight’ takes us back to ‘Murder Town’ complete with a doff of a cap to the band’s label masters Rancid, whilst ‘Doesn’t Matter Much Now’ is another bootboy terrace anthem in the making, very much like latter day Argy Bargy. Then there’s the early days Jam anger of ‘Midnight Ferry’ which switches the perils of missing the last tube home for the last boat home, and oh the delights of living on an island eh! I must give a special mention here to the band’s ear for a melody, as this tune could very easily have been a contender back in the days when singles sold, instead of TikTok views, actually lead to artists becoming household names.
Having been one of the lead videos from the album ‘Brassic’ is the song that initially got me truly excited about this record, its jagged riff and instantly memorable chorus (complete with female backing vocals) knocking the tune well and truly out the park.
As the album reaches its midway point the tracks that fall either side, the Matt Freeman like 58 second blast of ‘Gaslight’ and the anthemic ‘Don’t Stand Alone’ complete with its (once again) glorious backing vocals, really are the perfect example of the two sides of the Grade 2 songwriting coin, and it’s at this almost perfect point I’m going to dip out and let you discover the rest of the album for yourselves, because you really do have to hear it.
I said it at the top of the review that I thought 2023 could very well be Grade 2’s year, and with a proper multi-date UK tour kicking off in just a few weeks’ time, along with dates with Rancid and The Bronx (now that is a one hell of line up) later in the year, it very well could be, it just needs you to get off your arses, buy those gig tickets and most importantly snap up copies of this 15-track Grade-A punk rock record. It’ll never be off your turntable, or out your CD player (you might even be constantly streaming this) come its February 17th release date.
Blag’s CONTRABAND video is here. Thrill to the wild trucker exploits of Ralph Champagne and the whole crew! This is the best video you will see this year! Animated by the Mad Twins, artistic sisters working out of war torn Ukraine!
Its the perfect way to start any week – go Ralph!
Next up is this new video courtesy of The Dogmatics. This raucous slice of Boston Garage Punk 101 spent 3 weeks at #1 on the Radio Indie Alliance overall Top Chart. Its the lead track from the bands new EP out on the awesome Rum Bar Records.
It’s been a long time coming but it’s good to be back. Some fella used to sing that every night from a stage, somewhere back in time…oh yeah, Mike Peters of The Alarm.
It’s been a tough six months for Mr Peters and his family, after playing the final night of a rigorous and full UK tour back in mid ’22 he became seriously ill and has had the toughest battle with his health in a long line of tough battles, but Mike Peters being Mike Peters he soldiers on with the most incredible PMA you could imagine. Tonight (Friday acoustic in the round) began with a serious personal (Maybe a little too personal) video shown on the big screens of a bedside, fly on the wall, half an hour of the most uncomfortable footage of one of your heroes you could imagine. The most awful cough, tears, lung drains you name it. Not what I was expecting to be played on the big screen before a live show. It was tough for everyone present I’d imagine, watching the very private and personal fight to save Peters’s life. I’m not sure I was ready for the 21st-century – film everything – gets it online tiktokin’ or instagrammin’ – maybe I’m stuck in the old school and not down enough to appreciate this is how it is these days, who knows? it was what it was. The upshot is Mike looks fighting fit and the picture of health as he strides to the stage to an emotional performance that many thought would never take place, but here we were, gathered around the camoed out round stage to witness the return of one of rock musics most battle scared warriors, Don’t say team MPO aren’t inclusive and go the extra mile to let you in to their inner circle because that was it. Sharp intake of breath give your loved one a knowing squeeze and lets go!
I do know it came close to the wire if this weekend would be possible what with Covid putting the kibosh on the last few years and last year’s return to Rhyl acoustic Gathering. playing live is where Mikey boy is most comfortable and the place that makes him feel so alive it was emotional and massively appreciated as the audience sang ‘Walk Forever By My Side’ and a emotional Peters gathers his composure for the next few hours of Gathering 30.
It was a joy and a pleasure to see him in his natural environment looking healthy and raring to go for the next two hours or so as he blitzed through an incredible set of deep cuts from an unbelievably rich back catalogue.
Decked out in his now familiar fighting green Peters gets straight down to business as he whips out sizable chunks of songs from his repertoire playing songs like his life depends on it (it quite possibly does) as he veers from ‘Breed Apart’ and ‘Neutral’ from his more recent past through deep cuts such as the fantastic ‘Heroine’ thru the snotty (even acoustically) ‘Under Control’.
By the time he reached the majestic ‘Rise’ he seemed comfortable with proceedings and whilst there were scuffed chords and rearranged lyrics Peters was winning and the audience was on its best behaviour as you could have heard a surgical needle drop it was so respectfully quiet whilst the songs were being chased out of the speakers like a superhero gaining strength from the music pouring out of the man’s guitar and voice.
Possibly my fondest memories of previous Gatherings came around the time of ‘Rise’ and ‘Feel Free’ of aftershow parties in the Hydro Hotel at 2 AM where we got Clash songs from the ragged house band Peters could assemble but memories come flooding back as ‘Feel Free’ cracks to life leading to a run through ‘All Is Forgiven’ incredible, emotional and as fresh as the first time I heard these songs. It was then thoughts entered my head of that Brixton night as ‘Raw’ followed by ‘Sold Me Down The River’ its been some journey. I’ve been to every Gathering from Rhyl Town Hall to Pontins and its spiritual home o here in Llandudno and whilst I might not intake all they offer on Saturday and Sunday I wouldn’t miss it for the world and some people ask me how can you enjoy one man playing one guitar year after year after year but I would say that its one of the most enjoyable two nights I look forward to year after year and during the pandemic years it was miserable knowing that for a weekend in January, I wouldn’t be freezing my backside off walking down the seafront going to another night of Gathering entertainment if you’ve ever been you’ll know how good a weekend it is and what effort Peters puts into ever show he does under some challenging circumstances, to say the least.
Anyway, back on track, we marched on through some old-school Alarm classics, climaxing with the quite brilliant ‘Howling Wind’ followed by ‘We Are The Light’. As we entered the final furlong the old Alarm cover of ‘Bound For Glory’ was knocked out as Peters explained that during the staycations people would throw cover song challenges at him from the obvious ones to more obscure and quite frankly bizarre choices which lightened the mood and gave many present a raised eyebrow as a minimum. if all I Need Is The Air I Breathe wasn’t left of field enough how about George Michaels ‘Faith’ complete with a wiggle? no, you would have guessed that one well how about a flawless take on ‘Time Warp’! No, I didn’t think I’d hear an encore of covers like that, but hell, people were loving it, and it was another Gathering first. The night was drawn to a close as Peters’s two teenage sons were brought on stage to accompany him on an emotional run through ‘Wonderwall’ and a rousing finale of ‘One Guitar’ before everyone filed out of the venue with the thoughts running through their heads that everything was going to be alright, ok for the Saturday night main course of some more Rock and Roll but with drums and louder guitars – Bring It On!
Saturday 28/01/23
Tonight’s electric performance kicked off with a brand new track ‘Forwards’ more easing in than punching you square on the nose. To most established bands starting your set with a brand new track is terrifying and a big no-no but to Mike Peters its what he does and the fans who’ve been on the journey with him over the last few decades pretty much demand new material anywhere in the set because the history of Saturday nights at the Gathering have been some marathon performances and this one seems rather poignant considering the man’s health issues people (me included) are just glad to see him back on stage in any capacity and for any length.
It is the same stage set up as previous Gatherings pre-pandemic and the tour last year with his wife on keys tucked up on stage right next to Smileys drum kit with James Stevenson on Stage left whilst Peters patrols the main stage between four mics.
His voice sounds strong and the band sound locked in. as recent tunes ‘Fail’ skank in before the hard rock of the epic ‘Superchannel’ fills the either. With such a vast catalogue it’s always a tough call what he plays and what he leaves out. Sure there are staple Alarm songs he would find hard to leave out that pepper the set as it ebbs and flows from recent to vintage. there isn’t much time for talking and the band lets the music yap yap yap its way to another brand new song as ‘Are You Ready?’ hits the spot with its punchy mod rhythm as Peters puts his vocal cords to the test and they sound fine from my spot which must have been a relief not knowing if the punishment they would take over two nights after such a lay off would hold up. They did and some.
After a few more old and new with ‘Warriors’ being the pick of the newer songs blasted out with energy and verve Peters vanished from the main stage to take up his familiar position at the back of the venue to run through acoustic versions of ‘Its Alright’, the poignant ‘Without A Fight’ before ‘Breathe’ lit up the room. Peters then weaved his way through the audience to join the band back on the main stage for a rocked-up version of ‘Walk Forever By My Side’. The band then proceeded to run down memory lane with a superb bunch of picks from the earlier days of the band ‘Declaration’ heavy period of the set with ‘Shout At The Devil’, ‘The Deceiver’ and ‘Third Light’ pouring memories over me as my mind sped through sets from a time I’d almost forgotten where the band had the energy of a small army dropping sound bombs on the New Ocean Club to the Orange Box and every old school concert venue between. Good times then and good times now.
Proceedings were halted during ‘Majority’ as someone needed medical attention minutes later the show was resumed and momentum was regained swiftly. We were now twenty songs plus into the set and it was showing no signs of stopping Peters looked fitter and stronger than I’d seen him for quite some time. The man is a machine and considering what he’s been through to want to get right back into the eye of the hurricane seems like madness but like many, I’m delighted he wants to go on – after all, what else is he supposed to do?
Back to the beginning and ‘Unsafe Building’ kicks off the final furlong and its heads down and go! ‘Knifedge’, ’68 Guns’, ‘Spirit Of 76′, Rescue Me’ all get a good seeing and it’s a swift encore before returning to beat out another five songs before the curtain finally gets dropped on what has been an emotional Gathering 30. With all the trials and tribulations that the Peters have been through over the last few decades let alone the last few years is nothing short of breathtaking and the fact they perform for almost five hours spread over two days and do it with a bazillion selfies, and questions with beaming smiles are heartwarming. When people tell you not to meet your heroes I roll my eyes and tell me bollocks. Mike Peters is a legend and once again turned in a memorable Gathering with a little help from his friends and some. An announcement about next year’s festivities is on hold but you can guarantee if I’m fit and healthy and if he’s fit and healthy then we’ll be doing this all again same time same place. Bring it on!
‘Chasing Death’ from their forthcoming album ‘Roden House Blues’ – which will be released May 5th, 2023, via The Sign Records.
The song is, say the band “about self-destruction and self-sabotage. A story stuffed with vice and excess. A tale about one person’s journey, after buying a one-way ticket on the train wreck to end all train wrecks. The age-old colourful topics of sex, drugs and rock n roll. Is it autobiographical? Is it celebration or commiseration? Hero or Rock N Roll failure? Chasing death or embracing life? Crank it loud and make your own mind up.”
Since their inception in 2006, The Hip Priests have released a mighty thirty 7” singles, four albums, two compilations and three EPs by various independent labels from all over Europe & the USA. Fiercely independent and tirelessly driven, the ‘Priests have preached their high energy sermon of misanthropy, hate and contempt across numerous tours of the UK, Europe and USA and made countless rapturously received festival appearances.
picture credit is Ralph Barklam
Gaining a richly deserved reputation as a white-hot live band, the last few years have seen the band’s popularity increasing further with them regularly playing alongside kindred spirits such as The Hellacopters, Gluecifer, The Good the Bad and the Zugly, New Bomb Turks, Dwarves and Zeke at both festivals and in clubs. Rave reviews pour in for every release, ranging from ‘a band on top of their game & steps ahead of any of their UK contemporaries’ to ‘if you’re in any doubt about how good these bad boys are then you need locking up’. After 16 years some bands would be taking it easy but in spite of a global pandemic, there was no let-up in their determination and activity. Their fifth, and by far their best full-length album – ‘Roden House Blues’ – was written, rehearsed, and recorded during this period and will be released May 5th, 2023, via The Sign Records.
Today, The Hip Priests blast out a second offering ahead of the album’s release with new single ‘Chasing Death’, a song that is, say the band “about self-destruction and self-sabotage. A story stuffed with vice and excess. A tale about one person’s journey, after buying a one-way ticket on the train wreck to end all train wrecks. The age-old colourful topics of sex, drugs and rock n roll. Is it autobiographical? Is it celebration or commiseration? Hero or Rock N Roll failure? Chasing death or embracing life? Crank it loud and make your own mind up.”
The Hip Priests. Zero fucks n’ less success since 2006. The most prolific band you haven’t heard of. High energy sweaty sermons of misanthropy, disillusion (self) loathing and despair. Get ready to have your ears torn clean off.
Warsaw Poland is the place the time is now. Moron’s Morons release their second album cho-o-bloc with sharp toe tapping punk n garage rock n Roll schenanigans. From the opening seconds of the rapid ‘Knife At Your Throat’ you betta strap yourself in for a rollacoaster of chops that will load you up on adrenalin fueled noise – just the way we love it. There will be blood! MM pedle the same enthusiasm as Cavemen and it would come as no surprise that these chaps were on NFT, Wanda so you know they have pedigree and quality and the swagger to cut to the chase and deliver the goods.
Twelve pumping – dancing – sweating – frantic slabs of the finest lo-fi garage punk you could wish for. from the swirling organ on ‘Nightvisions’ adeing to the manic riff-a-rama and desperate screams of a demented vocal through the low down dirty punchy ‘Psycosis Diagnosis’ with it messed up rapid twelve bar thrash n roll thats just bordering on out of control.
I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t mention the menacing, brooding swampy swirl of ‘I Will Fuck Your Mind’ (Charming I’m sure) – but worry not ‘Pure Love’ is the sound of a teenage sweaty boy rather than some big romantic gesture from a well formed adult mind. Insane – bludgeoning garage punk rock from a well intended punk rocker more like – wonderful tone that slashes and indescriminately stabs out of the speakers especially at great volume.
Fueled By Hate’ borrows a riff off AC/DC and fucks it right up. A wonderful cachophany of noise that gets your dancing feet up and at it. Flip it over to side two and its off like a gatling gun assaulting your ears with the snotty ‘Possessed To Fuck’. It’s like the Dead Boys meets Los Pepe and has a right dust up in some sleazy part of town on the fantastic ‘Nothing For You’ but its taken up a notch or two with the bass pumping ‘She’s My Adrenaline’ that moves with menace mixing up old school Iggy and the Stooges with something all together more dark like prime time Brian James.
The band sign off this sweatfest in style by pressing the nuclear option that is ‘You Make My Nightmares Wet’ leaving them nowhere to go this record is done. I was expecting something good but not quite this good. A fantastic record that had me hitting repeat and diving back in for more. Its a banger – simple as that chaotic and beautiful Moron’s Moron have dropped one of the years best offerings right here right now. Fill yer fucking boots before the men in white coats turn up to cart you off. Buy It!
REMASTERED LIMITED EDITION GATEFOLD DOUBLE VINYL&DELUXE CDEACH FORMAT FEATURES NINE BONUS TRACKS – Released on BMG – Pre Order Here
On 3rd MarchBMG release The STRANGLERS’ 40th Anniversary Edition of FELINE.
FELINE will be available as a limited double album on remastered 180g Heavyweight transparent pink and red vinyl, housed in a newly created inner bags. The 2CD digipackfeatures exclusive booklet artwork and a new appreciation by the band’s biographer and journalist, Chris Twomey.
Originally released in January 1983, FELINE is The STRANGLERS’ seventh studio LP and was their first for then-new label, Epic.
1982 had proved to be a very good year for the band. The last three singles released for former label EMI had been more gentle and of a mellower-nature than anything their audience had been previously accustomed to. So when FELINE landed, it perhaps shouldn’t have been such a surprise to both fans and critics alike that there was such a perceived musical shift. Hugh & JJ’s acquisition of acoustic guitars from a now world-renowned guitar maker in Bristol helped shape FELINE into becoming possibly the nearest thing to an “unplugged” studio album the band have yet made. Gone were the powerful, sinister, throbbing melodies of their New Wave sound and in came an extraordinary and, at that time, hitherto-unheard mix of acoustic and electronic delights. Having said that, from the black panther on the sleeve to the underlying melodies of the record, underpinned by that unmistakable growling bass, the band still managed to convey their dark, menacing, moody, slightly unsettling and quietly threatening no-nonsense persona.
Much of FELINE was written at Jet’s house – a disused railway station in Gloucestershire – and as soon as the band were free from the shackles of EMI, Epic arranged for them to decamp to ICP Studios in Brussels for all of September, 1982 to record it. It was produced there by the band with Steve Churchyard (Big Country, INXS, Taylor Swift) and mixed by Tony Visconti (Bowie, T-Rex).
The album was preceded by the gloriously-beautiful and breathy JJ-sung EUROPEAN FEMALE, which immediately fired the band back into the UK’s Top 10 Singles Chart. As the single peaked, the album crashed into the UK charts at number 4 and neither they nor the suits at Epic could have imagined a much better start to life at their new label. In fact it got better, as this new mellow sound struck a chord with European audiences, particularly in France, where FELINE effectively broke them to a much bigger audience; one they still enjoy to this day.
Two further singles were released from FELINE. The mighty album opener, MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM, a melody of JJ’s with intoned dead-pan lyrics from Hugh, following a grand symphonic opening from Dave, was released in late February 1983. Both the 7” Edit and the magnificent 10½ minute Special 12” Mix feature amongst the tracks on the bonus LP/CD that comes with this 40th Anniversary release. At the end of July ‘83, PARADISE was released. Again sung by JJ, he wrote it after an uncomfortable holiday he’d hated in the Seychelles because of his discomfort with the poverty that surrounded the luxury in which he was staying. Fact fans: it is the only STRANGLERS’ single that features voices from beyond the band, as backing vocals were provided by JJ’s then-girlfriend Anna von Stern and France L’Hermitte (of Belgian band Polyphonic Size). The 7” Edit that appears on Side 3 is surprisingly scarce and has only once previously appeared on vinyl. It has only otherwise been commercially available on The Hit Men 2CD compilation from 1996.
Both the bonus LP and bonus CD on this 40th Anniversary release feature the same tracks; a mix of B-sides and rarities.
The bonus tracks start by gathering the three7” single edits and a couple of B-sides from the period. The EUROPEAN FEMALERadio Edit was a surprising find, in as much as it was only re-discovered in 2018. Other than providing the 7” radio promo serviced from late 1982, the tape had lain gathering dust in Sony’s vaults, overlooked by all previous compilers, until then. PÃWSHĒR and PERMISSION were, respectively, the B-side and the 12” bonus track for the PARADISE single. They are the two tracks within this collection that were recorded outside of the main sessions. The former, a mysterious single-word-repeated song, was recorded in New York in April, 1983; the latter, in London, two months later. Typically Strangler-esque, it sounds bright and summery, yet in fact chronicles the dark antics of the notorious French CRS riot police…
On Side 4 of the LP and continuing on the bonus CD is SAVAGE BREAST. Originally intended as an album track, it was left off at the last minute only to re-surface before the album’s release as the B-side of EUROPEAN FEMALE. Hugh’s career-long love of film and theatre combined with his twisting of well-established names and phrases ran overboard on FELINE, with SAVAGE BREAST, MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM and LET’S TANGO IN PARIS completing his trio of word-play titles for 1983. In fact, so many of the song titles on FELINE are familiar phrases – IT’S A SMALL WORLD; SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT; ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME; NEVER SAY GOODBYE – that there was clearly an unconscious pattern developing during the song writing. Rounding off this collection are a couple of tongue-in-cheek curios that well support the band’s sense of fun. VLADIMIR & OLGA is akin to a modern-day Russian folk song based on a fictional couple in (then) Soviet-era Ukraine. It is the first in what became a quirky and much-loved series of adventures that were to recur over the next decade. The initial pressings of the original LP of FELINE included a free bonus one-sided 7” called AURAL SCULPTURE. It also featured on initial copies of the original FELINE cassette. It was a sarcastic rant against the death of music in general and song-writing in particular. If you got it, it was both barbed and hilarious. Subsequently, the theme was carried on, with the title becoming that of the band’s next album, so the track was from there-on re-titled AURAL SCULPTURE MANIFESTO.
Whilst The STRANGLERS have suffered the recent dreadful losses of both the uniquely-talented Dave GREENFIELD (May 2020) and their founder and driving force, Jet BLACK (December, 2022), they continue to tour. From 3rd to 18th March 2023, they are playing three dates in SPAIN, followed by nine in FRANCE, including PARISL’Olympia on 11th. Then in April they head Down Under between the 13th and 23rd for three dates in NEW ZEALAND and five in AUSTRALIA.
The line-up is JJ BURNEL (bass and vocals); Baz WARNE (guitar and vocals); Jim MACAULAY (drums, percussion and backing vocals) and Toby HOUNSHAM (keyboards and backing vocals).
LIMITED EDITION GATEFOLD DOUBLE ALBUM on REMASTERED 180g HEAVYWEIGHT
TRANSPARENT PINK and RED VINYL
ORIGINAL LP
SIDE 1: 1. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM 2. IT’S A SMALL WORLD 3. SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT
4. THE EUROPEAN FEMALE (IN CELEBRATION OF)
SIDE 2: 1. LET’S TANGO IN PARIS 2. PARADISE 3. ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME 4. BLUE SISTER 5. NEVER SAY GOODBYE
BONUS VINYL LP:
SIDE 3: 1. EUROPEAN FEMALE (RADIO EDIT) 2. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM (SPECIAL SINGLE MIX) 3. PARADISE (RADIO EDIT) 4. PÃWSHĒR 5. PERMISSION
SIDE 4: 1. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM (SPECIAL 12” MIX) 2. SAVAGE BREAST 3. VLADIMIR & OLGA 4. AURAL SCULPTURE
LIMITED EDITION 2CD DIGIPACK
ORIGINAL ALBUM
CD 1:1. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM 2. IT’S A SMALL WORLD 3. SHIPS THATPASS IN THE NIGHT 4. THE EUROPEAN FEMALE (IN CELEBRATION OF) 5. LET’S TANGO IN PARIS 6. PARADISE 7. ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME 8. BLUE SISTER 9. NEVER SAY GOODBYE
BONUS
CD 2: 1. EUROPEAN FEMALE (RADIO EDIT) 2. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM (SPECIAL SINGLE MIX) 3. PARADISE (RADIO EDIT) 4. PÃWSHĒR 5. PERMISSION6. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM (SPECIAL 12” MIX) 7. SAVAGE BREAST 8. VLADIMIR & OLGA 9. AURAL SCULPTURE
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