WHEN MAJOR TOM MET THE WILD-EYED BOY AND MR WALKER

ARTIST: David Bowie; TITLE: Space Oddity; LABEL: PHILIPS; FORMAT: 7"; Cat. No.: BF 1801; YEAR: 1969; COUNTRY: UK

Welcome back from the Vinyl Consultancy now relocated down in here sometime sunny South Devon.

Today I'm focusing on Bowie's 1969 breakthrough - yep "Space Oddity".  As I'm sure everybody's well aware it was inspired by the moon landing of that year and another Bowie's songs about alienation, a subject first tackled on "The Gospel According To Tony Day" which cropped up on the flip side to the Laughing Gnome".  This is the 2nd version Bowie recorded - the first being for the soundtrack of "Love Me Till Tuesday", although the video for that version was then married with one when the song got to the number 1 slot in 1975.  The third and probably the starkest version is the 1980 version which premiered on British TV on New Year's Eve 1979/1980 and as precursor to "Ashes to Ashes" - making you wonder if the journey Major Tom was even into space at all!  The arrangements come courtesy of cellist Paul Buckmaster - and on the fadeout there seems to a nod in the direction of Ferde Grofé's "Grand Canyon Suite".

The flip side gives you the stripped down version of "The Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud" which I prefer to full orchestrated version of the parent LP.  Here you just have Bowie on 12 string acoustic and Paul Buckmaster on cello.  Which has the advantage of being able to hearing the lyrics a lot more clearer which being swamped by orchestration (not producer Tony Visconti's fave tune perhaps?), and when you do it's clear to hear the influence that Scott Walker has having on Bowie's writing at time.  Interestingly this one of those songs the survived into the Ziggy era - as it's part of the farewell set recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon.  It's also from Bowie's Tibetan phase - part of the cycle that began with "Silly Boy Blue" on the 1st album, and completes with "Karma Man" which saw the light of day on Decca's "world Of David Bowie"set released just after the "Space Oddity" or David Bowie "2" if you will. And which apparently originated in Bowie's mine piece which he'd toured around the UK with Lyndsey Kemp in 1968.  The song was also one on Marc Bolan's favourites as well.

That's it for 2013 - here at the Vinyl Consultancy.  See you back again sometime early 2014!  Wishing you all the best for the festive season!

 

20TH CENTURY BOLAN & SOME GERMAN SATISFACTION

Artist: T.Rex.  Title: 20th Century Boy.  Label: T.Rex Wax Co./EMI.  Format: 7".  Country of Issue: UK. Cat. No.: MARC 4.  Year; 1973.

A bumper batch on today's post - first up this 1973 offering from T.Rex.  The A Side is the rather good "20th Century Boy" - and possibly his best known song at the present (revived to a great extent after being featured in a Levi's ad a few years back) - and posted as a thanks to the Playhawk boys who did a cracking version in their live set on Saturday night.  The B Side gives you "Free Angel", which a okayish bit Glam Rock.

Artist: The Rolling Stones.  Title: Satisfaction.  Label: Decca.  Format; 7".  Country of Issue: Germany.  Cat. No.: DL 25 000.  Year: 1965.

Next up is this German pressing of the Stones classic - which I think I picked up in Brum about 5 years ago - only think to really add is that the title's shortened to just "Satisfaction" - rather the the longer 'I Can't Get No...'

The B Side is "The Under-Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" is pretty much filler material - first surfacing on their 3rd LP 'Out Of Our Heads'.  With Mick & Keith using their Nanker and Phelge psuedonyms for the writing credits.

Artist: The Rolling Stones.  Title: Mother's Little Helper.  Label: London.  Format: 7".  Country of Issue: Canada.  Cat. No.: L.902.  Year;1966.

Third up is this rather good Canadain double-header from the Stones - feat. 2 tracks from the 1966 'Aftermath' set.  The A Side side serves up the album's opener the excellent "Mother's Little Helper" - just check out Brian Jones on what sounds like an electric sitatr, and the whole thing in general really!

The flip side is another piece of greatness in the form of "Lady Jane" - and don't for one moment let the tune lull you into a false sense of security, as one listen to the lyrics will leave in no uncertain terms as to the subject matter - class distinctions (which where still there to a level in the mid 60's - though rapidly crumbling fast, although it didn't stop the powers that be from trying to make an example of Mick & Keith).

DERORAAROBED - A DINOSAUR PALINDROME

Artist: Tyrannosaurus Rex.  Title: Debora.  Label: Old Gold.  Format: 7".  Country of issue: UK.  Cat. No.: OG 9234.  Year: 1982.

1982 reissue of these 2 tunes from Tyrannosaurus Rex - both originally issued in 1968 on the UK golden oldies Old Gold imprint.  The A Side label would lead you to believe that is a reissue of the 1968 single from Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrine-Took - but actually it isn't. What you get here is in fact the LP version from 'Prophets Seers & Sages' - which is the rerecorded and the palindromic retitled "Deboraarobed" - quite appropriate as the track is looped back itself half-way through.  And good bit psyche-folk as good as anything the likes of the Incredible String Band or the original Nirvana produced around this period

The flip side is the 1968 version of "One Inch Rock" - itself rerecorded for the first T.Rex LP.  Though that version is a lot rockier, as by that point Bolan had moved on from the Tolkien inspired pysche-folk of this period to that curious beast now known as Glam Rock.

THE UNRELEASED JASPER C. DEBUSSY

Artist: Marc Bolan. Title: Jasper C. Debussy. Label: Track. Format: 7" (3 Track "Maxi Single"). Country:UK. Cat. No.: 2094 013. Year: 1972.

Today's offering from the vinyl vaults is this 1972 single from Marc Bolan - and a prime example of what happens when an artist gets famous.  Namely their previous label shoves stuff out to capitalize on their former signing's new found fame (after getting a better deal from where they currently are) and in some cases (like here) issuing previously unleased stuff.  The downside of which - as happened here also, is that the artist concerned and/or their current label then issues an injunction to stop said material from being issued - and in the process producing an instant collectors item.  Especially if you happen to be called Marc Bolan.

These 3 tracks were produced by Marc Bolan's then manager Simon Napier-Bell, who was also in charge the Yardbirds - as well as nominally John's Children, and subsequently Wham in the 1980s.  They date from around 1966 and just before Bolan was hooked up with John's Children, and before the band moved from Columbia to Track.  The A Side gives you "Jasper C. Debussy" which was done with a full band and features Nicky Hopkins on piano.  The flip side has Bolan solo on guitar and opens with his the single issued on Parlophone - the rather wonderful "Hippy Gumbo". It's followed by another bit of greatness in the form of "The Perfumed Garden Of Gulliver Smith".

This like the parent album - then titled 'Hard On Love' were scheduled for release in 1972 - before the plug was pulled by Bolan and EMI - the album eventually issued in '74 retitled 'Marc - The Beginning of  the Doves'.  But this single wasn't - and with the picture sleeve will set you back £50 for a mint copy.  I got my copy for a fiver in Reddingtons old shop in Brum opposite Moor Street station, and initially thought it was issued in 1974 like the album - only to discover it was unreleased from 2 years earlier, and worth around the £25 as the sleeve's seen better days.

One thing to add - is who the hell (apart from Simon Napier-Bell and that bloke in Doncaster who runs the Marc Bolan appreciation society) thought it was a good idea to track these recordings an add new backing to them - and fucking them up in the process?  Made the mistake of buying the 'You Scare Me To Death' single when it came out in 1981 and swapped it the next day in Woolies for I think the then current Siouxsie & The Banshees offering.