The first contest!

Hi gang,

it's time to play with us, our first contest has begun! Well, you're not gonna win two weeks in Hawaïï or a complete backstage pass but with the very precious help of Enzo (LG Clim France), "The" John Hellier and Andy Ferguson, the Splinters record Store, I can swear there's gifts to win (cds, books, USB digit prints keys!). For this contest, our international referee will be John Hellier and if you're in trouble you will have to deal with the man! Any answer will be read and re-read by John and myself. If there is several good answers, time will be the rule, the faster you are... If you publish your answers on the list or on the d box here, it will be cancelled.

We made ten questions about Weller and the Mods. Please, be really careful, you only have to answer to my adress: yviseur@free.fr !!!

Be really careful to not post your answers on the list!

1) What the main difference between the two "Maybe I'm amazed" version in the Faces CD box?

2) "Maybe I'm amazed" has been produced by Paul for another artist, who?

3) Where did I shoot this Mod target?

4) Why this photo, even if it's not the same Weller is related to Paul in a way?

5) Paul Recently asked to someone "have you forgiven me because I nicknamed you Smokey..."? Who is it?

6) When did he say "I was born a mod, you can bury me a mod"?

7) The same song has been sung by Paul Weller and Marvin Gaye. Which one?

8) Why Paul didn't cover any Small Faces songs on Studio 150?

9) Which Canvey Island/Southend band of the 1970s influenced The Jam with regards to wearing black suits on stage?

9) With regards to question 8. The lead guitarist of this band was a major influence on Pauls style of guitar playing. Paul was and still is a big fan. Who is it?

10) Which Motown classic did The Jam nick the bass riff of "Town Called Malice" from?

11) Which Paul's song should you listen to if you're in trouble to answer?

12) Who is the new Paul Weller's drummer? (This one is a joke...)

We'll publish the results in a week or two! Special gift for the funniest answer!

The international well-known and respected John Hellier is your referee in case of doubt about my own knowledge!

Rumours : here comes the new drummer? (according John Power's site). News from Gareth Simmons.

Steve Pilgrim on drums, soft and folky drummer?

Steve Pilgrim's myspace

Influences: Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, Paul Simon, the Band, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Paul Wellered, Jeff Buckley Johnny Cash, Yoshio Akeboshi, Bjork, Talking Heads, and all those liverpool noise makers.

His solo LP review:

Steve Pilgrim 5/5 Reviewed by Rikki Wright

Steve Pilgrim has a wonderfully clear and fresh quality to his music, like a cool drink of water after a long walk on a hot dusty road. This album is a welcome relief after the music by numbers poor quality fare doled out by some of the big name artists.
Steve’s beautiful music stood head and shoulders above all the other cds that came in for review this week.
Acoustic rather than folk, this music has a broad and instant appeal, with gorgeous songs superbly performed and sung. I defy anyone not to be deeply moved by ‘Owl On Roof’ and ‘Lover, love her.’
There’s something here that’s reminiscent of C,S,N,Y, Simon and Garkfunkel, and Nick Drake, but it is so much more than that. Steve’s excellent distinctive voice will leave you begging for more. The amazing thing is that he is not an international star - yet. He is another of the magnificent undiscovered local musicians who you can still catch playing the local venues. One word of warning though - once you’ve heard this music, you just won’t be able to do without it.

B and B in B?

Hi gang,

JC and I will be in Bournemouth on the 17 th of April for the Paul Weller's gig due to the amazing kindness of mrs Wigzy (you know the story, it's a Splinters world)! :)
Well, we have to get back to Dover quickly enough after the gig or should I say we have to leave early in the morning to go back to Dover to have a boat back with our car and so we are looking for a place like a Bed and Breakfast to have a little rest and a shower. Any idea? We can pay of course and even bring some good french red wine! But We'll have to leave early...

jean-christophe.roche@club-internet.fr
yviseur@free.fr

So what about Duffy? Music = Opinion (Dave)

Make yours with these videos and some brilliant posts I've picked from the Splinters' They've said all I wanted to say, Nothin' to add! :) So what's your opinion? New Amy? New Dusty? New Ex-Big thing in two months?

Would like to make a massive "hommage" to the wonderful Sam Brown's works. John Hellier said about her: Sam Brown, well she's Englands best kept secret! Her skin is white but her soul is black. A voice from heaven.

Alexis "Funkyman" Balcerek (like minded soul) wrote: England was looking for an Amy Winehouse Substitute... have they found better?

Mick Nutgone Taylor Wrote: There's a great itunes Exclusive of Duffy - 4 live tracks recorded in London for only £2.49. Vocalist Duffy is a throwback of sorts with a sanguine, melodic voice that brings to mind such '60s artists as Dusty Springfield Born Amy Ann Duffy in the small coastal town of Nefyn on the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, Duffy sang from an early age, but with a record collection limited to her parents classic LPs, she had few influences to draw from. Undeterred, Duffy began performing with various bands throughout her teens and, around 2004, caught the ear of agent and Rough Trade owner Jeannette Lee, who helped nurture the young singer's burgeoning talent by pairing her up with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. The duo co-wrote several songs, including the single "Rockferry," which revealed Duffy's knack for a Stax- and Motown-influenced pop sound. Duffy's debut album is set for release in March 3rd 2008.

Andy wrote:

Rock Ferry, for those who don’t know it, is a run down suburb of Birkenhead, famous only for its poor housing and drug addicts. It wasn’t always like this as Rock Park, which fronts the River Mersey, still has the houses the dock tycoons built. They’re just surrounded by the council houses and wasteland now. How Duffy ever came to write a song named after it I just don’t know. She may have gone through it on the train from Chester to Liverpool. Believe me you wouldn’t visit unless you had to.And before anyone has a pop over this critical view of Rock Ferry, I lived there as a kid! On the music front, I love the album (I found a sampler), especially Distant Dreamer which is an anthem in my (meagre) mind. The wife also loves it and we’re off to see her in Manchester in May. Couldn’t get tickets for Wrexham as they were going for 50 quid a pop on ebay…I can see the comparison with Sam Brown (who’s still performing). Great voices both of them.

News from Heavysoul Bro' The NME ad!

Check Paul Weller news! Paul Weller and Souad Massi.

Souad Massi is living in France and Algeria and she's very well known here for touring all across France (CF french title "laisse moi en paix"), she's very respected. Her meeting with Paul is amazing. An info brought to you by Chris, one of the three "Weller collective blogs".

All the best!

(Yann for) Chris (and Dave.)
Extract:

Q: Yesterday you were in the studio with Paul Weller. How is it to collaborate with him?

A: He is someone very spontaneous and I like that. He told me he discovered my albums and he said he adored one of my songs - "Ghir Enta" ("I only love you") - and he made a version of it, which is magnificent...It made me happy to meet a legend like him who is so nice, who has such a drive to make music. Yesterday, we worked until three in the morning. We were tired but he didn't want to leave the studio. He had an idea and he wanted to follow it to the end. (to be continued)

Paul Weller News

Souad Massi Site

Discography on amazon.fr

6:44 AM 50 000 Connections!

Info from Kevin Styles (Thank You Kevin!) The Charlatans...

The Charlatans new single
Right click and select "Save target as".

Serge Clerc's Jam Vision

"English rough guys (tineas) who listened too many time americans and who don't know how to brake and slow down"

Serge Clerc was and is a very well known drawer in France, he also made record cover like this one, for Joe Jackson:

Enjoy the so Soulful Miss Sharon Jones by Flavio the cap, Dave and Yann.

Be fair and cool, drop us a line! :)

FANTASTIC! Sharon Jones has more SOUL in one finger than Amy Winehouse will EVER have. Cheers Flav. Would love to see PW hook up with Sharon or the Dap Kings band. Now that might be the great SOUL record I've always wanted from the Guv!

Agreed Flav! '100 Days' is a bit down on the scale compared with the first two Daptone releases. But, it certainly has moments of SOUL brilliance. The Daps are the BEST backing band in the world right now. A lot of what they do rip off some of James Brown's classic bands, but what a fucking band to rip off.

Peace and SOUL,
Dave...

Almost everything I need from a song, a singer and a band is here in this performance. I love sharon jones and the daps, I love the "philosophy of music" behind the whole daptone records. this label is like an open eyes dream for me.

if you go on their website (or myspace?) you can watch a short documentary recorded in their studios/basement and you can "touch" what I mean.

starting from this point of view and my highest expectations I must say that "100 days 100 nights" is disappointingly less powerful and energy-driven than the previous albums, but still miles above the 90% of all the music released in the last years

Flavio the Cap'

Sharon Jones Late show performance

Sharon Jones was born Sheron Lafaye Jones in Augusta, Georgia on May 4th 1956. Her mother moved to Brooklyn soon thereafter, however Jones was sent down south for a few months every year to stay with her family. As a child, she and her brothers would imitate the songs and dances of James Brown, who shared their hometown. Like many rhythm and blues entertainers, she began performing in church at a very young age where her voice would find a lifelong home and inspiration. As a teenager in the early nineteen seventies, she began singing outside of the church in talent shows and with local funk groups. Later she would make her living with a combination of sporadic session work as a mostly anonymous voice on various dance records (sometimes credited as Lafaye Jones), singing with wedding bands, and a handful of day jobs which included stints as both a prison guard at New York’s notorious Riker’s Island, and an armored car guard for Wells Fargo Bank. In 1996 she was called in to sing back-up at a Desco Records studio session for 70’s soul legend Lee Fields.

Desco was a small independent specializing in traditional funk and soul pressed exclusively to wax. Co-owners and producers Phillip Lehman and Bosco ‘Bass’ Mann had called Jones in on a tip from a sax player who was seeing her at the time. As the other two girls never showed up for the session, Jones cut all the background parts for the session herself, and proceeded to cut the impromptu prison rap over Switchblade, which had originally been intended for a man. Ironically, that rant (slowed down to make it sound like a man) would be her first outing as a featured artist on a record. Though she was at first skeptical of the 21 year-old jewish kid egging her on from the other side of the glass, a common love and respect for Soul music soon created a trust and friendship between Jones and Mann which would lead them both to a fruitful career.

Over the next four years, Jones sang frequently alongside Lee Fields, Joseph Henry, and Naomi Davis as part of the Desco Super Soul Revue backed by Desco house band the Soul Providers. Desco would release a handful of singles in her name including The Bump & Touch, Damn It’s Hot, and You Better Think Twice as well as versions of funk classics I Got the Feelin’ and Hook & Sling. In the UK, a blossoming Deep Funk scene lead by DJ’s Keb Darge and Snowboy among others showed support for these Desco releases and paved the way for Jones and the Soul Providers’ first international tour in 1999, where her command of the stage earned her an overnight title as the ‘Queen of Funk’.

Unfortunately, just as the Jones and the band began to gain momentum and a reputation for a show that couldn’t be missed, internal business conflicts caused the demise of Desco Records in the early part of 2000. Though the Soul Providers would not perform again, it wasn’t long before Jones and Mann would regroup in another formation.

Guitarist Binky Griptite, would remain at Mann’s side as well as organist Earl Maxton, percussionist Fernando ‘Boogaloo’ Velez, trumpeter Anda ‘Goodfoot’ Szilagyi and Baritone saxophonist Jack Zapata (AKA Martín Perna, who would go on to form Brooklyn afrobeat collective Antibalas) all from the original Soul Providers. From the Mighty Imperials, a young instrumental organ funk group that recorded at Desco, Tenor saxophonist Leon Michels (who would later leave the group to form the El Michels Affair as well as his own label, Truth & Soul) and drummer Homer ‘Funkyfoot’ Steinweiss would fill out the line-up. Both were only 17 years-old at the time. Now for the first time, the group would be billed as Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.

In 2001, the group landed a summer residency at a club in Barcelona. Knowing that the trip would be a financial disaster without having a recording to sell, Mann penned a few new tunes and assembled the band to record. A rough eight track recording studio was rigged up in the basement beneath the Afro-Spot, a local kung-fu dojo which doubled as an afrobeat nightclub and headquarters for Antibalas’ frontman Duke Amayo. After a few weeks of tracking and mixing, the band’s debut album was completed. Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings would be Jones’s first full length recording. Though few hundred copies were pressed to sell on the road, it would take several months and the birth of a new record label before Dap-Dippin’ would be commercially released.

Sharon Jones available discography in UK

In late 2001, saxophonist Neal Sugarman, whose organ driven Sugarman Three combo had given Desco two of its most prominent releases, and Gabriel Roth, Desco’s head recording engineer, joined together to form Daptone Records. With the intention of continuing on where Desco had left off, Daptone’s debut release would be the Dap-Dippin’ album.

Over the next three years, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings would tour extensively and build steadily upon a growing reputation as the unrivaled frontrunners of old-school Soul and Funk music. The band went through several changes in personnel before settling into what would be its permanent line-up. Sugarman joined the band to replace Michels on tenor saxophone. Michels would move to baritone where he would stay until 2005, when he eventually left to give Truth & Soul Records his full attention. He would be replaced on baritone by Ian Hendrickson-Smith, a well known and respected jazz saxophonist in his own right. The trumpet chair passed from Szilagyi to Todd Simon, and was eventually filled by David Guy. Maxton left the band in 2003 to play with Antibalas, leaving the band with no organ, and guitarist Tommy ‘TNT’ Brenneck, of the Budos Band, would take up the slack in the rhythm section.

By the time they returned to the studio in 2004, the Dap-Kings roster read like a veritable who’s who of the day’s Soul and Funk scene, most of whom were bandleaders in their own right. Countless gigs had molded the rhythm section into a redoubtable juggernaut on the bandstand, and the combination of Sugarman, Guy, and Hendrickson-Smith in the horn section was fierce. Behind the ever-increasing power and stage presence of Jones, the band was becoming a force to be reckoned with.

In 2003, Daptone Records had relocated to a dilapidated two family house in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Upstairs became the offices, and with some amount of work, the first floor had been converted to a recording studio. By the time the Dap-Kings came to record their second record in March of 2004, the studio had been outfitted with a sixteen track tape machine. (Originally, the plan was to record the second and third albums back to back. Unfortunately, on the last day of tracking the second record, a car accident on the way home from the studio landed Mann in the hospital with serious eye injuries. From then on he would have to wear protective sunglasses. It was over a month and a half before work could be resumed on the album and it was decided to scrap the third album for the time being.)

In January of 2005, Naturally hit the streets and set Jones and the Dap-Kings loose on a relentless touring schedule. Fueled by rave reviews of both their new record and the blistering live show, record sales and concert attendance began rising across the country, and as the band began to tour more frequently overseas, international markets soon followed suit. By 2006, audiences in Europe, Canada, and Australia were packing venues to see Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.

A high point came when Daptone Records presented a Soul Revue at New York’s Irving Plaza (Fillmore East) to honor Jones’ 50th birthday. The sold out extravaganza featured The Mighty Imperials, The Budos Band, Charles Bradley, Binky Griptite, Naomi Davis & the Gospel Queens, the Bushwick Philharmonic, Antibalas, and was of course headlined by the Dap-Kings and Sharon Jones herself.

In the winter of 2006, the band slowed its touring schedule to make time for a return to the studio. The resulting 100 Days, 100 Nights, slated for a much anticipated release in September of this year, is arguably their greatest achievement to date. With much more extensive songwriting and arranging contributions from the members of the band, the songs take more distinct and well-crafted forms, enabling a deeper more soulful return to traditional Rhythm and Blues roots. However, it is the raw fire and Soul which Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings consistently pour into their music that will make this record an irreplaceable part of many people’s lives.

Check out this performance at KCRW late last year!!!!

3 men + black sing the Jam.

Tracklisting (of course, It's a sampler, not the complete LP, only The Jam's songs)

1. That's entertainment.
2. Smithers Jones
3. David Watts
4. Tube Station

Bruce Foxton / JJ Burnell sing The Jam

Niels K.Petersen, fellow Splinter, saw it first! A tribute to Paul Weller by Two Jazz And a "Changing moods" cover.

Sessionman, A Classic Bootleg.

The first solo boot I bought 10 years ago in a record convention, before the massive internet boom. Enjoy.

Be fair and cool, drop us a line

The Sessionman Bootleg, part one.
Part two

Small Faces Carnaby Street Plaque unveiling. John Hellier and Kenney Jones.

Part One: Small fakers



Part Two: Letters from Ronnie Wood, PP Arnold, Toby Marriott, Paul Weller, John speaks!


Part Three: Ronnie Lane's brother



Kenney Jones Interview:

Danish Spil Op TV session, 1982.

Danish TV Session

Art Cover By Manu Gomez

Be fair and cool drop us a line!

Dedicated to our Northern friends, special thoughts to Niels K.Petersen

The Jam, Edinburgh soundcheck 1982.

Edinburgh Soundcheck

Crisis Consequences gig. Fighting for homeless people.

Beth Ditto, The Enemy, Pearl Lowe, Paul Weller, Supergrass, Graham Coxon, New Young Pony Club, Drew McConnell, Andy Rourke and Ed Harcourt join Crisis to fight homelessness.

Go to the Crisis consequences' website
Myspace

(Original message from Paul Weller News, thanx a lot)

Paint splattered walls?

The hawk's eyes of Jo Macklin found it on the web, oil canvas by George Ioannou.
World goes crazy?
Check it with your own sofa:
Link to the art gallery.

From Dave Mulligan: Borrowers' world? From the Stagefloor down.

Dave and I had a discussion today about that song...

Further to last week's discussion about songs nicked by Weller, just wondered if anyone had heard the new single by The Kooks? Perhaps it's just me, but it seems that the Weller musical influence sometimes flows both ways. Wilco nicked by Weller Nicked by The Kooks?

Bournemouth. What Splinters can do. It's all too beautiful!

Well, you probably remember my "story" about our lost tickets. The delighftul Mrs Wigzy and his husband let us two tickets for the face value price and we'll meet them in Bournemouth.
Yes, you're right, I jumped everywhere in the house when I knew it! On E Bay, there was pair of tickets for 125 £... Mrs Wigzy is also a gifted artist and you can check her site. How can we thank you! I have to say that many members of the list tried to help us. I also had propositions to lend me the John Hellier's Book about Steve Marriott's life. Much appreciated! :)

Dizzy Miss Wigzy Site one
Site two


Life from a (Wigzy Glass art) Window.

Steve Marriott: Humble Pie's Photos.

Fred's blog new Update!

Hi Mates !

UPDATE : THE GLASTONBURY 86 TRILOGY PART 2..

Last saturday, the gig of the Housemartins, now Madness and soon Billy Bragg

Fred's Blog

The Complete Red Balloon Story By Mick "Nutgone" Taylor and adds from Toby Marriott himself!

Hi all, here's an updated story I've written about the "Red Balloon" including interviews, quotes, lyrics, and the full meaning of the song, new quotes from Toby Marriott.... Firstly many thanks to Tim Hardin's wife Susan Hardin and, Roy Elliott for clearing up the exact lyrics and meanings for this song. There had been a few discussions on what Steve Marriott was singing on the lines "Cause hidden in the red balloon, ******* for my eyes". Some transcriptions on various web sites and mailing lists had the missing word has "Pity" or "Penny". Paul Weller even sung "Waiting" but the actual word Tim Hardin wrote was "Pinning".

It's not unheard of for other band's covering a song for them to play around with the words to an original tune and sing a different meaning, maybe this happened with the Small Faces, it certainly did with Kula Shaker who changed a lot of the words and called the song Red Balloon [Vishnu's Eyes]. I must add here as well that the better of the cover versions [besides the Small Faces] was the version by Paul Weller played on a WXFM Radio session on 10/11/1992. Excellent acoustic work from Paul sung with affection.

I must be honest and say that the Small Faces version did sound to me more like a girl meets boy, girl leaves boy love song [before I did more research] when Steve is singing "She took the lovelight from my eyes" and "Will we meet one another again, Oh my, I hope so" but the original Tim Hardin song is actually about a heroin user and his dealer. Susan Hardin told me about the song's meaning: "heroin was sold in Balloons, so they could be swallowed on a moments notice, and yes it is 'pinning'. And a "smacked out individual" is not emotionally available for a women, hence the "took the lovelight from my eyes"

My take on the song is one of being a very beautiful melodic song starting with a cool acoustic flavour from Steve followed by his superb unique vocal, absolutely outstanding in estimation. The song almost sounds like a solo effort from Steve with his added backing vocals and electric guitar work but Ian McLagan adds a great piano solo as does Ronnie Lane on bass. A very interesting story about Tim Hardin's "Red Balloon" also appeared in the Mojo magazines top 100 drug related songs. A million thanks to Adrie Meijer and Michael De Lacy for this article:

Red Balloon is a confessional song about Tim's mixed feelings toward heroin and its effects upon him. Heroin is often sold in balloons, so the "bought myself a red balloon" line refers to buying and taking heroin. The "blue surprise" is the adverse effects of heroin. One such effect is the loss of libido or sexual desire - "took the lovelight from my eyes." (or possibly mistreating your loved ones) "The pinning of my eyes" is probably some adverse physical effect. In the song he is addressing heroin (according to the magazine's interpretation) when he states "you were so easy to get to know, but will we see one another again...I hope so." The Troubadour version seems to confirm this, talking about running around on the lower East Side, much like in the old Cocaine song talking about going down to Beale and Main looking for the man who sells Cocaine. So though on the surface it appears to be a childlike song about balloons and children, it's actually quite the opposite.

Jess from the [Tim Hardin related] mailing list takes up the story and more on the song's meaning...: "I always knew the song was about heroin but didn't know that term - "pinning of my eyes". The rest of the song is clearer to me. It's such a sad beautiful song really. People store heroin in balloons for safe keeping. I assume they come in handy for hiding the heroin in various situations. Blue surprise refers to the heroin in the balloon he picked up from his dealer. The pinning of his eyes replaces the love for his child, who he doesn't have time for. You know how Look at the Fool is Tim's love song to Jack Daniels? (so they say) Well this is Tim Hardin's love song to Heroin.

I have been asked over the last few days what the "Pinning of the eyes" means and this is what has ben explained to me "One of the noticeable effects of heroin is a reduction in the size of the pupils. There are various accounts of the police checking to see if someone was on smack by shining a light in their eyes: if the pupils didn't dilate, and stayed the size of pinholes, they were assumed to be on smack, and would be busted. Hence "the pinning of my eyes".

Getting back to our heroes the Small Faces.......

...

The Red Balloon was originally intended to be included on the new Small Faces album "1862" which was the follow up to "Ogdens Nut Gone Flake" and just to add as well, although it's been stated that Steve Marriott thought he couldn't follow up Ogdens I'm sure that quote going down in history is wrong, or maybe Steve wasn't in the right mind at the time if he made that quote because listening to the tracks that were to appear in 1862 I think quite a few of them arguably are superior than some of the tracks on Ogdens, for example the "Autumn Stone" and "Call It Something Nice", not to mention our subject "Red Balloon". Toby Marriott adds to this story: Aahh 1862!! It's funny you mentioned that, since I was just talking about that with someone the other day about what the possible track listing would have been for it.

It's something alot of Small Faces fans talk about since deep down I think everyone wish's there was more material by them. My curiosity started after I was given a songbook dad owned circa 1968 that had possible idea's for the ogden's follow up..it read this

1. The Autumn Stone 2.Red Balloon 3.Colibosher 4.Buttermilk Boy 5.Pig Trotters/Wrist Job 6. Picaninny 7. Wide Eyed Girl On The Wall 8. Donkey Rides, A Penny, A Glass 9. there was a reference to a song simply noted as "blues jam" I think this later turned out as War Of The Worlds ?

Unfortunately the songbook got stolen some years ago so I'm trying to remember offhand. If you put in consideration the songs Plonk wrote for 'First Step' then to me you'v got a blinder of a follow up! shame it never happened..all the best.............Toby

Now, as I've said before depending on what you want to call 'alternate' I've heard 4 blatant alternate versions of the Small Faces "Red Balloon" which I think are worth getting:

1/ The Original Version:

First released on the "Autumn Stone" album in 1969. This version starts and finishes at 4 minutes and 12 seconds and fades out at the end.

2/ The Alternate Mix.

The alternate mix you can find on the Small Faces "Immediate Years" 4-cd box set released in 1995 by Charley Records label. Although I like the original mix, I prefer Marriott's vocals on this alternate mix because Steve is right up there in the mix and the vocals louder plus a different take. This version comes in at 4.16 mins.

3/ The Studio Outtake/acetate version [extended version]:

This version is what I would personally call a "rough mix" basically because it's been taken from the studio before it's been mixed proper by the band. You'll find this version on the cd "All Or Nothing" also known as the J60 album. The track sounds slightly slower that the final version released on the Autumn Stone album but is extended to 4.28 mins.

4/ The Rare Version:

The version going around as the 'Rare' version isn't what I'd really call rare. It's a good version but it's blatantly obvious the extra guitar work has been added after the Small faces split. It's not Marriott's style at all. Someone or some record company has re-mixed it but added extra guitar solos in it.
like i say, it is a good version though and worth getting if you're a die hard Small Faces fan.

There are other versions I've heard but they're just slightly 're-mastered' by other record companies.

John Hellier and Paolo Hewitt say in their book "All Too Beautiful":

"On the 'Autumn Stone' album apart from the interest in hearing the demos and live material, the album serves to highlight two distinct musical styles open to Marriott at the time, two roads the band could have taken to had they stayed together. The clues are in the title track and the band's excellent version of the Tim Hardin song 'Red Balloon'. Both songs feature prominent acoustic guitars, full of dark mood and rhythm that are coloured up by tasteful touches from the electric piano. The version of Red Balloon has a similar feel to Autumn Stone, beautiful enlivened by some delicate guitar playing. It's superb acoustic soul but a direction that Marriott opts not to follow.

So, here for your delight is the original version/lyrics to Tim's song plus
the Small Faces version.....

...

RED BALLOON: Tim Hardin's version

Bought myself a red balloon,
And got a blue surprise,
Hidden in the red balloon,
Pinning of my eyes,
It took a lovelight from my eyes,
Blue, blue surprise.

We met as friends and you were,
So easy to get to know,
But will we see one another again,
Oh my, I hope so.

I played with toys for children,
As a child I got,
I haven't any time for children,
Although I've got a lot,
It took a lovelight from my eyes,
Blue, blue surprise.

I bought myself a red balloon,
And got a blue surprise,
Hidden in the red balloon,
A pinning of my eyes,
It took a lovelight from my eyes,
Blue, blue surprise.

RED BALLOON: SMALL FACES version.

Bought myself a red balloon,
Had a blue surprise,
Cause hidden in the red balloon
Pinning for my eyes

She took her lovelight from my eyes
Blue, blue surprise

Played with toys for children
As a child I got
I haven't any time for children
Although I got a lot,

She took her lovelight from my eyes,
Blue, blue surprise,

We met as friends and you were
So easy to get to know,
Will we meet one another again,
Oh my, I hope so.

Bought myself a red balloon,
Got a blue surprise,
Hidden in the red balloon,
Pinning for my eyes,

She took her lovelight from my eyes,
Blue, blue surprise.

Ar-ar-ar-ar-ar-ar-ar-ar-ar,
Ar-hmm-hmm-err-arr-arr-arr-hmm-arr

[Tim Hardin]

New Link To Download The Salisbury Show.

Billy Bragg's Salisbury 2006 part one
Part two divshare

More about Billy / The Weller/Faces connection! / From Dave Mulligan

Just one more thing as regards Billy Bragg, you can currently download a complete Billy Bragg concert (from Salisbury 2006) for free here...

Salisbury 2006 with Ian McLagan

There are a few aspects of this concert that may be of interest to Weller fans including...

1) The show is a duet with Ian McLagan (ex-Small faces of course)

2) It features a version of "Green Onions"

3) It features a version of Ronnie Lane's superb "Debris"
4) They finish "Saint monday" by "it's all too beautiful..."

Of interest more generally is that the show also features the first broadcast of a song called "Sing Their Souls Back Home" and an early version of Billy's newest single "I Keep Faith". Oh, and it also features the stunning "Tank Park Salute".

Billy Bragg's new LP March the third. 1996 boot to celebrate it.

Post dedicated to Stéphane C.Jonathan!

Twelfth album from one of Britain's greatest ever singer-songwriters, Billy Bragg. Reminiscent of his work on the classic album 'Workers Playtime', this album once again finds Billy balancing the personal and political with aplomb, making this an essential addition to his already impressive canon. Includes the tracks 'I Keep Faith', 'M For Me' and 'If You Ever Leave'. This limited edition also includes a bonus disc of the whole album recorded acoustically. (Amazon...)

To celebrate the new LP, here is a Radio Quality FM gig in Stockholm, from 1996.

Billy Bragg in Stockholm, 1996.

Brother Dave saw him live a couple of months ago:

Well, needless to say, last night was great. It was my first time seeing Billy Bragg. I'm not really that familiar with his music. I was more interested in seeing a legend live. So, the venue is a legendary one here in the Eastern US. The Birchmere is located just outside of Washington DC in the suburb of Alexandria, VA. It's one of the most populated areas in the US. For that reason they are able to book acts that would not normally play in the US as, with such a huge populace, there's bound to be an audience for whomever is playing. And Billy really is considered a cult artist here, although he found a wider audience with the Woody Guthrie tribute albums he did with the band Wilco, who are pretty big here. Though a hugely successful venue, The Birchmere has quite a strange set-up. The best was I could describe it would be a dinner theater. My first visit there was a few weeks ago to see Nick Lowe. It probably seats about 300-400 people. It was SOLD OUT, which was great.

Just before Billy hit the stage, The Impressions' "Meeting Over Yonder" started blasting from the speakers which put a wide grin on my face. Billy took the stage about 8:30pm. It was just him and one electric and one acoustic guitar. The guy looked really good. Smart black trousers and red button up shirt. A bit of gray above the ears, but the same barnet after all these years. The sound was superb, especially the tone on his electric. I don't know all the tunes he played, but he started with a couple of new songs from a record he says was done and would be out early next year. EVERY NEW SONG HE PLAYED I REALLY REALLY LIKED. One thing I didn't expect was how much he interacts with the crowd. Not so much a conversation, but social commentary, really funny anecdotes, at some points a history lesson on a myriad of topics including English and US politics. I even learned a few things about US history. It had a real "VH1 Storytellers" vibe to the proceedings. Now as much as I enjoyed that, at times I thought he could have played 3 or 4 songs at the end of each of his between song banter sessions. More an observation than a negative comment.

Some of the songs he played that I remember that struck a note were, "To Have And To Have Not", "Sexuality", "There Is Power In A Union", "Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards", "The Saturday Boy" along with 4 or 5 Woody Guthrie tunes as he said his trip to the States was for some benefit in which they wanted him to play an entire set of Woody's songs. And of course all the NEW songs were fab! It was interesting to me as one of the things he seemed to do was switch back and forth singing with and without a cockney accent. And his voice is really quite strong and powerful.

A couple of other cool moments. He said that they put a bunch of artists names in a hat and pull out two of which they let the audience choose one to play. This night was The Carpenters and Bob Dylan. Of course the audience, taking the piss, voted for The Carpenters. Billy started playing, "Superstar", which I actually dig, and he was doing a groovy, moody take on it. He got to the chorus and asked for help from the audience, of which maybe 10 sang along. He kinda playfully took a few stabs, saying we were the ones that chose it and we couldn't even make the effort to help him out. He then tore into some Dylan tune that sounded familiar, but I'm not a Dylan guy so I'm not sure what it was, but he killed it. But, here's the strange thing, right after I think he took a shot at Weller. This is what he said, "What did you think I was gonna do, Close To You? I don't do Bacharach! And you ain't gonna see my songs in a car commercial either." Of course, "Close" is on Studio 150 and "Start" is in a Cadillac commercial here in the States. Seems like a connection to me. Maybe I was just seeing it cause I'm a Weller guy. What do you think?

And finally, during the encore there was a moment when someone yelled out a request. And Billy countered with probably one of the better responses I've heard when this happens at an intimate show like that. Very jokingly, he said, "Now sweetheart, that's the easy part, all you've got to do is remember the title. I've got to remember the chords, the key, the lyrics, not to mention the meandering 5 minute rap about the song." It was quite funny.

All in all, a night to remember for me, indeed. A super evening with a smart, witty, fantastic, and legendary artist. I'm definitely anticipating his new record and borrowed his box sets from my mate to digest, which made him very happy.

Peace and SOUL,
Dave...

From Steve Cradock's Diary...

January was back in the Studio with Paul again finishing the last touches to what I think is a fantastic album, and I will look forward to going on Tour with him to play the songs live with his new band. I think his album will be out in June sometime.

Full Article

Lazy Sunday, Blog's off. Will see The Charlatans in Brussels tonight. They've sung "Malice" with Paul, don't they?

be fair, post a post...drop a line.

It doesn't take time and it helps us to keep enthusiasm... Just a number: today a midnight, UK time, 861 pages have been read, 226 visitors have been on line and there's ONE thank you and no comment. And I also have to add that it's always the same gents who thank the team.

All the best! :)

Yann (And probably ok with me: Dave, Marco, Jan, John, Manu, Flavio, Andy, all the people who sent me a gig...)

Bournemouth Blues, So Sad About Us.

Hi Gang,

Yesterday I had an awful surprise. I've booked two ticks to go from France to Bournemouth for Paul Weller's gig and the booking was ok... till I had another message to tell me my credit card number was wrong, the three last numbers of the security zone changed... the day before and I didn't notice, can't be worst date... Well, I guess you can imagine how disappointed I am today. So if you've two tickets for sale for any reason, can't go there anymore because... Please drop me a line...I'll buy your tickets with paypal with a "greetings tax"!

All the best! :)

Yann

__._,_.___

The Who Encore Series (benefit)

As in the past, the audio for the CD's and DVD's will be a "Live Mix" by The Who engineering team, and pressed onto high-quality manufactured discs - not CD-R's or DVD-R's.

As always, the profits from The Who Encore Series will go to charities designated by the band.

The Who encore serie available on line.
The Who Web site

So here is a complete CD, the Metz 2006 gig (France).

1. Can't explain
2. The Seeker
3. Anyway, anyhow, anywhere
4. Who are you
5. Behind blue eyes
6. Real good looking boy
7. Drowned
8. Mike Post theme
9. Baba O'Riley
10. Naked Eye

The Who live in Metz (Sample)

Enjoy!

"Hope I'll" sing "till the day I die"? (Splinterites rest house in 2045?)

TSC: 12 inches Artwork by Manu Gomez (and Marco's reminder).

There was no art cover for the 12 inches but Manu did it!

Marco did a great one too by the way:

Go the Marco's version on the site

TSC 12 Inches / Vinyl rips, part one

TSC 12 Inches / Vinyl rips, part two

Follow the Capt Stax! Tin Soldier full version.

I'm a little tin soldier
that wants to jump into your fire
you are a look in your eye
a dream passing by in the sky

Message from Flavio:

Hello all,
I've got a request for the full 'tin soldier' recorded for Jonathan
Ross in 1991 so I uploaded again the file here:

Tin Soldier Jonathan Ross 1991

This audio is taken from VHS years ago & the
quality is not hi-fi but it's the only way to have
"Tin Soldier" from start to end,
not faded before the second verse as seen
on TV. Last thing about this TV Special,
the "House" band backin Weller,
included Elvis Costello's keyboard player,
the Mighty Steve Nieve on Hammond and Piano!

MODS! A message from Scotty (thanx a lot, man).

Mods!

Phil Daniels presents a look back at the Mod movement, exploring its beginnings in the Soho underground of the late 1950s through to the seafront clashes with the Rockers in the 1960s, and examining the Mod's influence on music, film, fashion and popular culture.

Archive Hour, Mods (Download Link)!

Teenage Cancer Trust DVD (From Flavio Candani, The Cap)

It's taken from the dvd you can purchase at the Teenage cancer trust Website, sorta reminder and suggestion for you all to go there and buy your original copy to help them (In Memory of Jenny?).

Coming soon (when??) the TCT 2007 dvd too, with the brilliant combination of the Charlatans and paul playing town called malice and more. Paul and the Charlatans at the soundcheck...

The Jam Gaumont Southampton, 11/24/1979

Gaumont Theatre 1979

Art cover by Marco! :)

Ronnie Lane LIVE!!!

And to go along with the Ronnie Lane celebration/theme, here are two lovely LIVE performances! ACE!!!

Ooh La La


Debris


Peace and SOUL,
Dave...for Brutha Yann

About the 2004 Ronnie Lane Memorial (John and Brent...)

Ronnie Lane Memorial article

Nice to be Nice! The Complete comp'

Complete Artwork link

John Hellier (UK) , Manu Gomez (Spain) , Jan Noorda (Netherlands) and me (France) are really proud to present you this new home made compilation: Nice to be Nice!, Paul Weller and the mods' heritage! You can't imagine how much mails we had to make this comp, more than 100, really, it's two weeks job!

I've done a first tracks selection then John gave us this wonderful EP and has been so kind to write the sleeve notes (how could it be better?)! Manu Gomez and Jan Noorda Worked very hard to design the best cover and for the first time you can also chose it.

You know how The Jam and Paul's music, Small faces and Marriott/Lane are under my skin, it changed my life when I was a young boy... So I asked John to write a little intro to this comp, here it is:

"Paul Weller once told me that bands such as The Small Faces, Who and Kinks not only influenced his career they influenced his whole life! He was a very impressionable 8 year old when the seed was sown and now......well I guess it's part of his DNA! (and mine). Here the Mod Father pays homage to the Mod Grandfathers and boy, does he do it well. Listening instructions... relax, pour a drink, crank up the volume and enjoy!"

John Hellier, 2008.

Techie notes: 1) I've equalized the tracks, I think you won't have much level differences. 2) Because of a WMPlayer error, "Circle" will may appear as "Pictures of Lily", don't worry it's the right song. 3) The archives are different and not splitted, you can unrare the first one or the second one first. SO ENJOY!

Yann.

Nice to be Nice! Part One
Nice to be Nice! Part two