UNCUT: JOHN PEEL's FESTIVE 15

JOHN ROBERT PARKER RAVENSCROFT, O.B.E (August 20 1939 – October 25, 2004) aka. JOHN PEEL, was an English Disc Jockey, radio presenter and journalist who was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004. UNCUT magazine is a monthly publication based in London which is available across the English-speaking world that focuses on music, films and books. For today's blogpost, I'll be featuring the UNCUT Magazine JANUARY 2006 Issue with the Freebie CD entitled "UNCUT Presents: John Peel's Festive 15". It was taken from JOHN PEEL'S FESTIVE FIFTY which was an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. It was John Peel's annual rundown of listeners' fifty favorite tracks of the year, and thus "The John Peel Festive 50" became a Christmas institution more loved than fairy lights and Christmas crackers. So instead of 50, the Compilation CD contains only 15 Tracks. Well, here in the MANILA back in the 80s there was 99.5RT's "The RT 40" which was inspired by Casey Kasem's "American Top 40" which was an RT exclusive radio show back in those days. John Peel's Festive Fifty was usually dominated by indie and rock songs which did not fully represent the diversity of music played by Peel but rather the majority opinion among his listeners. After Peel's death in 2004, the tradition of the Festive Fifty was continued, first by other Radio 1 DJs and when Radio 1 decided to discontinue it then came Dandelion Internet Radio continuing the legacy since 2006. The very first "Festive Fifty" was broadcast in 1976 and differed in format to later charts in that it was not restricted to songs from that year. It was topped by Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", first released in 1971, and also contained many older songs. The following year, Peel's producer suggested that instead of taking a poll, Peel should simply compile a list of his favorite songs of the year.


John Peel's thoughts on Festive Fifty:
"It's really just me marking every single vote down in a ledger. There is obviously the temptation to slip something in that I like, especially if it's just outside the 50, and something crap has gone above it. But I have a very workman-like brain so it just wouldn't be on to fix it."


There was more to JOHN PEEL than his famous Peel Sessions, playing records and spinning discs and of course supporting unknown bands. JOHN PEEL was one of Britain's most loved broadcasters and was known for his eclectic taste in music and his honest and warm broadcasting style. He was one of the first broadcasters to play psychedelic rock, reggae and punk records on British radio and was widely acknowledged for promoting artists working in various genres including alternative rock, indie rock, pop, hardcore punk, grindcore, death metal, British hip hop and dance music. That's why he was loved by a lot of people especially the musicians. Definitely a very influential person who is missed right now because of his contribution to music history.


I bought the JANUARY 2006 Issue of UNCUT Magazine with "THE SMITHS" cover and of course the free CD that I'm featuring right now. This issue featured the 20th Anniversary of THE SMITHS' album "THE QUEEN IS DEAD".



UNCUT PRESENTS: JOHN PEEL'S FESTIVE 15



INSIDE MY CD

This compilation CD was just a sampling of what John Peel's annual Festive 50 was like back in the day. It includes some of John's most favorite bands like THE WEDDING PRESENT and BHUNDU BOYS. It really represented the man who influenced so many listeners of different generation. Although It contains only 15 tracks from 15 different Artists/Bands, It still worthwhile to listen to all of them. Good thing It's a Freebie!! Actually when I saw the CD and saw the UNCUT Issue cover which was "THE SMITHS", I did not have second thoughts of buying it at once. I don't have that much issues of UNCUT but this have to be my personal favorite. YUP!! From the articles in the magazine and the CD itself. This CD was dedicated to the Two Johns namely JOHN PEEL and JOHN WALTERS. It's a FIESTA on music!! I made my CD available for download if you are interested to have a copy. GREAT COMPILATION INDEED!!

Other CD INFOS:
Compilation Producer - Andrew Tidball* , Mick Meikleham
Compiled By - Roy Carr , Simon Goddard
Compiled By [Man Full Of Christmas Cheer] - Allan Jones
Compiled By [Santa's Little Helper] - Paul Lester
Design - Miles Johnson


UNCUT PRESENTS: JOHN PEEL'S FESTIVE 15
TRACKLIST:

1. The Trumpton Riots- Half Man Half Biscuit
2. Take The Skinheads Bowling- Camper Van Beethoven
3. Where's Captain Kirk?- Spizzenergi
4. Remember- The Mighty Wah!
5. Birthday- The Sugarcubes
6. Well Well Well- The Woodentops
7. The Saturday Boy- Billy Bragg
8. Sensitive- The Field Mice
9. Foolish Harp / Waerera- The Bhundu Boys
10.Gold Soundz- Pavement
11.Primitive Painters- Felt Featuring Elizabeth Fraser
12.Destroy The Heart- The House Of Love
13.Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft- The Wedding Present
14.Shipbuilding- Robert Wyatt
15.Eat Y'self Fitter- The Fall
16.Untitled- John Peel

DOWNLOAD MY CD HERE:


PASSWORD: http://docmuzic.blogspot.com/

I uploaded two songs from two favorite bands of John Peel in the compilation for you to listen to.


LISTEN to "Foolish Harp / Waerera" by THE BHUNDU BOYS Here:




LISTEN to "Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft" by THE WEDDING PRESENT Here:



INSIDE MY UNCUT MAGAZINE:


Pages 16-20 of this UNCUT MAGAZINE I bought payed tribute to JOHN PEEL. The photo above are Pages 16 and 17. As the title of the article said "THIS NATION'S SAVING GRACE". The bold first liner indicated "One year on from the Legendary DJ's untimely death, this month's free UNCUT CD pays tribute to JOHN PEEL and his annual FESTIVE 50". THIS IS THE REAL THING!!


Page 18 talked about Songs #1 to #5. Very informative trivia about the songs 1-5 of the CD compilation which was added to my memory banks.




Page 20 talked about Songs #6 to # 15 with a mouthful of information too. That's not all!! It included the TOP WINNERS of the FESTIVE 50 countdown from the year it started which was 1976 to the year JOHN PEEL died in 2004. Actually the countdown still continued by 2005 up to present even without John Peel but definitely it was not included here since this UNCUT Magazine Issue was JANUARY 2006. This page also include a portion entitled "Five Festive Facts" which was also a trivia thing.


Btw, there's also a "John Peel Festive Fifty Illustrated Book" by David Gedge available.


Here are some images in the book created by David Gedge:

John Peel, Ian Curtis (Joy Division), and Morrissey & Marr (The Smiths)

I hope you guys ENJOYED another trip down memory lane here on "The Doctor Is In". I'll leave you with a film clip of John Peel's thoughts about PUNK to wrap up this tribute of mine. THANKS again for dropping by!!

WATCH JOHN PEEL HERE:




It's UNCUT's JOHN PEEL's
FESTIVE 15 CD!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD

CLUB RETRO

CLUB RETRO was the NEW WAVE Retro Program of NU 107 from December 1997 to October 2004. YUP!! Definitely I remember these dates since I was able to tune in to this great radio show which started two years earlier than 103.5 K-LITE's "LITEWAVE"(1999) and this was also the time when the magic of 89 DMZ's "WAVE 180" was starting to go down a bit. I have featured exclusively both LITEWAVE and WAVE 180 before here in my blog so just check it out on my Blog Archives. Finally, here it is on "The Doctor Is In".......It's CLUB RETRO!! Definitely, "The Dr. Stirring Rhod Way" of remembering this great New Wave Radio Program of the recently closed NU 107. According to an old NU 107 site "CLUB RETRO" is a "club open to people who still rock to the songs of the 80s. Club Retro gives the kids of today a chance to find out the musical influences of their favorite bands and also gives the kids of the 80s a chance to dance down memory lane. Featuring bands that have defined new wave like The Cure, The Bolshoi, and 80s bands like REM, 10,000 Maniacs and Gang of Four." Well, the show was conceptualized to make the NU 107 listeners reminisce the good old days of the 80s New Wave Music, the original Music Genre of NU 107 when they first test broadcast back in November 1987 which they termed "CUTTING EDGE"and "MODERN ROCK". Wheeew!! After 10 years of Rock And Roll, NU 107 brought back their original kind of music circa 80s and during those times people of my generation really needed a Radio Show like this.

CLUB RETRO was first hosted by NU 107's Retro Queen DJ "JELLY JEAN" back in 1997 up until 2000. At first, the show was really good but after a year I noticed that the music they played were too redundant already. YUP!! The same old songs played almost every week. I guess their library of New Wave music needs to be beefed up if you know what I'm driving at. I remember contacting Jelly Jean back in late 1998 if it is possible for collectors to share their music on the program. Well, back then there was no positive feedback so personally I didn't bother to followed it up not knowing few months after, they did opened up their doors for collectors to share. Hmmmp? I guess my mind just conceptualize things very early. He He He!! YUP!! It was the latter part of 1999 when the show allowed some New Wave collectors to share some stuffs on the program which boosted my appetite to listen to the show again. It was in year 2003 when I got the opportunity to share my stuffs on K-LITE's "LITEWAVE" and this was at the peak of the "CLUB RETRO" versus "LITEWAVE" competition thing. The original time slot of Jelly Jean's "CLUB RETRO" was Every Saturdays 6-9pm and definitely It was another trip down memory lane since the regular playlist of NU 107 was ALTERNATIVE ROCK and so such radio program was a breathe of fresh air. I can still remember my very first song request to Jelly Jean back then and this was "Heavenly Pop Hit" by THE CHILLS which was an NU 107 classic since they first played it back in 1990. Unfortunately on the evening that I called up and requested the song, Jelly Jean doesn't have a copy of it on the booth and so she just mentioned on air that she will be playing it for me on next week's episode which she gladly did because I made it sure that she kept her promise. He He He!! What can Jelly Jean say about the other radio stations back then? Well according to her, most of them were Crappy and Downright Boring. Hmmmp? But do you know that she loves the band "Hanson"? Jelly Jean officially said farewell on the show and explained the reason was very personal and thus the show hibernated for about five months until it returned with a new DJ host.

Jelly Jean (2nd from left) with NU 107 big boss Atom Henares and Mike Pedero. Also included on the photo were some on the NU 107 DJs during those times.


The next DJ to host "CLUB RETRO" was The Pin-up Girls vocalist MONDO Castro on mid 2001 up until the radio show's final episode on October 2004. Of course, the early episodes of the Mondo-hosted CLUB RETRO was just another retro show. The said show needs to beef up their playlist especially when CLUB RETRO radio schedule was the time slot of "LITEWAVE" and in the same evening. The show will just be eaten up if you got my drift. Btw, I have featured "THE PIN-UP GIRLS" here in my blog last year July 1, 2010 and made available all their materials for your listening pleasure.

CLICK "The Pin-Up Girls" photo to go directly to my blogpost about the band and download their materials for free.

THE PIN-UP GIRLS




It was back in 2003 when a bunch of PINOY NEW WAVE COLLECTORS who called themselves "WAVELENGTH MANILA" came into the picture and save the said show from going down the drain. Not in a way related to the Legendary Manila Mobile called "WAVELENGTH". This was also the time when NU 107 was having problems already regarding the ratings as a Radio Station in METRO MANILA. YUP!! Changing of formats, closure, and some negative news arises on what the faith of NU 107 will be. According to MIKE SUTTON, WAVELENGTH MANILA started participating in "CLUB RETRO" after he signed host Mondo Castro's band, The Pin-Up Girls to "KNOW IT ALL RECORDS" in the U.S. . This was the time when Mike Sutton were taking preorders for Peter Coyle's American debut, "Reach for the Sun". Mike asked Mondo if together with Wavelength Manila, he could help them promote Peter Coyle's Maxi Single of "Reach for the sun" on "Club Retro." I guess that's an equation of "Club Retro" plus "Wavelength" which will last for more than a year. They debuted "Reach for the Sun" on "Club Retro" which became an exclusive of the show thus LITEWAVE wasn't able to premiere it. Wow!! Talking about competition. That's PINOY!! Wavelength Manila started bringing their own original CDs on the show which added some depth on the playlist. The guys introduced "DESERT WOLVES", "WEATHER THEATRE" and more obscure stuffs while bringing back on Manila's New Wave Radio Program bands like "LOW LIFE", "THE NOBODYS", and "TREEBOUND STORY" just to name a few. Of course, we will feature all these bands here on my little blog so no copying okay. There were also changes in the schedules from Saturdays It became Fridays and finally It went back to Saturdays and this included also the time slot which went to 9-12 midnight and 6-9pm then back again to 9-12 midnight. Did you understand what I'm driving at? He He He!! Another of those radio shows that I really missed right now most especially with a lot of CRAP ON THE RADIO all over MANILA. Too much "MASA" FM Radio Stations existing today that will make you ponder if this is indeed the PINOY way of listening to FM radio nowadays. If that's the case, it's unfortunate that most PINOY has POOR TASTE. Sorry to say that the station that replaced NU 107 is one of them. Waaaaah!! I'm not an "Internet Radio Freak" either because no time for it too. Btw, I was able to meet Danny, Eric, and Gilbert of WAVELENGTH when we went to visit another defunct Philippine New Wave Radio Program called "FREE STATE SOUND" of JAM 88.3 and that was wayback 2007 when the show was very young then. Well, I'll try to feature it too in the future here in my little blog because that was an unforgettable experience.

I hope you ENJOYED my little tribute to "CLUB RETRO". THANKS for dropping by guys!!

Are you Clubbing?
This ain't an ordinary Club.
This is CLUB RETRO!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD

THE 2 TONE STORY

"2 TONE" Record Label was founded by JERRY DAMMERS of the Ska revival band THE SPECIALS back in 1979 who wanted to create his own Motown Records in Coventry. It spawned the 2 Tone music and cultural movement back then and 1979 also saw Ska explode into UK's music scene which was popular among skinheads, rudies and some mod revivalists and leading the wave was the band called "The Specials". This is "The Dr. Stirring Rhod Way" of remembering this Legendary and Influential Record Label called "2 Tone". Hmmmp? I guess that's two tones of colors right? BLACK and WHITE I may say!! Only here on "The Doctor Is In" and so I hope you'll enjoy another trip down memory lane. Basically, the first time I became aware of 2 TONE was back in 1985-1987 when I heard their artists being played by WXB 102 back then. I guess we can say that all these artists were introduced here in MANILA by WXB 102. Btw, if we are talking about WXB 102 here in my blog, we are talking about the Legendary FM Radio station DWXB 102.7 back in the 80s. PINOY NEW WAVERS/PUNKS definitely know "THE SPECIALS" because of "TERRY HALL" who was also the lead vocalist of "FUN BOY THREE" and "THE COLOURFIELD". The label also launched the careers of MADNESS, THE SELECTER, and THE BEAT but all three bands left within two years. 2 Tone Records acts signed a contract that allowed them to leave the label after releasing just one single which was very unusual in the record industry. Madness and The Beat both took advantage of this clause wherein Madness signed to Stiff Records while The Beat who would be called "ENGLISH BEAT" started their own record label called "Go Feet Records". On the otherhand, The Selecter announced they were leaving 2-Tone to sign directly with Chyrsalis Records. The band explained their move and released a statement that "Every 2-Tone single has reached the charts. This is a situation which The Selecter feels is ultimately stiffling new talent, leading bands to feel that they need to stereotype themselves into what they believe to be the 2-Tone sound." 2 Tone scored seven hit singles, a top-ten album, and a sell-out UK tour and that's all within its first year. Wheeew!! That's an achievement for a new record label back then. The 2 Tone Artists usually tackle social issues, unemployment and racism through their music. Although 2 Tone Records was closely identified with the ska revival, efforts were made to broaden the label's musical output thus releasing recordings by artists such as singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and the funk-punk band The Higsons. Two bands that almost made it onto the label were UB40 and Dexys Midnight Runners. The label closed and stopped operating in 1986.



Jerry Dammers with the assistance of Horace Panter were both responsible for the creation of the artwork that was to become central to 2 Tone Records. The Walt Jabsco logo portrays a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, pork pie hat, white socks and black loafers. The fictional character was based on a photograph of Peter Tosh, a former member of The Wailers.

"THE 2 TONE STORY" Compilation

"THE 2 TONE STORY" was a 23 Track History of 2 Tone CD album that runs up to 80 minutes of great music featuring hits from the greatest names of the record label such as The Specials, Bad Manners, The Selecter, The Beat, Madness, Special AKA, & Rico released back in 1989. This was on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the release of "Gangsters" by "The "Specials". Chrysalis saw it fit to mark the occasion and of course to get some more cash by releasing "The 2 Tone Story" compilation of the label's achievements over the previous 10 years. I bought the Cassette Tape and the CD formats and passed out on the Double Vinyl Record release. The Vinyl Record release has 26 tracks while the CD and Cassette which I got have only 23 Tracks in it. One side of the double vinyl version consists entirely of Live material previously available on the Dance Craze album and marks yet another outing for Bad Manners on the chequered label. This compilation album failed to offer any unreleased material with the exception of a live version of Stereotype but it does offer a comprehensive example of the labels output throughout their existence. Even though It included the label's artists, bands such as "The Higsons", "The Swinging Cats","The Appolinaires", and "The Friday Club" were absent on the compilation although the collection of tracks covers that period of the labels history in the form of Racist Friend and War Crimes. The Tracklist for the CD release of the album was shortened to exclude the likes of "The Boiler", "Racist Friend" and the "Live Version of Stereotype" to accommodate the album on a Single CD release because if these three tracks were included then it will be a Double CD. This saved Chrysalis the cost of producing a Double CD package at that time but definitely I would rather have the three songs included so as not to really disturb the entire tracklist which was originally conceptualized. I first bought the tape before deciding to buy the CD too. If you still have the chance to buy the Vinyl Format of this compilation then that would be terrific. I don't have a large number of 2 Tone Materials in my modest music collection but this CD compilation just blew me up because It was a great treat for me listening and getting to learn about the record label and their artists. A compilation that must be also included in your music collection just to remind you of what "2 Tone" means. Another great compilation that you can enjoy listening from Tracks 1 to 23. Even though mp3s are a household name nowadays, as a collector I still prefer the physical thing if you are talking about music.

I compiled photos of all the 2 Tone Artists included in "The 2 Tone Story" CD and after each photos I included some bits of Visual Documentary that you might want to watch too.


THE SPECIALS



THE SELECTER




THE BEAT/ENGLISH BEAT



BAD MANNERS




THE BODYSNATCHERS




RICO



MADNESS




THE SPECIAL AKA



I made my "The 2 Tone Story" CD available for download just in case you still don't have a copy and you wanna have one. It's for your listening pleasure okay.


THE 2 TONE STORY
TRACKLIST:

1. The Selecter - The Selecter
2. Gangsters - The Special A.K.A.
3. The Prince - Madness
4. On My Radio - The Selecter
5. Rudi, A Message To You - The Selecter (featuring Rico)
6. Ranking Full Stop - The Beat
7. Ruder Than You - The Bodysnatchers
8. That Man Is Forward - Rico
9. Blank Expression - The Specials
10. Too Much Pressure (Live)- The Selecter
11. Lip Up Fatty (Live) - Bad Manners
12. Too Much Too Young (Live) - The Specials
13. Mirror In The Bathroom (Live) - The Beat
14. Three Minute Hero (Live) - The Selecter
15. One Step Beyon (Live) - Madness
16. Do Nothing - The Specials (Featuring Rico)
17. International Jet Set - The Specials
18. Easter Island - Rico
19. Why? - The Specials
20. Ghost Town - The Specials (featuring Rico)
21. War Crimes - The Special A.K.A.
22. Nelson Mandela - The Special A.K.A.
23. Destroy Them - Rico

DOWNLOAD MY CD HERE:


PASSWORD: http://docmuzic.blogspot.com/



There was also a book entitled "The Two Tone Story" written by George Marshall and It first appeared as a 32 page A5 effort in 1987 through the authors Zoot fanzine. In 1990 the book was expanded upon and printed commercially in A4 format, again via Zoot. In 1993 the book was reproduced yet again as part of the Compact 2 Tone Story. Although George Marshall was obviously delighted to have his work included in an official 2 Tone release, Jerry Dammers was less than impressed with the concept of the box set and was quite dismissive of the whole project. Up to date, "The Two Tone Story" book is still the best definitive publication on the label in existence and this was subsequently published in a smaller square format but has been out of print for some time.

I guess that's all folks for today's 2 Tone Story blogpost. Wheeew!! I finally finished this blogpost. Ha Ha Ha!! For the love of music and blogging so why not coconut? I will try to feature all 2 Tone Artists here in my little blog in the future so just stay tune okay. Hope you ENJOYED your stay!! THANKS for dropping by!!


That was
......THE 2 TONE STORY!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD

EARTH HOUR PILIPINAS 2011

It has been a tradition here in my blog "The Doctor Is In" to support EARTH HOUR for the past two years. I started advocating EARTH HOUR since 2009 and I told myself that I'll make it a yearly feature here on my little blog. I always try to make this blog of mine to be relevant about the changing times. All 1500+ municipalities and cities in the Philippines are about to take part in this worthy cause so switch-off your lights for Earth Hour Philippines 2011 today March 26,2011 Saturday to show your support. There will be a grand switch-off event at the SM Mall of Asia (M.O.A.) globe grounds like on the previous years and the program will start at 6PM. Everyone who will be coming to M.O.A. will be part of the human light chain. Well. this time It's "60+ Earth Hour" since everyone would be trying to switch off electricity more than 60 minutes. YUP!! That's beyond the usual one hour thing like in the past years. On what's going around the globe right now, I guess we have to really take a stand against climate change. Definitely, the Earth Hour Team Philippines are working so hard to make Earth Hour 2011 a success because the Philippines was the #1 country in terms of participation in Earth Hour last 2009 and 2010. YUP!! So don’t forget that's today , March 26th, 2011 8:30-9:30 PM. Earth Hour Pilipinas 2011 is about going BEYOND THE HOUR.This is a little something we can do to save PLANET EARTH.


I'll leave you with an OFFICIAL VIDEO of EARTH HOUR 2011. Just check out my interesting blogposts on EARTH HOUR 2009 and 2010 on my Blog Labels "EARTH HOUR PILIPINAS". THANKS again for dropping by!!




It's EARTH HOUR 2011
BEYOND THE HOUR!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD

THE CREATURES

THE CREATURES were an Italian 80s Synth Pop group that was influenced by ITALO DISCO formed back in 1981 which was lead by ANTONELLO DIFINO on vocals, SANGY on Guitar/Bass/ Synthesizer /Percussion, CRISTINA DORI and CRISTINA SARTORI both on backing vocals. Well, this band should not be mistaken with the former band of SIOUXSIE SUE of Siouxsie And The Banshees with the same name "The Creatures". This is "The Dr. Stirring Rhod Way" of remembering the ITALO band "THE CREATURES" since I haven't seen any in-depth feature of the band anywhere in the web. YUP!! Only here on "The Doctor Is In"!! I just tried my best to make a good blogpost about the band and I hope you guys will like it. THE CREATURES were introduced here in MANILA by DZBM POWER 105 back in 1986 by playing the Classic Extended Version of "JAPAN" which was considered as a POWER EXCLUSIVE back then. This song was the one and only MANILA hit from the band. Although in other parts of the globe THE CREATURES will be remembered with their song entitled "MAYBE ONE DAY", that's different here in MANILA because the song didn't made it to the radio airwaves back in the 80s. THANKS to POWER 105, the song "JAPAN" became an instant hit for PINOY NEW WAVERS back in the 80s and It's the trademark song of the band here in the MANILA. That's for the underground scene since the song did not make it into pop status. I thought of featuring THE CREATURES here on my little blog due to this song which is very much into the news because JAPAN (The Country) is still coping up with their tragedy on the Earthquake, Tsunami, and most especially the Nuclear Power Plant crisis which hit them recently. Like in the lyrics "Sending out an S.O.S. to you" makes you think the real score of JAPAN as a nation right now . Back in the 80s, we really don't consider this song as being an ITALO DISCO here in MANILA, but then again It's NEW WAVE the PINOY FLAVOR I may say. I really love this oriental flute sound on the song "JAPAN" which is very enchanting as if calling for werewolves.

WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO OF "MAYBE ONE DAY" HERE:



THE CREATURES made albums from 1982-1988. Their First and Second album have the same titles "L'Altro Mondo Studio" released in 1982 and 1983. Even though both albums have the same titles, they have different tracklists and have new set of songs. The band's other albums were "Believe In Yourself" (1983), "Solar Eclipse" (1985),and Concerto No.1 (1988). They also released a 12 inch extended version of their song JAPAN (1986) which made the playlist here in MANILA Radio.




L'Altro Mondo Studios back in 1985
This same club and The Creatures show appeared in 1983 film Jocks entitled ANGELI IN DISCOTECA.



THE CREATURES according to DJ Flemming performed very differently and hitech in their Live Shows on a Club called "L'Altro Mondo Studio" in Rimini which the band's first and second album titles came from wherein by the time of the album production they were still tied up with the club. DJ Flemming remembered their show back in 1983 as having the state-of-the-art laser show and robots on the dance floor oozing with positivity and uplifting energy. The band continued performing in the club up to 1986. Hmmmp? A sort of Space Odyssey I guess like the band's photo above. THE CREATURES definitely had dazzling audiovisual productions and performances and are known with their wonderful video concepts.


MY VERY OWN "THE CREATURES" MATERIALS:
1) JAPAN 12 inch Extended VINYL RECORD
2) THE BEST OF THE CREATURES CD


It's a must for PINOY NEW WAVERS to have both these materials from THE CREATURES especially if you are like me who still loves to collect the ORIGINAL and the REAL THING if you get my drift. Well, THE CREATURES' "JAPAN" 12 inch Vinyl is still one of the most expensive 12 inch record I ever bought and I guess It's worth the savings since It was the only song that made it big here in MANILA back in the 80s and having it in my collection just brings back those memories. If you'll notice, the front art cover of "JAPAN" is really great and a bit colorful which was done by Franco Storchi and was conceptualized by Gilli. It was recorded at Sandy's Recording Studio at Vicenza, Italy and was mixed with Sony Digital System. It was licensed and produced by L'Altro Mondo Studios in Rimini,Italy. I also bought "THE BEST OF THE CREATURES" CD made by ZYX Records which was released back in 1990. This is just to know the real kind of music of the band. It contains 9 great tracks but unfortunately, their song "JAPAN" is not included in the CD compilation. Wheeew!! I just can't believe it. Just the same I think having the CD can make you learn and listen to the real sound of THE CREATURES. The track entitled "MACHINE'S DRAMA" sounds like more of an instrumental of Human League's classic hit "Don't You Want Me". Since It's Graduation Fever here in the Metro then their song "AIDA" can make you feel marching on your graduation. YUP!! That's in the latter part of the track. The CD cover photo was by Stefano Ferroni. Personally, I find the CD contents very interesting and It's really ITALO.

LISTEN TO "MACHINE'S DRAMA" HERE:


LISTEN TO "AIDA" HERE:


WATCH THE VIDEO OF "JAPAN"




I included the Lyrics of "JAPAN" just in case you wanna sing along with it while listening to the PIANO VERSION which is like a Sing-Along version. Of course ,I uploaded the classic 12 inch Extended Version of "JAPAN" and I made it available for download if you are interested to have a copy of it. And come to think of it, the lyrics has a little relevance to what's going around JAPAN as a nation today. Hmmmp? Makes you wonder right?


LISTEN TO THE 12 inch EXTENDED VERSION OF "JAPAN" HERE:


DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE:


LISTEN TO THE PIANO VERSION OF JAPAN and SING ALONG WITH IT HERE:
(courtesy of Kabayan Noisebox)

JAPAN- THE CREATURES
LYRICS

It’s a new kind of war, that’s the war of today
You can’t wait anymore but you can’t go far away
They will find you somewhere, Many places the same
They will be everywhere, this is no videogame

REFRAIN:
Sending out an SOS to you
Standing here, it could be just too late
Sending out an SOS to you
We are heading to a ruthless place
Now the danger’s inside you
The situation is brand new
Those who know it are too few
One more day could be too late so we can't wait anymore

CHORUS:
Japan, Japan
Japan, Japan
The future is today


I do hope you ENJOYED my exclusive blogpost on ANTONELLO DEFINO and the rest of his ITALO DISCO Band "THE CREATURES". THANKS for dropping by!!


JAPAN, JAPAN,
The future is today!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD

JAPAN

JAPAN were a British New Wave group which was formed back in 1974 in Catford, South London composed of vocalist DAVID SYLVIAN, keyboardist RICHARD BARBIERI, bassist MICK KARN, drummer STEVE JANSEN who is David's brother and a later addition to the band guitarist ROB DEAN. The band achieved success in the late 1970s up to early 1980s when they were often associated with the New Romantic fashion movement. Well, everybody should know where the band got their name right? YUP!! It's from the country that was hit recently by an 8.9 Earthquake which was followed by a Tsunami none other than "The Land Of The Rising Sun" JAPAN. This is indeed a sad moment for the whole world and still It's not over yet due to the explosion of JAPAN's Nuclear Plants. Just two months ago, CHINA CRISIS came to visit again the Philippines for some concerts and now It's a JAPAN CRISIS worrying my KABAYANS and the rest of the globe. Wheeew!! Btw, JAPAN was also the country where David Sylvian and the rest of guys became popular back then. According to the late Mick Karn, who just passed away last January 4, 2011 due to cancer, the name JAPAN was chosen in desperation minutes before the band's first appearance wherein everyone realized that they should have a name and David suggested calling them "JAPAN" for the time being until they could think of something better. David liked the band's name but the rest didn't , nevertheless the name stuck and the rest was history. JAPAN began playing as a glam rock act that was heavily influenced by David Bowie, The New York Dolls and Motown but it shifted to a different style.

JAPAN's first "paying" gig was at a South London College wayback June 1974. The band's debut 1978 album Adolescent Sex and followed up Obscure Alternatives both sold well in Japan where the band's name helped them gained a devoted cult following. JAPAN also had a following in the Netherlands where the single "Adolescent Sex" was a Top 30 hit and also gained some popularity in Canada. However both albums were largely ignored in their native UK. Their next albums Quiet Life (1979), Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980), and Tin Drum (1981) continued to expand their audience as the band refined its new sound and unintentionally became part of the early 1980s New Romantic Movement which the band don't consider themselves as such. So where do my JAPAN (self titled) Vinyl record fall? Hmmmp? By looking at the band's discography,It's not included as an album. I guess It's more of a compilation. Well, maybe JAPAN experts can shed a light on this. JAPAN split after a farewell tour in 1982 but David still continued making music.


My Modest JAPAN Materials
1) JAPAN (self-titled) Vinyl Record
2) In Vogue CD
3) The Very Best Of JAPAN CD
4) JAPAN Video Hits DVD

JAPAN was introduced here in MANILA by WXB 102 back in 1986 by playing their song "VISIONS OF CHINA". When I first heard it on XB on Cool Carla's night shift back in 1986, I was really puzzled because the name of the band is JAPAN and they were singing "VISIONS OF CHINA". There were some songs that were played by XB too like CANTONESE BOY, ADOLESCENT SEX, LIFE IN TOKYO, and QUIET LIFE but the real catch for PINOY NEW WAVERS was when XB introduced the classic "GENTLEMEN TAKE POLAROIDS" also in 1986 and became the band's trademark song here in MANILA. YUP!! If you'll be talking about JAPAN among PINOY NEW WAVERS/PUNKS then It's got to be "GENTLEMEN TAKE POLAROIDS" which was also included in the Legendary Philippine New Wave Vinyl Compilation entitled "IT'S CALLED NEW MUSIC" which I have already featured here in "The Doctor Is In" way back September 22, 2007 so just check out my blog's archives if you haven't read it yet. A great band indeed!! If you are a fan of them, they have released lots of materials from albums and compilations then better get your own copies for your own collection too.


It's a known fact that DURAN DURAN's NICK RHODES admires DAVID SYLVIAN and it really shows on the looks. Can you spot the difference?

LEFT: David Sylvian
RIGHT: Nick Rhodes

I uploaded my "The Very Best Of Japan" CD just in case you still don't have a copy of it and you're interested to have one. It's for PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY okay. Personally, I find this compilation very in-depth on who JAPAN were even though it only contains 15 tracks.


THE VERY BEST OF JAPAN
TRACKLIST
1. Ghosts (Single Version)
2. I Second That Emotion (Single Mix)
3. Quiet Life (7" Version)
4. Gentlemen Take Polaroids
5. The Art Of Parties (Single Version)
6. Visions Of China
7. Taking Islands In Africa (Steve Nye Remix)
8. European Son (Single Mix)
9. Cantonese Boy
10. Life In Tokyo - Part 1 (Special Remix)
11. Nightporter
12. Methods Of Dance
13. All Tomorrows Parties (7" Version)
14. Canton (Live)
15. Ghosts (Album Version)

DOWNLOAD MY CD HERE:


PASSWORD: http://docmuzic.blogspot.com/

Let us start the Music Video Marathon with the XB classic "VISIONS OF CHINA".


WATCH "VISIONS OF CHINA" HERE:



Here are VISIONS OF JAPAN's latest Catastrophe:


We should still continue PRAYING for the people of JAPAN since their problem is still at hand with the possible MELTDOWN of all their Nuclear Power Plants. Like the old Filipino Country Abbreviation game would suggest.... If "I.T.A.L.Y" corresponds to "I'll Trust And Love You" then "J.A.P.A.N." would be:
J- ust
A- lways
P- ray
A- t
N- ight

Definitely, there would be no QUIET LIFE IN TOKYO right now due to these continuing disasters. Here are the Music Videos of "QUIET LIFE" and "LIFE IN TOKYO".

WATCH "QUIET LIFE" HERE:


WATCH "LIFE IN TOKYO" HERE:



I also uploaded the Music Video of JAPAN's rendition of a SMOKEY ROBINSON's classic entitled "I SECOND THAT EMOTION" because I really love their version. One of my favorites from the band.

WATCH "I SECOND THAT EMOTION" HERE:



For my finale!! Let me bring you David Sylvian and the rest of JAPAN with "GENTLEMEN TAKE POLAROIDS"!! I really love the sound of bass in this song. CLASSIC Mick Karn!! Let's watch the Music Video and Sing to the Lyrics too!! Take it away!!

WATCH and SING "GENTLEMEN TAKE POLAROIDS" HERE:


Lyrics | Japan lyrics - Gentlemen Take Polaroids lyrics

Well, I hope you enjoyed another trip down memory lane "The Dr. Stirring Rhod Way"!! THANKS for dropping by again guys and I hope you liked my "JAPAN" blogpost.


They are the GENTLEMEN of JAPAN
who take POLAROIDS!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD