On this day in 2007.....

Today, August 10th marks the six year anniversary of the death of Tony Wilson, The legendary founder and manager of The Hacienda nightclub and the co-founder of Factory Records. Both extremely legendary themselves. So culturally significant in fact that he would be dubbed Mr Manchester. Besides, any label that can say they have Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays all on their roster is a fine one. Even then, that's just the tip of the iceberg regarding Factory Records acts. I'd have to say Tony Wilson's life has made an indelible impact on my music taste. I investigating Factory Records two years ago and you could say I've become rather enamored, to say the least. I've become a huge fan of Factory Records and then consequently Manchester music in general. Not only that but I've got this very big dream that one day I'll hopefully have an impact on Northern Ireland even a tenth of the size that he had on Manchester. Such a goal will almost certainly never happen, but hey I can dream. And what also won't happen is my love for Factory Records music dying off either. RIP.

Happy Mondays - Double Easy US Singles

Double Easy: The US Singles is a 1993 compilation, specific to Canada and US (who would have guessed?) of Happy Mondays. As you could guess, it collects tracks from the US releases of their singles. It also features tracks that aren't available on other compilations and rarer mixes. I have to say, I have both Double Easy: The US Singles and Greatest Hits but I think Double Easy is a better compilation in all honesty. I got Double Easy online through Amazon second hand. Having said that my copy came with a sticker that said HMV Import (although it did look old). HMV don't do imports anymore but even still, copies of it are in circulation in UK I'd imagine. It cost me about £2 to get mine second hand so it's not the rarest thing to find. Moving on though, here's the tracklisting:

"24 Hour Party People" – 4:37
"Wrote For Luck" – 3:43
"Lazyitis" – 2:46
"Mad Cyril" (Hello Girls Mix) – 3:52
"Hallelujah" (MacColl Mix) – 2:39
"Step On" (Stuff It In Mix) – 5:52
"Tokoloshe Man" – 4:18
"Kinky Afro" – 3:59
"Loose Fit" (12" Version) – 6:24
"Bob's Yer Uncle" (12" Version) – 6:52
"Judge Fudge" – 6:17
"Stinkin Thinkin" – 4:18
"Sunshine & Love" – 4:02
"Angel" – 4:06
"W.F.L." (Think About The Future Mix) – 7:11
"Hallelujah" (Club Mix) – 6:28

It's important to note that Bob's Yer Uncle is mistitled on this compilation. The version here is actually The Grid remix which was available on a US promo release. As far as I'm aware, there's no actual mix of Bob's Yer Uncle known as the 12" mix in existance.

That minor error aside, as you can see there's some rarer tracks here indeed. Of course, you've got to thank their release history in the US for that. For instance, the original versions of Step On and Loose Fit were never released in the US, only in alternate mixes. In saying that, both the Loose Fit and Step On mixes here sound like extended versions as opposed to actual remixes. The business of alternate mixes is a double edged sword though. It does mean Double Easy sometimes has tracks on it that are inferior to the original version. The biggest offender here for me is Mad Cyril. I hate the Hello Girls mix quite frankly. It butchers what I'd have to regard as one of my favourite Happy Mondays songs. Of the originals, the weakest track is Judge Fudge. Again - I'm not keen on that song at all. Although there's utter gems here. The biggest gem for me? The Grid remix of Bob's Yer Uncle. It's a masterpiece quite frankly, and it's just as good as the original (which again is one of my favourites). Double Easy is the only place this terrific remix has been made available on a Happy Mondays compilation, and as far as I remember the only place at all you'd get that mix here in the UK is on the Loose Fix 12".

Another thing that's great about Double Easy is that it's geared towards the Happy Mondays rave sensibilites. That's when they're at their best I think. The first Happy Mondays single in US was Wrote For Luck, so it omits any material from their first album, other than 24 Hour Party People. Frankly I'm glad because although I'm a huge fan of Happy Mondays, I feel that Squirrel & G-man is patchy at best. 24 Hour Party People being by far the best song that album has to offer. The abundance of extended versions here and concentration on their Bummed/Pills n Thrills & Bellyache albums (their two best for me) give the album a definite club-oriented feel. Much more so than Greatest Hits even, which feels more geared towards the casual fan.

So, as you've probably surmised by now, I really recommend this compilation. The best of the remixes here are absolutely brilliant and essential listening for Happy Mondays aficionados. Add that to the fact that the compilation shouldn't be overly difficult to find in the internet age and you have a compilation that's really recommended. I probably would say that for newcomers it's best to start with Greatest Hits, but if you've heard all the studio albums and want more then I really would consider Double Easy: The US Singles.

Happy Mondays - Bob's Yer Uncle 12" mix

I love this mix, probably my favourite mix of any Happy Mondays song if I'm honest! The original version of Bob's Yer Uncle can be found on the seminal Pill's N Thrills and Bellyaches as an album track. I was quite surprised to discover as well that this particular remix was actually carried out by The Grid (Who were Dave Ball from Soft Cell's second band). The Grid also did a remix of one of the Happy Mondays biggest hits, Loose Fit too. Anyway, the original version of Bob's Yer Uncle was one of my favorite Happy Mondays songs namely because it was very laidback and mellow but still maintained that certain groove that gave Happy Monday's their unique edge. It was one of the more relaxed tracks in their discography I think. The 12" mix just takes that relaxed quality and capitalizes on it even further but it's still slightly danceable. It omits the guitars that had a quite a prominent role in the original track and -for me at least- it makes Shaun Ryder's vocals more the center of things. I don't know about you (and I am terrible for making out lyrics for many artists) but in the original version I find his deeper pitch damn near impossible to make out sometimes. It also doesn't commit a cardinal sin of messing around with the deep and pretty much irresistible bass line which is the key in making the whole track work. You can find this on 12" on the Loose Fix vinyl in the UK, but if you want it on CD then you can find it on the Double Easy: US Singles compilation. It was this "12 that made me really want to get that compilation actually. It's not as difficult to get as it sounds either. Although it was only released in the US you can find that compilation on Amazon UK. I payed no more than £3 for my copy (a very good condition second hand one) from an excellent Amazon Marketplace seller called Zoverstocks. You can also find it on the 2007 special edition of Pills N Thrills and Bellyaches that came partnered with a DVD. For some reason though, that album (as well as the Bummed reissue done in the same vein) is an utter nightmare to track down at a decent price, even here in the UK. Hopefully in the future now that Happy Mondays in their original line-up are recording new material the record company will see fit to re-release those special editions. For now though, enjoy a great remix!

Happy Mondays - Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches

Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches is Happy Mondays third studio album, released in 1990. The album for me epitomizes the late 80's/early 90's "Madchester" scene much more so than the other leaders of the era, The Stone Roses who always had a much more retro sound compared to the Happy Mondays more contemporary style. The album is their most successful, as well as their most critically acclaimed and its not hard to see why: it would personally be in my top ten most favorite records of all time!

With Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder finally got to work with the producer that he was vouching for: Paul Oakenfold, no doubt thanks to the success of his "Think About The Future" mix of Wrote For Luck. Their singles would be typically remixed by DJ's anyway so really a more dance oriented album was a pretty natural move I think. In any case, the sound on Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches was the sound that Shaun had always hoped the band would go for. Happy Mondays were always a band that lent towards the dance end of the music spectrum but with Pill N Thrills and Bellyaches they finally embraced their dance influences. By doing so, they created their defining album and many people agree. The album reached #4 in the UK charts which was a colossal leap from previous album Bummed, which only reached #59.

The album also spawned their two biggest hits: Step On and Kinky Afro. To say that these are the best songs though would do the other tracks a massive disservice. If anything Step On and Kinky Afro are two of my least favorite tracks on the album. The album tracks on Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches more than match (they surpass in my opinion) the singles released from the set. The only song that I'm not overly keen on is Grandma's Funeral but I like or love every other song. With the other Happy Mondays albums, as much as I like them all they do always have a few songs I'd regard as filler. With Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches though there is a special cohesion here: every song adds to the album really and it really is Happy Mondays at their peak.

Another thing I must pay special attention to is Shaun Ryder's lyrics on the record. Shaun Ryder has always been a really good lyricist in a twisted and manic sort of way. Its his lyrics coupled with Happy Mondays hard hitting dance rhythms that give them a certain edge I think. On Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches his lyrics are particularly strong. Kinky Afro has got some of the most twisted and consequently funny lyrics I have heard and the same can be said for God's Cop. Really, the whole band are at their peak here. No aspect of the band has ever sounded stronger than on Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches in my view.

All in all, if British indie music is the 90's is your thing then this is an absolutely essential listen. All of the songs are memorable and the band are at the peak of powers in every respect from the music to the lyrics, right down to the choice of producer. Currently the band are in the studio recording their first studio album to feature the original line up since their fourth record, 1992's Yes Please. Whilst you can never rule anything out really, its hard to imagine they'll ever top this record. It's that good! 

Favorite Tracks:

• Dennis and Lois
• Bob's Yer Uncle
• God's Cop

New Releases: Happy Mondays

Good lord, it feels as if every day there seems to be a new Happy Mondays release at the moment! Firstly they did a new CD+DVD combo of their 2004 concert from Barcelona (which isn't the original lineup), then the obligatory greatest hits (featuring new liner notes by Shaun Ryder and the previously rare track and debut single Delightful, which isn't available anywhere else). Recently, its just been announced that there's also the arrival of two (no, that isn't a mistake!) live albums also. One of which is a pretty old concert from 1990 in New York, and the other is a release of one of their recent reunion gigs, from Brixton Academy in England to be exact. I'm excited for these new releases (particularly the new greatest hits for the rare track and the Brixton live CD as so far I've been impressed with how they're sounding since the reunion). I just hope that Happy Mondays are planning to remaster + re release their studio albums hopefully with the inclusion of some rarities, as Bummed and Pills And Thrill's and Bellyaches deluxe editions that were released a few years ago have become hard to find in the UK for whatever reason!

Happy Mondays 2012 Performance/Interview

Big fan of Happy Mondays so I'm naturally very pleased that they've reformed recently, this time featuring the original line-up for the first time since the mid 90's. This is a very recent appearance from the last lot of days on the This Morning program which I thought was worth sharing for other Happy Mondays fans. Its a live performance of Step On (Which sounds good I think) and also a very interesting little interview were they talk about their reasons for reforming, and also the possibility of a new Happy Mondays album, I for one hope to see that come to fruition!

Happy Mondays - Step On

This is the Happy Mondays biggest hit in the UK (tied with Kinky Afro) and almost certainly the song that they're most remembered for. Amazingly, this song is actually a cover version. The original is titled "He's Gonna Step On You Again" (Which has been cited in the Guiness World Records as the first song to use a sample) and was released as a single by John Kongos in 1971. The Happy Mondays version also samples a short three note guitar sample from the original. Originally, the group were asked to cover a song for their American label Elektra, to celebrate the label's anniversary. A tape of Elektra songs were sent to the group, one of the tracks on the tape being Step On. Shaun wasn't keen on the idea of cover versions, but felt he could really customize the song to make it sound like an original Happy Mondays track. One of the song's trademark phrases "Your twisting my melon man, you talk so hip!" actually came from a documentary on Steve McQueen that Shaun was watching at the time. The other phrase, "Call the cops!" was something that a regular at the Hacienda nightclub shouted frequently.Once the track was complete, Shaun was so pleased with it that he decided it was too good to give to the compilation, and ended up recording another John Kongos track (Tokoloshe Man) instead. He felt that the song should be saved for their next album and that it could end up propelling them back into the charts. An incredibly smart move in my opinion, as that album (Pill's n Thrills and Bellyaches) became their most successful album and defined the Madchester era. Step On is a great song and was the track that got me interested in the Happy Mondays, whilst it may not be my favourite anymore, it is looked on as a classic and rightly so!