From New Wave to the 'NOW', experience the thrill of NEW WAVE from it's beginnings in the late '70s to the modern bands so obviously influenced by it! So, if you grew up in the '80s and still enjoy discovering new sounds as well as rediscovering old favorites, then read on!
PUNK! POWER POP! SYNTH POP! NEW WAVE! POST-PUNK!
Let's be honest: there is no artist out there quite like VINI REILLY, who has been recording as THE DURUTTI COLUMN since 1980. For over three decades, Vini and his cast of bandmates (drummer Bruce Mitchell is the only other constant) have created some of the most emotional music released in the last half century. What you hear on record never changes, but The Durutti Column is one of the few acts that can record music that can only be interpreted by the emotions of the listener. So, if you are feeling sad, then the songs feel quite lonely and melancholy. If you are upbeat, then those very same songs feel warm and life-affirming. Very few artists are able to achieve that sort of magic, but for Vini, it is simply natural.
Vini is an incredibly gifted guitarist and most of Durutti's recordings have been chiefly instrumental. When vocals are needed, Vini has handled the bulk of the singing but he has worked on plenty of Durutti albums that featured guest vocalists. In many cases, the vocals are merely another instrument laid upon Vini's shimmering musical landscapes. They are important because they do convey thoughts, but it is the atmosphere and melodies that draw the listener in. They are such works of beauty that each and every song by The Durutti Column is a piece of art... and Vini paints gorgeous aural pictures with his guitar!
Vini hails from Manchester, a city bursting with musical talent (including everyone from 10cc to Joy Division to Oasis). Signed to the legendary Factory Records by Vini's mentor Tony Wilson, Durutti recorded a series of albums that were sometimes labeled 'New Age' and other times 'Post Punk'. While neither of those genres are accurate, Vini's music does fall somewhere in between those styles. But trying to pin Durutti to one particular genre is useless: they are indescribable...
With many albums to choose from, sometimes it can be tough for the uninitiated to find a place to start their Durutti collection. The fact that many of them are out of print for the time being doesn't help. Luckily, there have been a series of reissues that have hit the market in the last few years that are excellent places to begin your love affair with all that is The Durutti Column. Here are a few of them...(and there's more to come so stay tuned!)
P.S. You might recognize Vini's guitar playing from Morrissey's debut solo album, Viva Hate. Vini was the main guitarist on that album. And if you manage to stop by The Durutti Column's webstie (www.thedurutticolumn.com), please wish Vini well. He is recovering from three strokes over the last few years but is on the mend...
The second Durutti Column album, LC was originally released in 1981 and has become a firm favorite amongst fans. The album's original 10 tracks are now joined by an additional 23 tracks including non album single and EP cuts, compilation tracks and demos. The album itself is a stunner, but the bonus material makes this a must-own and one of the best places to start your DC journey...
Expanded edition of Vini Reilly and DC's 1985 album Circuses & Bread featuring ten bonus tracks. One of DC's finest albums as a whole, Circuses & Bread is as beautiful as it is emotional. The bonus tracks include the rare Japanese single 'For Noriko'/'Love Fading', compilation tracks 'Verbiers' and 'The Aftermath' plus four previously unreleased tracks from the cancelled 1983 album Short Stories For Pauline. Also includes the rarely heard 1983 single 'I Get Along Without You Very Well', a Hoagy Carmichael cover sung by Lindsay Reade and dedicated to her former husband, the late Anthony H. Wilson (Factory Records founder and Durutti Column manager). The booklet restores the original cover design by 8vo.
Short Stories for Pauline is the legendary 'lost' fourth album by cult Manchester group The Durutti Column, recently issued as a limited edition vinyl album on the Factory Benelux imprint. Originally recorded by Vini Reilly in Brussels for Factory Benelux in 1983, the 14 track album features several exquisite pieces including College, A Room in Southport and (most notably) Duet. Recorded with Tuxedomoon viola player Blaine L. Reininger, this poignant instrumental proved - ironically – to be the downfall of the album, after Factory director (and Durutti manager) Tony Wilson insisted that Duet form the basis of an entire neo-classical album. As a result, Duet became Without Mercy in 1984, and Short Stories for Pauline was shelved. Although individual tracks from Short Stories for Pauline have appeared on several compilations, notably highbrow Crépuscule collection Hommage à Marguerite Duras, this is the first time the original album has appeared in its entirety. The 2012 remastered edition is a must for Vini Reilly and Factory collectors alike, and a priceless addition to the Durutti canon. The CD edition comes with a bonus disc, comprising 10 tracks recorded live in Brussels on 13 August 1981 together with a Vini Reilly radio interview.
Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of this seminal 1989 album from Manchester guitars Vini Reilly AKA The Durutti Column. Disc two was curated from a TDK tape which was found in a storage box recently. It was marked 'Sample tunes' and contained the demo's and sketches which were used by Vini during the making of the record in London. Bruce Mitchell recalls that the recording was not a particularly easy time. The artist was unwell and had to be wheeled in and out to get the material together with Stephen Street. 'I could not bring myself to even listen to the finished article until a couple of months had passed' recalls the drummer, 'but when I heard it I knew what a great record we had made'.
For as long as I've been a music fan, mixtapes have been part of my means of sharing my love of music. No, make that my PASSION for music! While I don't think any of the original mixtapes I handed out to friends over the last 30 years have survived, I do believe that they made an impact in some way. And why do I think this? Because my friends have gone out to buy singles, LPs, cassettes and CDs by bands that I first introduced them to on those mixtapes, which is the main reason I made them!
You see, when I make a mixtape, it's never about ME ("Oh, look at how diverse my musical tastes are!"): it's always been about the music. When I hear something I really like or really love, I NEED to share it with as many folks as possible. I feel COMPELLED to spread the word around about this new (or old) song/artist that I'm feeling really passionate about. I want to play it for as many people as possible and see their reaction. I want to INSPIRE them to go out and BUY that single or album right then and there!
As a young kid, that's what the radio did for me: it made me want to OWN a certain piece of music, whether it was a single or album. Even if it was in constant rotation, that wasn't enough for me because I wasn't always going to be in front of a radio. I wanted to listen to it when I wanted to listen to it: not when the DJ decided to play it! Initially, I listened to everything that they radio offered, but when I hit my mid-teens, I figured that it was time to break away from the crowd and start diversifying my tastes a little bit. I actually started searching for new music and not letting the radio or TV tell me what to buy. I think that must have been 1977 or so...
Once I started finding new stuff to listen to, I was eager to show it to friends. I'd sometimes lend an album to someone, but those LPs usually came back with a scratch or two that weren't there before. Other times, I'd bring records over to people's houses (or invite them over) and we'd sit in front of a record player until everything was listened to. Obviously, this was in the days before mp3s, the internet, YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, etc., so I'd actually spend a lot of time with friends back in those days. And that is how true life-long friendships were born. I'm sure that some of these same people I spent time with 'back in the day' are going to be reading this once I post the link to my Facebook page....
But there are many people out there who share similar experiences to mine, which is why I chose to write about this subject. I'm not the only music geek in the world... and there are bigger geeks than me. I don't know everything about music, but I'm always on the search for new info and tunes. You really aren't a true music fan unless you keep the mind open to new things, whether you think you'll like them or not. Keeping yourself open to new things keeps things interesting. And best of all, you may discover something that enhances your life!
So, by the time I got a cassette deck, the idea of mixtapes became a reality. I would never record an album straight, from start to finish, for one of my friends. I thought that was cheating in a way. Even back then, before the whole 'home taping is killing music' campaign, I felt that there was something inherently wrong about it. While I knew that the artist wouldn't see a dime from someone taping my copy of the LP, my reasoning was also very selfish: why should I spend my hard earned cash just to have someone record it for free and use their money for something else? That is around the time I stopped loaning albums to friends. And believe it or not, there were a few folks that go really angry at me because I wouldn't let them tape something that I paid my hard earned $5 for! Its not like they used the money they saved to buy some other album, which I would have kinda been OK with...
So, instead, I would gather up my latest vinyl purchases and my personal fave albums, stack them up next to the tape deck/turntable and decide which songs off of each album would make it to a compilation tape that I was going to make. Now, bear in mind that each cassette mixtape that I made was created for a specific individual in mind. Did that person deserve all the pre-production and hours spent making them a 90 minute mixtape? Maybe not... but the music deserved to be heard so I would spend all that time and energy in creating this 'thing' that would hopefully turn someone on to a few good tunes and INSPIRE them to go out and buy some records. Why? Because I believed in the whole grass roots/'word of mouth' scenario: you turn two of your friends onto a band, they turn two of their friends onto them, etc.
Bands that always seemed to make it onto my mixtapes included BLANKET OF SECRECY, SPLIT ENZ, SQUEEZE, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS, THE LAMBRETTAS, MENTAL AS ANYTHING, NICK LOWE, YACHTS, THE UNDERTONES, MADNESS, 20/20, THE JAM, THE BLUEBELLS, THE ENGLISH BEAT, ULTRAVOX, THE LOTUS EATERS, RED BOX, FREUR, THE VAPORS, NEW MUSIK, THE LAUGHING DOGS, QUINCY, HAWKS, THE ELEKTRICS, GREAT BUILDINGS, THE BUSBOYS, DEAR ENEMY, JOBOXERS, WIDE BOY AWAKE, SHOES and many others. There was never a shortage of good music to introduce people to...
So, if someone was a big fan of Big Country and U2, then I certainly wouldn't focus on Synthpop bands on their mixtape: I'd concentrate on more anthemic guitar-based bands like The Alarm, The Armoury Show, The Skids and perhaps some of the less electronic recordings by Ultravox or A Flock Of Seagulls. But the core of my mixtapes were bands that didn't get airplay on KROQ or MTV (which was new-ish at the time). I wanted to share these new discoveries of mine with as many people as possible. I would certainly throw a few hits on there in order to make the listener feel comfortable but I'd feature tons of new or obscure bands that needed more exposure. It was like creating a radio broadcast for an audience of one. And, as I stated before, every single mixtape was created for an individual, so every one of them was unique. Even when CD-Rs became the platform of choice, I would never make more than one copy of any mix. Well, unless it was really good and I wanted a copy myself!
Man, I was a geek.
So, in the pre-digital days, how did you perfectly time a mixtape? I mean, how did you manage to fit as much music as possible onto a cassette without having a song cut off at the end of the tape? I would NEVER allow that to happen on my mixtapes! If I was putting a 3 minute song on a cassette and the last 30 seconds were cut off, then I'd rewind the tape, find a song that was 2 minutes and 25 seconds and record that one instead. It was always easier when i got to side two of the tape, though. If I was down to the last song on side two, then I'd turn the tape over to side one and hit play: I could judge how much time I had left based on how much time had elapsed on the first (and possibly second) song. Yeah, it wasn't rocket science, but it worked!
Once that i felt that I 'understood' what someone wanted to listen to, I started really mastering the art of the mixtape. I started creating what I felt was a great set list: start strong with at least five upbeat tracks before introducing a mid-tempo song and then tossing in a ballad, then another mid-tempo tune and finally back to more upbeat tracks again. My thinking was this: if I can keep the listener interested, then they'd pay more attention to the mix and not lose interest. Trust me, I've received mixtapes that had too many slow songs in a row and my attention would start wavering. But not MY mixtapes, no! They were always well thought out and perfectly timed.
There was never any real 'theme' to my mixtapes. I just wanted to feature all the great songs that I was loving at the moment, no matter what style. But that did cause a few problems with friends who didn't quite 'get' my eclectic tastes. I remember one of my friends, Carlos, saying he was embarrassed cuz he was playing a mixtape out by the pool at his complex and everyone around him was totally digging it... that is, until Tom Jones' "Help Yourself" came on amidst all the hip '80s sounds and his neighbors started giving him strange looks. What they didn't realize is that Tom Jones' classic '60s recordings were cool in any era. It wasn't until a few years later that Tom Jones became 'hip' again when he recorded Prince's "Kiss" with The Art Of Noise. Was I ahead of my time? No. It's just that Carlos' neighbors weren't hip to the jive, so to speak.
I used to get so many excited responses to my mixes. My friends would ask me which album a particular song was on and then, when some of us would go out record shopping, they'd buy that album. It seemed to happen quite a bit. I'm sure some of my friends will tell you just how much music they were turned onto via one of my cassettes. But that's not because of me: its because the music was so good. I was merely the guy that introduced them to the song/artist. Over time, I'd have friends telling me that they heard this or that song on KROQ... weeks after they heard it on my mixtape! Madness' "Our House" was a prime example. I remember working late one night with co-workers and one of the gals I worked with threw on one of my mixtapes on the boombox and was blown away by "Our House". She asked me if she could borrow the 7" single to show to her husband and kids since they didn't have a tape deck at home. They all loved it and had me buy the single for them next time I saw a copy. Then, a month or so later, KROQ picked up on "Our House" and it became a huge hit.
The height of my 'mixtape days' lasted through most of the '80s but by the time the '90s rolled around, people weren't asking for them as much. They'd grown up and moved on and I was trying to do the same... but music still held its spell over me. I was still collecting as much new music as I could but the age of CDs dawned and my friends started turning their backs on LPs and cassettes and were replacing their car stereos with CD players. Needless to say, my cassettes became dinosaurs in the digital age. I did make the occasional mix (especially the on-going Skib Dob series for my brother Mike) but, for my friends, my services had become obsolete...
By the end of the '90s, CD burners became the next big thing. I, of course, jumped on that bandwagon the moment I could afford one. Back then, they were only burning at 2 times the speed so one 70 minute CD-R would take 35 minutes to burn, but that was OK by me. I started making 'mixtapes' again, but this time, I burned them on CD-R! Even though it was nearly 20 years since I first started making them, I was able to start creating new ones again... and they sounded better than I could possibly imagine. I was a happy camper... again.
While the demand was never high, I'd still go out of my way to make one if someone asked. At that time, i was extremely limited as to what I could put on my mixes because not everything I loved was available on CD yet. But I soldiered on and began introducing new music to friends again. While it was not as exciting as they '80s, there was still PASSION behind each and every mix I made.
I finally gave up my frantic mixtape making when I'd hear friends telling me that I 'had too much time on my hands' or they stopped saying anything at all about them. Even when folks would ask for them, they'd seldom take the time to listen to them. Like a waning TV series, my mixtape days quietly got canceled.
I still make mixtapes on occasion, usually just to play in the office... or the occasional Skib Dob mix for my brother, but most people don't really seem to care anymore. I do find it kind of funny that its easier than ever to make a mixtape (on CD-R, of course) yet nobody really wants them anymore. I mean, there are tons of college kids making them these days and sharing them with friends, girlfriends, etc. But in this post-Napster generation, it seems more about sharing illegally downloaded tracks than sharing a PASSION for music. (Which gets me thinking: music sales would go up across the board if girls would tell guys that if they are going to make them a 'romantic' mixtape, then all tracks must be legally purchased through approved sources!)
So, the only way I get to share new music these days is posting a video link on FB, which sometimes gets people interested, and writing about stuff here on the blog. Sure, I can make mixes on Spotify, but it's not quite the same. Somehow, I have to figure out a way to share so much amazing music with people and actually get them interested enough to listen! In an age when people treat music as 'disposable' art, that is not going to be easy...
Is there anyone out there that is still interested in listening to mixtapes? I honestly think so... and I'm determined to find all eight of you!
Depeche Mode to Debut Video for First Single ‘Heaven’ on VEVO
Next Friday, February 1st
(Columbia Records; New York, NY; January 24, 2013) – Depeche Mode have announced they will release their highly anticipated 13th studio album, entitled Delta Machine, on March 26thworldwide via Columbia Records. The album, recorded over the last year in Santa Barbara, California and New York City, was produced by Ben Hillier and mixed by Flood. In addition to the album announcement, Depeche Mode have also confirmed that the video for the first single “Heaven” will debut on VEVOnext Friday, February 1st. Alongside a standard CD format, Depeche Mode will release Delta Machine in an exclusive Deluxe Edition with four additional new tracks and accompanied by a 28 page hardcover book including photos by longtime artistic collaborator Anton Corbijn (please see track listing, as well as album and single configurations below).
Martin Gore said of the release, “Writing this album was incredibly daunting as I wanted the sound of this collection to be very modern. I want people to feel good about listening to this record, to get some kind of peace. It’s just got something magical about it.”
Dave Gahan added, “With this release we’ve completely shifted our idea of how to create an album. When we hit a wall where we realize the album is beginning to sound too normal, we’ll mess it up and really give it that organic Depeche Mode Sound. Delta Machine is no different, and I can’t wait for all of our fans to hear it.”
Following the release of their new album, Depeche Mode will embark on a European stadium tour, kicking off in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park on May 7th. They will perform 34 shows in 25 European countries, featuring appearances at Milan’s famed San Siro Stadium, the Stade De France in Paris, and Moscow’s Locomotive Stadium before wrapping up the European leg of their tour in Minsk, Belarus on July 29. A full North American tour will follow, with details to be announced in the coming weeks.
The tracklisting for the “Heaven”CD single is as follows:
“Heaven” CD SINGLE:
1 Heaven 2 All That's Mine (b side bonus track)
“Heaven” CD MAXI:
1 Heaven
2 Heaven (Owlle Remix)
3 Heaven (steps to heaven rmx)
4 Heaven (Blawan Remix)
5 Heaven (Mathew Dear vs Audion Remix)
Pioneers of the post-punk era, Depeche Mode have gone on to become one of modern music’s most influential groups with global sales in excess of 100 million. Formed in 1981, Depeche Mode – Martin Gore, Dave Gahan and Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher – continue to win critical and commercial acclaim around the world both in the studio and on the road. The band’s 12 released studio albums have reached the Top Ten in over 20 countries, including the US and UK. Their last album, 2009’s Sounds of The Universe, debuted at the #1 chart spot in 14 countries around the world.
Searching For Sugar Man is a documentary like no other. There are so many exceptional elements to the film, all of which add up to a wonderfully moving experience for the viewer. Not only does it tell a story of a long-forgotten musician who finally gains the recognition he has always deserved, it is also filled with hope, joy and a passionate love and respect for the man at the center of the film, singer/songwriter Sixto Rodriguez (who goes by the professional name Rodriguez).
Rodriguez was discovered in the late ‘60s while playing a gig in Detroit. A 1967 single appeared on the Impact label, but it would take another three years for an album to appear.Cold Factwas an album that mixed social awareness, politics, Folk Music and Psychedelia, sounding not unlike a mixture of Donovan and Dylan during their heyday. Unfortunately, the album didn’t fare well in the states commercially. He went back into the studio and recorded his second album, which met the same fate as his debut. After the failure of both albums, Rodriguez’s musical career seemed to be over. Or was it…
Cold Factwas released in South Africa in 1971 and was a huge hit. The album ended up going platinum. In Australia, the album met with even bigger success, selling 5X platinum! Oddly enough, Rodriguez was completely unaware of his enormous popularity in those countries. It wasn’t until decades later that he realized that his music had a profound effect on so many people in these countries.
But in South Africa, even though Rodriguez was one of the most popular cult artists around, his fans knew nothing about him. Rumors began circulating that he had committed suicide on stage during one of his performances. From a self-inflicted gunshot wound to lighting himself on fire, the rumors grew more elaborate as time moved on. They myth and the mystery that surrounded Rodriguez fueled his popularity even more.
In the ‘90s, a South African fan,Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman, began a search for any information on Rodriguez. JournalistCraig Bartholomew-Strydombecame involved, as didAlec McCrindle, who helped Segerman set up a website in 1997. Once they discovered that Rodriguez was, in fact, still living and breathing in Detroit, it ended up changing the lives of everyone involved.
A handful of years later, budding Swedish filmmakerMalik Bendjelloulbecame intrigued by the story and decided to document the search for the enigmatic singer/songwriter. Nearly five years later, Malik’s vision and hard work have paid off with numerous awards, critical accolades and, best of all, an Academy Award nomination, which will most certainly lead to the big win.
During the very week the Academy Award nominations were announced, Stephen SPAZ Schnee was able to chat with Malik and Rodriguez and discuss their marvelous journey so far….
SPAZ: Searching For Sugar Man has been one of the best reviewed films in recent years. Now, it is available on DVD/Blu-Ray and, best of all, has been nominated for an Academy Award. How are you feeling about the reaction to the project and all that has led up to it?
MALIK BENDJELLOUL: It’s wonderful! I’m so happy!
RODRIGUEZ: I did my own stunts in the film. (Laughs). I’m in the film eight minutes. It’s really Malik’s project. The film has reignited my music career but it’s really his masterpiece. He’s worked so hard on it for over four years. It was picked up at Sundance and he’s had a full year of promotion. He’s gone to Moscow with it, the Czech Republic... he’s gone to Australia with it. He’s worked real hard.
SPAZ: In all honesty, have you been surprised by the extremely positive reaction that the film has generated?
MALIK: Yes, I really, really was. To be honest, I didn’t know if it was going to work. It’s my first film: I didn’t know what to expect at all. I had a feeling that the story was exceptional. That’s why I spent four years of my life doing this.
SPAZ: Do you remember what Rodriguez’s reaction was when you first approached him about making the movie?
MALIK: He doesn’t like the camera and you couldn’t get him in front of a camera. They (the fans) said I shouldn’t even try to get him in front of a camera because he should remain a mystery. But we wanted him. We didn’t want him to be exploited. I think that maybe (they thought) the way I was going to portray him… that it was going to ruin it. He is very much a private man with a lot of integrity.
RODRIGUEZ: I was reluctant. I was kind of resisting the film. I put it off as much as I could. He (Malik) convinced that we should do it. He’d already done so much work on it. It really is a triumph. I’m enjoying it. It’s reached a lot more people than you can imagine.
SPAZ: Malik, the film is a brilliant and creative mix of film and animation. What made you choose that route instead of a montage or re-enactments?
MALIK: I really don’t like re-enactments. I thought animation would be better because it’s very obvious that you aren’t trying to fake something. If you re-enact, you don’t know if it’s real or not real. The original idea was to use much more animation than what’s in the movie, but because of the lack of funding, there are only a few examples.
SPAZ: The film unfolds in a very intimate and emotional way, much like Rodriguez’s music. Did you find it difficult to convey that feeling when putting the film together?
MALIK: It’s very much an emotional journey and that’s really the reason why I wanted to make the film. It has that very moving element that is universal: even kids will get it, your grandmother will get it, everyone will get it. It’s not a typical story. It’s a guy who spends his whole life as a construction worker without knowing, at the very same time, he’s a superstar. There are fans looking for their ‘dead’ idol. Then they find out that’s he’s not dead: he’s alive… and it changes his life. It’s so emotional and that is what made me so interested in spending so much time on this
SPAZ: Rodriguez, is it kind of surreal for you to be the subject of this critically adored film?
RODRIGUEZ: The climax of the film takes place in ’98. We’ve been touring since then and I’ve had a lot of experiences since that time. But this film thing… it’s a different medium. It’s the meeting of film and music. The film is distributed by Sony Pictures Classics and they are really behind it. We got picked up, which is another thing: Malik didn’t know that was going to happen, which is quite something for him. And since I’m the subject of it (laughs), I’m a lucky guy. I’m really fortunate that it’s happened at this pace. I really appreciate it.
SPAZ: The incidents in the film span many years, leading up to your triumphant concerts in South Africa in 1998. Apart from the recent resurgence in the popularity of your music and the film, has your life changed much in the last 13 years since those concerts?
RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, I’ve been out four times to South Africa, four times to Australia, six times to England… Sweden… all these places. It’s a complete transformation. It’s a pretty amazing time.
SPAZ: Malik, there are so many visually beautiful shots of Capetown and Detroit. Did you get lucky when you filmed in each city, or did you have to wait around to capture what you were looking for?
MALIK: Everything was so perfect, the way that it worked. Detroit and Capetown couldn’t have been two more different places. In the movie, we show Detroit during the winter when it’s cold and snowing and then we have Capetown, where it’s summer and sunny… the exact opposite.
SPAZ: At what point during the pre and/or post-production did you realize that you had one hell of a film on your hands?
MALIK: I wouldn’t have spent four years of my life getting this film made if I didn’t believe in it, but I still had people telling me that I was wrong. The main funder, for example, said when it was almost finished, that it wasn’t good enough for feature length…. Said I needed to re-edit it. It was only good enough for TV! (Laughs). I thought I had something special. There were a few people in the industry who actually said they didn’t like it, that it was crap. I thought, “Come on, you’re wrong. And I’m going to prove that you’re wrong!”
SPAZ: A film about a virtually unknown artist is a hard sell. Was it difficult to find people to help back the film?
MALIK: Yes, it was hard thing to convince people. He was absolutely unknown in America. Only the die hard music fans knew about him.
SPAZ: Rodriguez, “Sugar Man” is your most well-known song and it inspired the title of the film. Can you tell us a little about the song’s origins?
RODRIGUEZ: “Sugar Man” is almost like a prayer, you know? That’s all that that is. It’s a tune with words. I describe ‘Sugar Man” as a descriptive song, not a prescriptive song.
SPAZ: Malik, maybe even more so than Light In The Attic’s great reissues of his albums, you’ve brought Rodriguez the attention and acclaim he’s always deserved. Was that part of your intention in making the film?
MALIK: I only wanted to tell a good story, but I’m honored to be a part of this thing. The film, you’ll see once or twice, but the music, if you like it, it stays with you. You’ll listen to those songs for the rest of your life if you really fall in love with them. It’s going to stay with people much longer than the film does. In some ways, I think this would have happened anyway because the music is that good.
SPAZ: Rodriguez, since the resurgence in your music and this film, has your life changed much? And does it feel good to finally be acknowledged for the music you created?
RODRIGUEZ: We do music for the girls. We do music for the money. We do music for the recognition. We do it for Rock ‘n’ Roll history. But we do music because it’s fun, because it’s a pleasure. It’s not a spectator sport: you can dance to it; you can sing to it, you can get an instrument and play along with it. That’s the part of it that is appealing to me.
SPAZ: Malik, was music a big part of your upbringing and life?
MALIK: Yes, very much so. When you are a teenager, it is really the thing that gives you your life, your identity to a large degree.
SPAZ: Were you drawn to Rodriguez’s story because of the music? Or do you think that you would have made this film if it was the same story but he was an artist or film maker?
MALIK: I really think that the story is good enough. The story tells itself. But the music makes it better. There is so much emotional content in the music that you can’t put it into words. Music is magic. No one can explain why you play certain chords in a certain order and it gives you a good feeling, but it does. It’s just magic. Music was so important to tell this story.
SPAZ: Rodriguez, there is more of an interest in your music than ever before. Has this inspired you to go back and create something new for your growing audience?
RODRIGUEZ: Yes. I plan to be in the studio this year sometime. It’s got to be good. And that is why it takes so long. I’m working the catalog right now. That’s what they hear and unless I go out and play it, they won’t think I’m on the same page.
SPAZ: What’s next for Rodriguez?
RODRIGUEZ: I’ve got to get my guitar fixed. The frets have been worn down. I’ve got to get them replaced because it’s a cheap guitar. Some people have really expensive guitars… so expensive that they wish they could drive them! (Laughs)
Ever since I was a child, record stores have fascinated me. Being raised on many types of music (The Beatles, The Monkees, Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell to name a few), I was always excited about songs that really struck a chord with me... long before I even knew what a chord was!
In the beginning, mom and dad satisfied my musical appetite by handing down copies of Beatles albums or buying me albums on my birthday and Christmas. Every note was magical, every melody was an audio dream that unfolded in my tiny little mind...
I was so excited when I finally started getting an allowance. OK, maybe the first year or so, I spent all the money on candy and comic books, but when I was old enough to walk to any local record store (Licorice Pizza), my allowance was spent on seven inch singles and LPs in the cut-out bins. At that time, I couldn't afford a full priced album and if I wanted a new album, I had to add it to my want list for future gift-recieving holidays.
But then, when my allowance went up a little or when I'd get money from grandma and grandpa (or other relatives), it was straight to Licorice Pizza I'd go. While my tastes may have been limited at that exact moment, there was still so much to choose from.
But in 1977, when I was 14, I saw The Jam and The Clash on TV and my limited view was shaken to it's core and broken wide open. "There IS a musical world outside of my transistor radio!", I thought to myself. Little did I know that, 33 years later I'd still be excited and inspired by music, both new and old. In fact, I think I've only gotten worse!
Anyway, as I came to my awkward teens, music became a way to communicate with people. If I had friends that were going through hard times, a mixtape could surely cheer up their day. If I had a girlfriend and couldn't find the right words to say, a Paul McCartney album would always do the trick. If I couldn't think of the perfect gift for a family member's birthday, why not buy 'em The Eagles' Greatest Hits or Hotel California?
People who know me know that I am never short on words, so if I was handing out mixtapes or albums to people, that meant that those particular albums or songs meant something to ME and I wanted them to mean just as much to THEM. I would head up to Licorice Pizza and spend my own money just to try to add a little bit of sunshine into their day. To be honest, sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't... but at least I tried.
I spent so much time at Licorice Pizza during the late '70s that I could have actually worked there. Then, as I got older and had friends that could drive, it was on to Tower Records, Beggar's Banquet, Music Plus, The Wherehouse and any other record store within a 5 mile radius. Almost every day. Definitely every weekend. We just wanted to experience the sights, sounds, smells and vibes of any record store that stocked a good amount of LPs and singles. Sometimes we had money, sometimes we didn't... but we ALWAYS heard good tunes and had a great time.
While I did OK at school and had a great family, music spoke to me louder and clearer than any book or teacher. In fact, some of the most influential people in my young life were those record store employees who would introduce me to new music, either suggesting something or just by playing it in the store. I didn't read the music rags of the day because I wanted to spend every penny on something new and exciting. After all these years, it's still the same.
Many of my long-lasting friendships have been made in a record store. Apart from my school buddies, I'd meet new folks with similar musical tastes and we'd make suggestions back and forth. I still talk to many of these folks today and I'm still sharing my latest musical passions with them.
My life would not have been the same were it not for the record stores (and CD stores) that I would frequent during this very important time in my life. It pains me to no end when I think that the youth of today don't bother with experiencing the joys of seeking out new music in their local record stores.
Two and a half decades ago, there was so much on offer here in OC in regards to record stores: Music Market, Camel Records, Music Plus, Licorice Pizza, Record Trading Center, Pepperland, The Wherehouse, Beggars Banquet, Up Another Octave, Tower Records and many others that are swimming around in my memory banks. Of all those great spots, only Pepperland remains. The others disappeared over the years (and many of them long before downloading began replacing the shopping experience).
In a perfect world, I'd be shopping in one of them now. But, I really don't mind taking a long drive to L.A. to hit Amoeba every now and then.
Now, I'm not one who is against the idea of legal downloading (I've done the odd track here and there myself), but at the end of the day, after you've paid your money, what do you have? NOTHING! There are files in your computer that seemingly play the music for you, but is that really enough? Can you hold it? Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you see it? You didn't buy anything tangible: there are nothing but files on your hard drive made up of numbers, letters and codes. Where is the fun in that? What kind of memories will that leave behind?
An imperfect (and slightly offensive) analogy would be: does internet porn REPLACE an intimate physical relationship with someone? I think not. Same with music: how can someone possibly be satisfied with a download of an entire album when they can actually own a physical piece of product? As I stated before, I am NOT anti-downloading; I am pro-record store! I must admit that the internet IS a great place to LISTEN to new stuff and make your purchasing decisions, though.
In terms of buying your item, the ideal situation is to go to your local indie record store and buy it. If it's not in stock, then have them special order it. It may not be instant gratification, but within a few days, you'll have what you need and you will enjoy the heck out of it. You'll be able to hold it, look at it, listen to it, read the liner notes, etc. You can then load it into your computer and enjoy listening to it that way as well, but the important thing is that you own it. It is yours. It is something you can show to your friends. It is something physical... something REAL.
For many of us, music is more than just a hobby... it was an emotional experience that is hard to describe. There are those of us who LIVE for music. It's not just something that is played in the background: it is the soundtrack to our lives!
About a decade ago, I came up with a motto that fits me to a T: "Some of my best friends are three minutes long"! And that still rings true.
Even today at the age of 49, I listen to music in the morning, afternoon and evening. I write about music all day long. I still get together with friends on a regular basis and discuss music, play music and hear new music that they share with me. I'm not the only one like this: there are others! Perhaps even YOU! But are there places for all of us to meet anymore? The record store was (and is) more than just a place to spend money: it was a place to spend time, meet like-minded people and learn about new music (or even older releases you may have missed first time around).
There are still plenty of sports bars around for all the sports fans to gather and enjoy a game together and that is awesome. There are upscale coffee shops everywhere where folks can get together and be arty and pretentious, and that, too, is awesome. But all the record stores I remember from my youth have closed down.
It is up to US to support the ones that are still left standing. And if you visit one of them as often as possible, then THANK YOU. Visit them again tomorrow... and next weekend, too! Perhaps the kids of today and tomorrow will one day realize that the record store experience is amazing indeed. It is up to US to show them the way.
Appreciating the record stores I used to shop at...
I used to spend so much time record shopping in Orange County that I rarely did anything else apart from go to school. I never went camping, never went bowling, never went dancing and didn't get into a whole lotta trouble. But, there were records to be bought, music to be heard and mixtapes to be made.
When I went to record stores, it was always with the people that I loved the most: friends and family. Mostly friends, though. My family didn't seem to share the same passion that I had for music. Sure, I'd go to Beggars Banquet on Beach and Ball with my brother Michael and I'd walk to Licorice Pizza on Brookhurst and Chapman with my little sister Kristin, but most of my record shopping was spent with very cool friends.
Below, I've listed a few of my favorite destinations, all of them gone now (apart from Pepperland). So many memories attached to the music, the friends and the stores we used to spend so much time in......
All but one are gone....
MUSIC MARKET:
Costa Mesa
I'd go to Music Market (on Harbor and Adams) with Jeff George, Chuck Reddick, Jannette Arnold, Bill Damron, Dana Gohs, Fred Grindle, Matthew Cibellis and many others. We always had a great time sharing our newly purchased treasures.
Memorable purchases at Music Market include an import copy of Badfinger's Straight Up LP plus hundreds of import and domestic albums by the new wave bands I loved like Four Out Of Five Doctors, The Farmer's Boys, Dexys Midnight Runners, Icehouse, The Keys, Hawks, The Elektrics, Naked Eyes, The Fixx, A Flock Of Seagulls, Fischer Z and many other bands you either don't remember or don't know! Horizontal Brian, anyone?
CAMEL RECORDS: Huntington Beach
I'd go to Camel Records on Beach Boulevard with Jeff, Jannette, Chuck, Matthew and others. I even went to a Fixx instore there with my sister Kristin, I believe? I also remember a Split Enz instore that was cancelled!
Memorable purchases at Camel include China Crisis singles, the XTC/Three Wise Men Christmas single, Wang Chung 12" singles, The Fixx "Saved By Zero" 12" single and much more!
(P.S. During our trip to Camel, we'd always stop by the Mad Greek over on Chapman and Beach. )
LICORICE PIZZA: Garden Grove, Anaheim, Fountain Valley
I would also hit each of the Licorice Pizza's in town on different occasions with Jeff, Jannette, Matthew, Chuck, Fred, David Wilcox, Gerardo Marti and whoever else felt like coming along. I remember skipping school ONCE in my senior year and going to the Licorice Pizza in Hollywood with Chuck and his friend Lisa. Didn't have $$, but saw some cool things there. I ended up working at the one on Brookhurst and Chapman.
At the LP in Garden Grove, I remember buying an import copy of the Jam's "Going Underground" double seven inch single when it first came out. And albums from Yachts, Bram Tchaikovsky, The Records, the Clash, The Jam, and many others. At the Fountain Valley location, I bought albums by The Nits, Captain Sensible and more.
RECORD TRADING CENTER (RTC): Orange
Record Trading Center on Tustin was always a favorite, but I'd usually forget how to get there since I never drove in those days! So, I'd usually tag along with a friend of they were going!
Don't remember too much that I bought there cuz they were often times too expensive, but I do remember finding the import copy of Secret Affair's Glory Boysalbum with a totally different cover (glossy, too) and tracklisting. Oh, and I bought the first Breathe and Black albums on one of my last visits there.
MUSIC PLUS: Garden Grove, Westminster and ?
There were a few Music Plus stores we'd go to: Harbor Ave in Garden Grove, the one near Goldenwest College and a few others that slip my mind. Music Plus was almost always good, but it was never an important stop for us. We'd usually go when we'd already hit every other store that week. I remember times with Chuck, Jeff G. and others.
I do remember buying Depeche Mode'sA Broken Frame import when it first came out. And The Jam's "Start" seven inch vinyl when that first came out. Both of those were purchased at the Goldenwest one. And I remember a Music Plus on Brookhurst, where I bought the 2nd Laughing Dogs album
TOWER RECORDS: Buena Park
The Tower Records in Buena Park was the place I'd go to before even knowing about all these other record stores (bar Beggars Banquet). Sometimes, I'd even walk there from Garden Grove with a friend or two (namely Fred Grindle, who got egged once while we were walking back from a trek to Tower and Beggars). Tower was the bomb.
Bought albums from A Flock Of Seagulls, Haircut 100, Badfinger, The Rutles, The Residents and so many more. Hell, yeah. I bought TONS of stuff there!
BEGGARS BANQUET: Buena Park
Located on Beach and Ball, Beggars Banquet was the real first 'collectors' store I'd frequent. Obviously, I used to buy Beatles, Elvis and Badfinger stuff there, but then I'd scour the bins for the latest Punk and Power Pop/New Wave releases. I later worked there once a week for about a year (my day off from the bank!)
Totally remember buying the very first Plimsouls EP, Zero Hour. Heard them on Rodney On The Roq and never thought I'd be able to find their record. Lo and behold, there it was up on the wall rack, just waiting for me to buy it
PEPPERLAND: Anaheim
Pepperland was always a fun stop for oldies and such, but I didn't buy many 'new' music there until the CD age, which is not what I'm focusing on in this article. But, boy, did I end up buying a lot there as there years rolled by! Thankfully, they are still around but located in Orange.
Then there was always the great Zed Records in Long Beach, but I don't really consider them part of the area we'd always travel in....
There's so much more to talk about, but I can see that you're getting a tad bit bored, so I'll stop there.
Nowadays, heading out to Amoeba in Hollywood is an amazing trek. It's like combining all my favorite elements from the above record stores into one. And I never remember how to get to the great Fingerprints in Long Beach, but it's a great store. As is Rhino Records in Claremont...
Peace, love and records galore,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee
The views and opinions expressed in this posting are strictly those of the author. And possibly of other people as well. But I can't name names. You know who you are.
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