Re: Rediscovered Gem of the Week

Listened to CLEOPATRA GRIP by the Heart Throbs last night for the first time in probably 15 years, and was reminded how much I miss that late 80s/early 90s strain of post-J&M Chain but non-shoegazing British guitar pop - the Heart Throbs, the Primitives, Kitchens of Distinction, etc.

Think I'll pop in JUBILEE TWIST tonight.

This bringing up (for me at least), the most completely bizarre detour in the completely bizarre career of EC: writing an entire album of material for Transvision Vamp's Wendy James. Forgive me if I missed the point.

It was an interesting time. I bet on the wrong horses time and time again. Eh.

Aaah, the Kitchens of Distinction. The Death Of Cool is one of my favorite records, but don't you think they would have to be labelled shoegazers?

Not familiar with The Heart Throbs. I will have to check 'em out.

the happy hate me nots haven't aged nearly as well as i expected. either their pop punk sounds are too samey samey or i'm just over capacity...

It's never been clear to me: Did Elvis write a clutch of new songs for Wendy James to record, or did he deliver a bunch of songs he already had lying around? Or is it a mixed bag? Or will the world ever know the truth? The mystery of it all ...

If I remember correctly, in reviews of the CD at the time, Elvis had claimed that all the songs had been written over the course of a weekend--specifically for Wendy James to record.

And some of the tunes ain't half bad--and would have been pretty good, had they been sung by someone else...anybody else...

yeah, the Elvii got a call and letter from Ms. James:

"My wife and I got a phone call and wound up writing ten songs for this girl, Wendy James of the pop-punk group Transvision Vamp. Not one -- ten. We just had a weekend to spare, so we wrote ten. I said: 'If we don't finish by Sunday, forget it. It's got to be quick, like a Tin Pan Alley job.' I always said I could write pop songs to order, and then somebody said prove it. And I did."

I heard the EC demos of these songs on a bonus disc ...............



Post Edited (09-06-07 12:48)

madisdadi wrote:

> yeah, the Elvii got a call and letter from Ms. James:
>
> "My wife and I got a phone call and wound up writing ten songs
> for this girl, Wendy James of the pop-punk group Transvision
> Vamp. Not one -- ten. We just had a weekend to spare, so we
> wrote ten. I said: 'If we don't finish by Sunday, forget it.
> It's got to be quick, like a Tin Pan Alley job.' I always said
> I could write pop songs to order, and then somebody said prove
> it. And I did."
>
> I heard the EC demos of these songs on a bonus disc
> ...............
>

>
> Post Edited (09-06-07 12:48)

Which bonus disc?

Sorry, I just called my freind and he told me the disc he has of "London's Brilliant", "Do You Know What I'm Saying?", "Nameless One", "Fill In The Blanks", "We Despise You", "I Want To Stand Forever " ,"Puppet Girl" and "Basement Kiss",are from a bootleg with EC and Pete Thomas on drums that he got off Soulseek. I thought they were on the bonus disc for "Brutal Youth".

Thanks for clarifying this! At lunchtime, I went out to a record store and combed through what they had of EC's catalogue, looking for these tracks. Thought I must of missed one of the reissues with those bonus cuts...



Post Edited (09-06-07 14:57)

Post Edited (09-06-07 15:38)

Madi's getting all Zen on us again.

Yeah, is that bonus disc available anywhere? Anybody have a copy?

Agree with Familyman: Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears is a case of some good songs being ruined by a poor singer.