Music Labyrinth Episode 071
Through The Barricades / Spandau Ballet (1986)
Hello Listener, and welcome to episode 71 of The Music Labyrinth. Now I have no desire to get all spooky on you, but it should be remembered that, in the books and films depicting the various issues confronting Jason Bourn, the mysterious department which created the super agents of which Bourn was one, was called Treadstone Seventy-One. Another Bourn-like identity who took on the powers that be - about two thousand and fifty years before Bourn - was the rebel slave leader Spartacus. But, just as Treadstone 71 tried to terminate Bourn, 71BC made short work of Spartacus, who met his demise in that year. So, I suppose the lesson for us is that 71 is a number to be respected. And respect it we shall, as we try to find links between our first song, and each one in turn that follows. We commenced this episode where we ended the last, with Spandau Ballet’s lovely 1986 hit Through The Barricades. At the height of their career, and on that particular song, Spandau Ballet’s lead singer was Tony Hadley, who left the band (formally) in 2017, although relationships between the original members had been fractious for some time before then. In November 2008, Tony Hadley appeared as a guest on the SBS television show Rockwiz in which he performed Elvis’ Suspicious Minds alongside Kylie Auldist. Now, here in The Music Labyrinth, we know Kylie Auldist from her work with The Bamboos, and we love The Bamboos, and therefore right now we are going to avail ourselves of this opportunity to link to a Bamboos track featuring the singing of Kylie Auldist: this one.
On The Sly / The Bamboos (2010)
This is The Music Labyrinth on Coast FM, and we last listened to the song On The Sly which comes from The Bamboos album 4, which includes contributions from several guest artists. One of them is the Japanese-American rapper, singer and producer Tsutomu Shimura, who goes by the professional handle Lyrics Born. Here he is with The Poets of Rhythm with I Changed My Mind.
I Changed My Mind / Lyrics Born and the Poets of Rhythm (1999)
That was I Changed My Mind by Lyrics Born and the Poets of Rhythm. When I heard that song, I assumed it to be a cover of an older R&B/soul tune, but the songwriting is credited to Boris Geiger of The Poets of Rhythm which suggests it is an original tune. And a good’n! Another song about a change of mind is this one. This is Depeche Mode with Suffer Well.
Suffer Well / Depeche Mode (2005)
Suffer Well is the first single by Depeche Mode written by their lead singer Dave Gahan. In 2021, Gahan contributed a cover of the Metallica song Nothing Else Matters to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist. Also on that album was this version of Sad But True, by St Vincent.
Sad But True / St. Vincent (2021)
Welcome back to episode 71 of The Music Labyrinth where we last listened to St. Vincent’s cover of the Metallica hit, Sad But True. Of course, there is more to St. Vincent than just interesting cover versions of other songs. In 2019 she won the Grammy for Best Rock Song with this song. This is Masseduction.
Masseduction / St. Vincent (2017)
On April 10, 2014, St. Vincent fronted Nirvana, performing lead vocals for the band during the 29th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. With Nirvana she performed this song.
Lithium / Nirvana (1991)
IN 2004 an album called Prozak For Lovers II was released by an artist called Bruce Lash, who aimed to take angst-filled songs and give them a loungey, bossy-nova groove. A version of Lithium appeared on that album, as did a version of this song.
Medicine Show / Big Audio Dynamite (1985)
Here we are in The Music Labyrinth where we heard, from their 1985 debut album, Big Audio Dynamite with Medicine Show. The driving force behind Big Audio Dynamite is Mick Jones, who is a driving force in music generally. He was a founding member of The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite. He has produced music for Ian Hunter, Ellen Foley, and The Libertines. He has collaborated with Gorillaz, Primal Scream, The Wallflowers and The Flaming Lips. And, in 2020 he and American musician and activist Cola Boyy joined The Avalanches on this track.
We Go On / The Avalanches (feat. Cola Boyy & Mick Jones) (2020)
That song, as we plainly heard, contains a dominant sample of Hurting Each Other by The Carpenters. Now, I couldn’t quite bring myself to play you The Carpenters here on The Music Labyrinth, but I did stumble upon something quite lovely while I was looking around. This song is also called Hurting Each Other, but it is, as far as I can tell, an original composition, and it is credited to t.Roy & The Smoking Section.
Hurting Each Other / t.Roy & The Smoking Section (2019)
I cant tell you a great deal about t.Roy & The Smoking Section. They hail from Asheville, North Carolina, which is the city in which Warren Haynes hosts the annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam charity event, which we have spoken about previously on The Music Labyrinth. At the most recent Christmas Jam (which was in 2018 - thanks heaps, COVID) the guest lineup included American singer, songwriter and guitarist Jim James. Here he is with State Of The Art (A.E.I.O.U).
State Of The Art (A.E.I.O.U) / Jim James (2012)
On The Music Labyrinth we last listened to Jim James, from his 2012 album Regions of Light and Sounds of God, with State Of The Art (A.E.I.O.U). I was tempted, at this point, to take us to the old Mondo Rock song State of the Heart - until I noticed that Jim James, in 2009, performed backing vocals on a concept album by a great favourite of The Music Labyrinth. So, from the rock opera Hazards Of Love, and telling the story of a thoroughly despicable creature, this is The Decemberists with The Rake’s Song.
The Rake’s Song / The Decemberists (2009)
From their 2009 concept album Hazards Of Love, that was The Decemberists with The Rake’s Song. Rake (in the context of that song) is defined as a man, especially one who is rich or with a high social position, who lives in an immoral way. Townes Van Zandt had had carefully considered the term, and he painted the picture clearly in this song, Rake, performed by Steve Earle.
Rake / Steve Earle (2009)
Rake is also a song on the 2007 debut album for the French band The Plastiscines.
Rake / The Plastiscines (2007)
Here in The Music Labyrinth we last listened to The Plastiscines with Rake. The Plastiscines are a French band who have had limited commercial success outside France, but in 2001 they appears on this track from the album Vices & Virtues by Panic! At The Disco. This is Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met…)
Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met…) / Panic! At the Disco (2011)
From their 2011 album Vices & Virtues, that was Panic! At The Disco with Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met…). Two years before that album, Panic! At The Disco released the single New Perspective as part of the promotion for the comedy horror film Jennifer’s Body. The song was also included in the soundtrack of that movie, as was this song by Florence & The Machine.
Kiss With A Fist / Florence & The Machine (2008)
That song was Kissed With A Fist by Florence & The Machine. When it was released as a single in 2008, the B-side was a cover by Florence & The Machine of this song by Cold War Kids. This is Hospital Beds.
Hospital Beds / Cold War Kids (2006)
We are still here in the bowels of The Music Labyrinth and, from their 2006 debut album, we just heard Cold War Kids with Hospital Beds. In the lead up to the 2016 Presidential election in the USA, a project began with the aim of releasing one song per day up until Election Day, all advocating against voting for the candidate Donald Trump. The project was originally called 30 Days, 30 Songs. Cold War Kids contributed a song called Locker Room Talk to the project. Also included as part of that project was this song by Death Cab For Cutie. This is Million Dollar Loan.
Million Dollar Loan / Death Cab For Cutie (2016)
From the 2016 project 30 Days, 30 Songs, objecting to the prospect of Donald J Trump as President of the USA, that was Death Cab For Cutie with Million Dollar Loan. As it turns out, Wikipedia has a whole page donated to Donald Trump in music. One of the many tracks listed there, from the era of his presidency, is this one by Todd Rundgren and Donald Fagen. This is Tinfoil Hat.
Tinfoil Hat / Todd Rundgren (feat. Donald Fagen) (2017)
Welcome back to the final section of episode 71 of The Music Labyrnith. The song that brought us to this point of the labyrinth was Todd Rundgren and Donald Fagen with Tinfoil Hat. Donald Fagen, for those playing along at home, is one half of the duo at the core of the band Steely Dan (the other half was Walter Becker). I found it surprising as I flicked back through Steely Dan’s catalogue of songs just how many of them stuck in my memory. But the one that stood out was this one - and can I say a big hello to anyone who might be listening from my old school.
My Old School / Steely Dan (1973)
That was Steely Dan with My Old School, a song about a drug raid at Bard College in New York State in 1969. The raid was organised by local prosecutor G Gordon Liddy (immortalised in the song as Daddy G), who later gained infamy and then fame after his role in the break-in at the Watergate Complex in 1972. In addition to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, who were students at Bard College at the time of the Liddy raid, Bard College’s alumni includes the musician Knox Chandler, who can be heard as one of the cellists on this track.
Drive / R.E.M. (1992)
From their 1992 album Automatic For The People, that was R.E.M. with Drive. And Drive has delivered us (see what I did there?) to the end of episode 71 of The Music Labyrinth. Thank you very much for your company throughout this episode, and for keeping us all safe from the mysterious forces of the number 71 which revealed themselves to us as we began. Please come back again in two weeks when I hope to be live in the studios of Coast FM for episode 72 of The Music Labyrinth. Until then, lets find a song to carry us over that bridge. The last song we heard was Drive, by R.E.M., and there are a surprising number of songs called Drive. The one that caught my ear, and not just because I would love a nice snack right now, is this next one. This is Martha & The Muffins. Thanks for listening.
Drive / Martha & The Muffins (2010)