Bradley's Buzz

The Bubbatunes Vaults 4

Here we are again walking and listening through the vaults of the Bubbatunes catalog and today we have some interesting subjects including an ex Beatle who changed music and perhaps the world, an alterna boi who changed the mental state of many a starstruck sexually ambiguous boy and a few rarities packages by some gals you're probably getting to know quite well...

bub 19 John Lennon - KARMA COLLECTION (2003)
When I was but a wee tyke my Uncle Kermit and I went to the record store, I picked up the new Blondie album while he had picked up a couple John Lennon albums. I have to admit at my tender age I did not really understand the powers that the Beatles really posessed and since this was a time when John Lennon had been in a retirement phase, his solo stuff eluded me as well, plus the collection my uncle picked up was called Shaved Fish, which I thought was a very strange album title. He listened to the album a lot but yet I didn't get it. Fast forward to years later when the music was finally hitting me and now I can't get enough of the Beatles and particularly the solo work of John Lennon. They say some fans are in the Paul McCartney pop camp while others fall into the Lennon legions. Call me the Lennon boy, because though Paul has some catchy solo tunes, John has a way of taking lyrics, music and politics and mixing it together to not only be catchy but actually experimental as well. Some of his best songs are collected here and in fact I think it's fairly close to some of the real compilations out there but of course they always seemed to be lacking a few of my favorite Lennon tunes, so here combine those hits "Imagine", "I'm Losing You", "Instant Karma", "(Just Like) Starting Over", "Woman", "Power To The People", and my ultimate favorite Lennon song ever "Watching The Wheels." But then there are some album cuts, mostly from his 1980 Double Fantasy album which came out mere months before his death like "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" about his son. You can not deny the pure pleasure that comes from these songs whether he's mournful about his life "Mother", or happy about his life "Love", beautifully reflective ("Look At Me") or plain angry - "Power To The People", "Woman Is The Nigger Of The World", "Give Peace A Chance", he has it all. I can't believe I didn't just take my uncle's word for it all those years ago.

Track List:
01. Instant Karma 02. Watching The Wheels 03. #9 Dream 04. I'm Losing You 05. Cold Turkey 06. Woman 07. Love 08. Mind Games 09. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) 10. Imagine 11. Stand By Me 12. Mother 13. Give Peace A Chance 14. (Just Like) Starting Over 15. Woman Is The Nigger Of The World 16. Look At Me 17. Nobody Told Me 18. Whatever Gets You Through The Night 19. Power To The People 20. Happy Christmas (War Is Over)

bub 20 Morrissey - COMP 1 (2004)
My pal Luther is actually behind the Comp series for Mr. Seudehead himself, Morrissey. It seems my solo Morrissey collection was pretty much non existant so he decided to create some compilations of Morrissey's best and his favorite songs for me. Since I need everything with artwork and all that, they were added to the Bubbatunes catalog immediately. There's actually 2 CD's in Morrissey's comp collection but it's not only because Luther made me two CDs but rather that this brooding little fellow has had quite a ton of songs on his own. Sure, he will probably always be overshadowed by the work he did with The Smiths, but this was the voice of those songs so that tortured, humorous, sarcastic, sad creature still lives through in song after song. Combining singles, album tracks, b-sides and live tracks, COMP 1, has some of the best in the Morrissey catalog - singles like "Boxers", "You're The One For Me Fatty", "The Last Of The International Playboys" and "Seudehead", we get some real fun in the clanging guitar loops and oh so dramatic unfolding of Morrissey's personality, sure he can be a tad sorrowful but hello, the dude is one of the first of those oh so sensitive hot guys everyone likes, only Mr. M actually has things to say.

Track List:
01. You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side 02. Jack The Ripper 03. Glamorous Glue 04. You're The One For Me Fatty 05. Tomorrow 06. The Loop 07. Boxers 08. My Love Life 09. The Last Of The Famous International Playboys 10. Margaret On The Guillotine 11. Hairdresser On Fire 12. Suedehead 13. Everyday Is Like Sunday 14. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get 15. Speedway 16. Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself 17. Now My Heart Is Full 18. Pregnant For The Last Time 19. Skin Storm 20. The Boy Racer 21. Sunny

bub 21 Morrissey - COMP 2 (2004)
Once more hitting of the comp collection of Mr. Man, this collection actually even added some The Smiths tunes on it, just for fun and perhaps a little closure. As I listen to these songs it occurs to me how much I really love Morrissey. Like The Cure, Morrissey (and The Smiths) take some power chord type of songs with a fairly happy melody and turn it on its ear with dark lyrics, brooding vocals and tons of wit and cynism. COMP 2 spends more time on the singles than the previous compilation but that's usually where the most power is, with singles like "November Spawned A Monster", "Sing Your Life" and "Interesting Drug" Morrissey shows off why despite always being compared to the genius work of The Smiths, he has been able to sustain a solo career for decades. But with the added bonus of The Smiths, particulary two of my all time favorite The Smiths songs ever - "Bigmouuth Strikes Again" & "Panic" - and the added B-sides, COMP 2 shows off that Morrissey is more than just a moody crooner - he's practically a musical genius.

Track List:
01. Sister I'm A Poet 02. Alma Matters 03. Roy's Keen 04. November Spawned A Monster 05. Ouija Board, Ouija Board 06. Found Found Found 07. Will Never Marry 08. Sing Your Life 09. Nobody Loves Us 10. London 11. Interesting Drug 12. Lucky Lisp 13. Disappointed 14. There's a Place In Hell For Me and My Friends 15. The Queen Is Dead (The Smiths) 16. Bigmouth Strikes Again (The Smiths) 17. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths) 18. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (The Smiths) 19. How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths) 20. What Difference Does It Make (The Smiths) 21. Panic (The Smiths)

bub 22 Blondie - MODEL BLONDAGES (2004)
A Blondie rarities (and more) compilation that just had to be made! There have been a million and one remixes of Blondie songs over the years but there aren't that many rare songs and I thought I should make a disc that captured the best ones that they had out there. When the Blondie back catalog was reissued in 2001, a lot of songs ended up on those original albums as bonus cuts but a lot of them didn't, so it was my duty to come up with Model Blondages and put the songs I really like listening to that never really made it onto albums. So here we have those rare cuts that were never put on albums, the B-sides from early and later singles, some live cuts, some remixes and some songs that have never officially been released. Yes, it's a labor of love but come on it's frickin' Blondie.
Probably the most famous of all Blondie b-sides opens the album, the tragic rock of "Suzy & Jeffrey" the flip of "The Tide Is High" single from 1980 for some reason it didn't make the cut for Autoamerican but it's probably one of my favorite Blondie songs ever. We have the entire original demo songs that got Blondie their first contract including their early cover of the Shangri La's "Out In The Street", some live cuts including "Danceway" from The Hunter tour in 1983 and a beautful acoustic version of "Double Take" from No Exit (1999), and two rare songs co-written with members of Duran Duran that were made for a greatest hits package that never emerged (imagine!) the so Debbie "Studio 54" and the frolicky "Pop Trash Movie". There's also the rare "Underground Girl" from the Parallel Lines sessions, "Scenery" and "The Thin Line" two other songs that never made it onto album. For remixes I chose carefully and fairly obscurly going for a laid back remix of "Union City Blue", the long though very dancey "Live It Up" disco mix from 1980 and the super cool Scissor Sisters' remix of "Good Boys" from 2003 - the very first time I had ever even heard of SS. I even through on the great version of Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire" Blondie performed in the film Roadie and the Iggy Pop cover "Ordinary Bummer" that was performed by 'Adolph's Dog' as Debbie, Chris, Jimmy and Clem were legally battling others over the name Blondie (Adolph Hitler had a dog named Blondie, though that isn't where this Blondie took their name from).. and it all ends with the demo that is oh so definitive of the band - "Platinum Blonde" - I Want to be a platinum blonde, just like all the sexy stars, Marilyn, Jean, Jane and Mae and Marlene, yeah, they really had it going on. I wonder why that never made it to the first album?? Oh well, if you listen to the first album you'll know they did quite a good job without it.

Track List:
01. Suzy And Jeffrey 02. The Thin Line 03. Scenery 04. Pop Trash Movie 05. Good Boys (Scissor Sisters Gyad Byos Myax Yo Mix) 06. Slow Motion (Stripped Down Motown Mix) 07. Peurto Rico 08. Double Take (Acoustic live) 09. Studio 54 10. Maria (J&B Mix) 11. Out In The Street 12. Ring Of Fire 13. Underground Girl 14. No Exit (The Loud Rock Remix) 15. Ordinary Bummer 16. Live It Up (Special Disco Mix) 17. Hot Shot 18. Union City Blue (Diddy Power & Passion Mix) 19. Danceway (live) 20. Once I Had A Love 21. Poet's Problem 22. Platinum Blonde

bub 23 Pat Benatar - OBSCURED VISIONS (2004)
Where's there's Deb, there's Pat and here is Pat's rarities and remix CD complete with the earliest Pat recording known to man - or at least to this man "Day Gig" - a pseudo cabaret lounge song she sang in high octaves for a local release in Virginia in 1974 (I know wow! right?) Some of these songs found their way onto a compilation Patrick and I made in 1999 called Hot In Blue, which was a Pat rarites and album cuts but I turned that into Red Visions, another Pat comp coming up later, but then it was switched again when I had to redo a ton of artwork for early Bubbatunes so Red Visions got new track listings and became more of an album cuts collection while the rarities and remixes by Benatar were put onto this little version entitled Obscured Visions (see how I did that? The songs are obscure and the collection goes hand in hand with Red Visions, how clever huh?) Anyway, for Obscured Visions I dug into the well that is rare Benatar, which is kind of hard to do. For the most part her early career choices were pretty well thought out and there isn't much in the way of b-sides or songs that didn't make it onto an album, so most of the early hey day Benatar is supplied by remixes that appeared on 12" singles, but by the late 80s, early 90s, Patty Patty was appearing on soundtracks and compilation albums, usually something pertaining to children. Her version of "The Futures So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades" was recorded for the Disney movie A Goofy Adventure, "Jimmy Says" is an anti-drug song recored for one of those Marlo Thomas I like you, you like me type of records though Patty's gritty vocals are super cool, and "Tell Me Why" is an old religious lullabye recorded for the Pediatric AIDS foundtation album For Our Children. But there were some extra bonuses to be added that weren't necessarily on the cute or child like side, her rocking "True Hearts" is full of 80's angst but didn't make the cut for her Wide Awake In Dreamland (1988)album, "New Dream Islands" is a tender and beautfiul pseudo ballad that was cut from her 1985 album Seven The Hard Way and "Rise Part 1" is the rock version of a song that made it onto Gravity's Rainbow (1993) as "Rise Part 2" in a slightly more acoustic version. There's other soundtrack cuts as well including a bluesy rock version of "Rescue Me" she did for the Speed soundtrack, the awesome opening cut "Sometimes The Good Guys Finish First" from the 1987 Michael J. Fox film Secret Of My Success and complete with a cheerleading chant at the beginning "S-U-C-C-E-S-S, THAT'S THE WAY WE SPELL SUCCESS/WILL WE GET IT?/ THE ANSWER'S YES/S-U-C-C-E-S-S", then there's a remix of "Love Is A Battlefield" with Queen Latifah recorded for Small Sodiers; and there's some gratifying little forays into other styles including a blues version of "The Effect You Have On Me" that was done for an Edith Piaf tribute album and the acoustic "Shooting Star" she recorded for a Harry Chapin tribute concert. Then there's the uber cool remixes including the 12" versions of "Love Is A Battlefield", "Invincible" and my fav - "Sex As A Weapon" and two ultra rare remixes from 12" promos - the radio mix of "Temporary Heroes" from 1984 and an awesome 12" mix (in edited form) of "Let's Stay Together" from 1988 . Obscured Visions is a very enjoyable listen and doesn't feel as mushed up as I thought it might, but I guess through it all you got those Benatar pipes a belting and you can't go wrong with that.

Track List:
01. Sometimes The Good Guys Finish First 02. Jimmy Says 03. Let's Stay Together - 12" Mix Edit 04. The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades 05. Invincible - Extended Remix 06. Rescue Me 07. New Dream Islands 08. Rise - Part 1 09. Day Gig 10. Run Between The Raindrops - Live 11. Love Is A Battlefield - Special Extended Remix 12. True Hearts 13. Tell Me Why 14. Sex As A Weapon - Extended Mix 15. Temporary Heroes - Special Remix for Radio 16. Shooting Star 17. The Effect You Have On Me 18. Every Time I Fall Back - Remix 19. Love Is A Battlefield Remix (with Queen Latifah)

bub 24 Deborah Harry - DEBRALICIOUS - RARE (2004)
And now it's Debbie's solo rarities that complete this little rarities part of our tour - Debralicious is truly delicious in the songs picked over and plucked for this rare opportunity. If you're a Debbie fanatic, you can not keep up with all the things this woman does, between small and large roles in films, appearing on other people's albums, little guest tours here and there, it's impossible to get everything Debbie ever! Even with the stuff I do own, I couldn't fit it all onto one disc. Of course some of the rare stuff I have is fairly crappy in sound anyway so some things were automically cut when it came time to make Debralicious. The main thing I wanted with these rarities collections was to be able to listen to them and actually enjoy them. It's no secret that sometimes a song is cut from an album cuz it well, sucks. So to put a ton of sucky songs onto an album doesn't exactly warrant a turn on the CD player. So I filtered through the Deborah Harry rare, live, remix and b-side collection to find the songs I really liked and thought others may enjoy as well. Debralicious opens up with one of the most beloved of Deb's rare songs - a guitar driven throw back to 60's rock called "Little GTO" that was actually orchestrated by Rodney Bingenheimer in 1978 and credited to The New York Blondes featuring Madame X - the song did fairly well on local LA charts until Chrysalis Records had it pulled as it was so obviously Debbie on vocals, Other major highlights include the strangely addictive high octane dance version of "Ghost Riders In The Sky", Debbie's sweet duet with Kermit the Frog on "Rainbow Connection" (don't laugh it is beautifully sung), the anger electronics of The Heads' "No Talking Just Head" with Debbie belting out obsceneties in a most endearing way. From the 12" UK version of the single "The Jam Was Moving" comes the extended remix of the single and an extended different version of "Inner City Spillover" that I didn't even know existed. In 1993, Deb began working on her fourth solo CD Debravation but the first ideas and first version was scrapped so I put on two of the songs that never made it onto the official version when it was re-recorded, a very strange dancey house rap called "The Date" which has our girl committing murder when her date won't leave her alone, it's actually quite hilarious when you hear it and "On A Breath" which did make it onto the UK single "Strike Me Pink" as a B-side. There's also The Ramones "Go Lil Camaro Go" another summertime car song featuring Miss Harry's vocals, the original Stock Aiken Waterman produced "Mind Over Matter" which was recorded for the movie Summer School but was scrapped when Debbie's record company wouldn't allow her to release it, so EG Daly re-recorded it, but here is the original Debbie version. Remixes of the singles "French Kissin'" and "Maybe For Sure" had some familiar fun (I think) and the whole thing ends with Debbie whipping it up Led Zep style on a live version of "Black Dog" from 1993. Yes, it's all as debralicous as it sounds, so dig in and get your Debbie rare.

Track List:
01. Little GTO 02. Inner City Spillover (Extended) 03. Ghost Riders In The Sky 04. The Date 05. Don't Cross My Mind (with Die Haut) 06. Mind Over Matter 07. Rainbow Connection (w/ Kermit The Frog - not the uncle) 08. The Jam Was Moving (Extended) 09. No Talking Just Head (w/ The Heads) 10. The Only Way (w/ Robert Jacks) 11. On A Breath 12. French Kissin' Dance Mix 13. Don't Be Cruel 14. Punk Lolita (w/ The Heads) 15. Uncontrollable Love (Blow Up feat. Debbie Harry) 16. Maybe For Sure (Tungska Mix) 17. Go 'Lil Camaro Go (The Ramones feat. Debbie Harry) 18. Black Dog (Live)

and there you have today's walk through the Bubbatunes vault - stay tuned for next time when we meet a couple of rocking gals, one with a couple of blackhearts, one gogo bopping cherub girl, one pissy missy, some man with a piano, a country poppin' gal, oh and probably Pat Benatar!

posted by swivek @ 9:04 AM