Retrosonic Podcast Episode 26: "You Sing Badly, But No One Cares, You Are Elvis"

Welcome to Episode 26 of Retrosonic Podcast. Steve from Retro Man Blog and rock photographer Paul Slattery with the usual eclectic mix of Psych, Punk, Power Pop, Mod, Indie and well...just good old fashioned Rock 'n' Roll. Plus waffle and chat about Paul's forthcoming photo book on The Skids and working with Mark E Smith and The Fall. There's music and reports on recent gigs with Michael Head, The Fall, The Blue Aeroplanes and lots of brand new releases including The Past Tense, The Fallen Leaves, John Hoyles, French Boutik, TV Eye and an EXCLUSIVE track from 5 Billion In Diamonds - an amazing collaboration featuring Garbage drummer and 'Nevermind' producer Butch Vig, James Grillo, Andy Spaceland, Ebbot Lundberg, Damian O'Neill and various members of Spiritualized, Massive Attack and others! There's oldies from Shack, The Bit 'A Sweet, Johnny Thunders, Tours and Manufactured Romance...Enjoy! 

The Bit 'A Sweet "Out of Sight Out of Mind" 1967 MGM Single.

The Blue Aeroplanes "Elvis Festival" taken from the new album "Welcome, Stranger!" Review of the Islington Academy gig on January 21st can be found in the Blog archive here.

French Boutik "Le Casse" taken from the current album "Front Pop". Review of the Retro Man Blog Night featuring Paul Slattery photographs of French Boutik can be found here.

French Boutik photographed by Paul Slattery

Five Billion In Diamonds "Broken Wing" exclusive track featuring Ebbot Lundberg on vocals from the forthcoming debut album to be released by 100% Records on July 14th. Paul Slattery photographs from recording sessions with Ebbot at Press Play Studios can be found here.

5 Billion In Diamonds photographed by Paul Slattery

Shack "Dragonfly" taken from the 1995 album "Waterpistol". Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band will release their debut album "Adios Senor Pussycat" on Violette Records later this year. Review of Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band at St. George's Hall Liverpool last December can be found in the Blog archive here. Photos and videos of Michael Head at The Social on January 25th can be found in the Blog archive here.

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Photo Copyright Retro Man Blog

The Past Tense "Never Enough" new self released limited edition 7" vinyl single available now, for more information check out the band's Facebook page here.

The Past Tense photographed by Paul Slattery

TV Eye "Repartee" taken from the limited edition red vinyl album "TV Eye 1977-1978" to be released by Seventeen Records. The album can be pre-ordered from Easy Action Records here.

The Skids "Circus Games" 1980 single. Paul Slattery & Ronnie Gurr's Skids photo book will be available at the merchandise stall on the band's forthcoming 40th anniversary tour. For dates and ticket info please check out The Skids official web-site here.

Tours "Tourist Information" 1979 Virgin Records single, can be found on the compilation album "Album of The Year (That Never Was)".

The Fall "Wolf Kidult Man" taken from the 2008 album "Imperial Wax Solvent". Photos from the Southampton Engine Rooms gig on January 27th can be found in the Blog archive here.

The Fall at Southampton - Photo Copyright Retro Man Blog

Johnny Thunders "Leave Me Alone" taken from the Remarquable Records release of "Real Times" E.P. available from the label here.

John Hoyles "Talking About You" taken from the brand new album "Night Flight" available from Crusher Records here.

John Hoyles - Photo Copyright Retro Man Blog

The Fallen Leaves "Funny World" taken from the new album "What We've All Been Waiting For" available at the band's regular Minimum R'n'B Club nights at The Hope & Anchor In Islington or from the band's on-line store here.

Manufactured Romance "Time of My Life" 1980 single on Fresh Records. The band's vocalist Nina Spencer is starting up a new musical project entitled Stella and there is a crowd funding page here. 

R.I.P Nick Medlin.

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Viv Albertine - Report on book reading at The Social and news of forthcoming Autobiography

Viv Albertine in 1980 by Paul Slattery

The Bookseller have announced that Faber & Faber will be publishing the long-awaited autobiography by ex-Slits guitarist, Viv Albertine. Here's the new press release from the Publisher: "Faber and Faber has added to their growing music list by acquiring the rights for the memoirs of legendary punk, Viv Albertine. "Clothes Clothes Clothes, Music Music Music, Boys Boys Boys" will describe Albertine's career from starting a band with Sid Vicious, to her time with The Slits, and her later years as a filmmaker, wife and mother. Rights were acquired from Becky Thomas at WME Entertainment, and the book is set to be published in spring 2014. It follows books by rock critic Nick Kent and The Pogues musician James Fearnley, on Faber's growing music list. Publishing director Lee Brackstone said: "Viv's story is inspiring and it is a pleasure to spend time with her on the page. The heart of the book is, of course, the much mythologised punk scene of London in the late 1970s. "For the first time, we witness familiar events and characters, Sid Vicious, Lydon, Thunders, Mick Jones, Strummer, Ari-Up, Siouxsie etc from a female perspective". Albertine said: "The enthusiasm for this project from everyone at Faber has given me the confidence to keep writing and developing, to tell the truth, however painful. I have to write this book now, I've fought it for years, but it just won't stay in any longer." 



Viv Albertine at The Faber Social - Photo by Steve Worrall

When we attended the Faber event  at The Social, back in April, to mark the launch of James Fearnley's Pogues book "Here Comes Everybody", Viv was on the bill reading from her memoirs. Although at the time there was no official announcement that Faber were going to publish them, it seemed highly likely, so this confirmation is really good news. The passages that Viv read on the night were mainly anecdotes from her days right at the heart of the London Punk Rock explosion. She talked about her friendship with Sid Vicious and how upset she was to be sacked from their band The Flowers Of Romance. There was also a searingly honest account of the destructive fascination with Johnny Thunders. Thunders not only drove a wedge between her and Mick Jones, her Art School boyfriend, but also introduced Viv to Heroin for the first time too. In the short Q&A session after the reading, she was also brutally frank about the way she had repressed her love of music and creativity during her time spent out of the public eye as a wife and mother. But now with the unfortunate break-up of her marriage - "my Telecaster broke it apart" - she is at least, able to express herself again creatively. From the passages we were treated to on the night, this book promises to be a great, emotional read, and I am really looking forward to it's publication.

As well as her art and sculptures, Viv is currently working on her debut solo album. There is, however, an excellent E.P. available right now, entitled "Flesh", featuring four great tracks "Never Come", "I Don't Believe/In Love", "If Love" and "False Heart". This was released on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label and you can order copies via Viv's web-site. Also, if you are interested in the history of The Slits, then I would thoroughly recommend Zoë Street Howe's extremely entertaining biography of the band "Typical Girls? The Story of The Slits". (Published by Omnibus Press 2009).

Thanks to Paul Slattery for the great 1980 Viv Albertine Photo.