Jubilee - Genuine Nineties Manchester Snot Pop (WTS Popkid No.6)

               

Alright! I'm obviously in a 90s mood and I guess this is something every middle-aged man goes through as he rediscovers and re-embraces his memories of the parties, the booze, the girls, the music, the past glories in general. Judging by the comments and visits, this blog's fanbase mainly like their music from other decades, but I don't really care. If you're smart enough, just listen to what I'm offering - you won't be disappointed!

Formed in 1994, Jubilee were a popular live act in Manchester, regularly packing out venues across the city. Managed by former Hacienda and Stone Roses manager Howard Jones, they were local superstars and championed by the music press as Manchester’s answer to more popular britpop bands such as Supergrass with influences ranging from the Small Faces and the Sham 69 to Syd era Pink Floyd and of course, the Stone Roses (in fact, the pair of main tracks on their singles were much more reminiscent of Oasis' punkier tunes, such as 'Bring It On Down'). Jubilee's snot pop sound proved very popular with the city's student population and Silverstone Records signed them in 1995. Both of their EPs are issued by Mono subsidiary and both releases scraped the Top 50 in 1996. 

Conflicts soon arose within the management, with the band becoming disillusioned with Jones after he pushed Andy Couzens (his collaborator and former member of the Stone Roses) to produce their first single. The band was upset with the end result and the fact that Jones had let an inexperienced producer to work on their record. Typical stuff I guess. Jubilee decided not to provide Silvertone with any more recordings, considering that the record company had not fulfilled its contractual obligations and that there had been insufficient promotion of their second and last move with 'Shake and Shiver'. Jubilee and Silvertone parted ways in 1997 amid bitterness and bad blood. Although they continued to play for a year, the momentum had clearly been lost. As you already have guessed, here you’ll find their two releases for Mono. 

The band is now considered as a junkshop britpop act but believe me they had much more to offer than mediocre outfits that were relatively or hugely successful, such as Menswear or the Bluetones.

Beady Eye - Complete 7Inches (WTS Popkid No.3)

Beady Eye was often dismissed as Oasis 2.0, whatever that means, but they were much more than that. Of course they sounded like Oasis minus Noel, because that's what they were (duh!). People expected that, and there are plenty of things to be snobby about just to seem hip or sophisticated to a certain crowd, but nobody actually gives a fuck. You know why? Because, just like The Faces, Slade or The Ramones, Beady Eye (or Oasis, for that matter) was always a people's band. There were no pretentious assholes, just an old-school rock 'n' roll gang with a warmth that knicked whatever they liked, just like their heroes did. So fuck you very much if you came that far!

Their reception among critics and the "indie" mob was, at best, sceptical. Their records just weren't good enough for them. I don't know what they were thinking and to be honest to this day I'm typing these lines, I don't care. Because you don't buy into Beady Eye for the groundbreaking stuff, mate. I mean, take a closer look at them. Their artwork and aesthetic were massively influenced by the Immediate Records and the whole Swinging London scene. I have always been captivated by their connoisseur, characterised by that mod-style dressing with flashy shirts and scarves, not to mention the incredible jackets, reminiscent of those worn by The Creation, The Birds and any other mid-to-late sixties freakbeat band worth their salt, along of course with those iconic Beatles hairdos from the "Rubber Soul" era. 

As for the songs, you can clearly hear the influence from The Beatles and The Who to the early Humble Pie or Status Quo at their most hooligan and pub rowdy. Even when they tried to adopt a more adventurous and psychedelic approach, on their second and last step "BE" incorporating the motorik Velvets rhythms (and some Stooges like one note piano), they were still able to produce some seriously good music when they were in the mood for it. 

So, if there's one thing I can be sure about, it's that Beady Eye were definitely a singles kind of band. Thinking of this, I gathered all their seven-inch singles, even the Pretty Green super rare remixes two-sider and after a LONG hiatus, I played them all again on my earphones and I'm telling you guys and gals that I haven't been able to listen to another band for two days in a row now. 

Anyway, I always thought they were great and didn't deserve to fail so badly or having such a bad mouthing. Beady Eye was rock 'n' roll at its best, in a time real rock'n'roll was/is under most people's radar and definitely underground. There's none of that mainstream stuff, no anthemic choruses, and it's kind of raw — at least by Oasis standards. And when the songs were good, they were fuckin' brilliant! And oh, at least had an identity. After all, you can't take the opinions and criticism of people who thought their haircuts weren't cool seriously. They're clueless and have no connection to rock 'n' roll or its history. Right? RIGHT!

The Charlatans - The Early Singles: 1989-1994 (WTS Popkid No.1)

Let's go back to the 90s, when I was entering adolescence and taking my first steps beyond the Beatles and Elvis. That's when you start listening to other things besides what's in your parents' record collection (and mine didn't have much, they were mainly fans of the Greek new wave and obviously of Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis) and you unwittingly start getting into subcultures without knowing it, adopting their dresscode, hairstyles and behaviors.

The radio played mostly Greek music-let's say a good 90% of it, which made the whole endeavor even more difficult. Of the remaining 10%, 9% was mainstream nonsense. Those were difficult times. Until the indie scene boom came to MTV, we were literally living in a desert. The fanzines and clubs of Athens were two hours away from where I grew up, and it took me a few years to go there to study.

So, apart from what I've already written, the first song that blew my mind was 'The Only One I Know' by The Charlatans. I first heard it at a local disco at a dance held by my school. I don't know if the DJ was just playing whatever was a hit or if he knew what he was doing and managed to slip this into the programme, but either way, it did the job. The Hammond organ stuck in my mind. The vocals were unlike anything I had ever heard before: ethereal and carefree. I just started dancing in pure euphoria.

To cut a long story short, I came across that song again and finally found out what it was and who sang it while I was tuning in to one or two radio stations in Athens that played 'different' kind of music one weekend when I was visiting my grandmother. That's where I caught the virus. To this day, I still consider The Charlatans to be one of my favourite bands. Outsiders and survivors of any music trend of the industry. Baggy, Britpop, you name it.

Their early years, of course, still hold a special place in my heart. The way they married dance rhythms played by non electronic organs and 60s sounds are still unbeatable. Don't get me wrong; I love most of the Inspiral Carpets and like-minded bands, and I have them in my record collection, but the Charlatans did it better. Their neo-psychedelic, maddening drumbeat and the crazed Hammond pays tribute to both ? & The Mysterians and Deep Purple Mk1. It's no surprise that they were fans of The Prisoners.

I have collected all of their singles and EPs, along with all of the B-sides, from their early days until they changed direction while retaining their significance. At first, I had thought about including the demos too, but I decided that the musical journey is already long enough for those of you who decide to follow it.

Much love and respect to Rob Collins, Jon Brooks and all the surviving members who are continuing the legacy.