Tales of cyclists, Tories and bad, bad drivers.

 As you should all know by now (see ‘here’ and ‘here’), the Streetlamp team are avid cyclists. You also can’t have failed to notice that we also like a chance to get up on our soapbox and support a worthy cause too. Happily, the cause I want to write about tonight allows me to bring both of these Streetlamp interests together in a rather neat way.

Pedal on Parliament, is a grass roots campaign of cyclists forming a cross-section of Scottish cycling: commuters, road racers and club members, mountain bikers, long-distance tourers, Dutch-bike riding city cyclists, urban single speeders, tweed-wearing rural cyclists, plus those who just like getting from A to B quickly. The purpose of the campaign is to make it safer and easier for everyone to ride a bike – whatever bike they ride.

To this end, Pedal on Parliament has released an eight-point manifesto (see below) that aims to make Scotland a cycle friendly nation. They are now calling on all Scotland’s politicians, of all parties, to sign up to it, in order to make cycling a realistic choice for everyone, from eight to eighty – and show the rest of the UK that cycling doesn’t just belong on continental Europe, but in the country where it all began:

1)    Proper funding for cycling.
2)    Design cycling into Scotland’s roads.
3)    Safer speeds where people live, work and play
4)    Integrate cycling into local transport strategies
5)    Sensible road traffic law and enforcement
6)    Reduce the risk of HGVs to cyclists and pedestrians
7)    A strategic and joined-up programme of road user training
8)    Solid research on cycling to support policy-making

The campaign is supported by local Glasgow cycling legend Magnatom, whom we have written about previously on the Streetlamp (see ‘here’), and in an attempt to raise the profile of the campaign he wrote to Annabel Goldie the Conservative (boo! hiss!) MSP for the West of Scotland. In typical Tory fashion she replied with a load of meaningless political flannel before launching the following unexpected attack on cyclists:

"However, cyclists have obligations. Some cyclists ignore red lights, thereby endangering themselves and others; others do not use proper lighting on their bikes either at night or when visibility is poor; and others still neglect to wear helmets. That is not the responsibility of Government or motorists; it is up to the cyclists to behave responsibly and to undertake the appropriate training."

Yep, you can always rely on the Tories to turn around a positive campaign for cycling in Scotland into a chance to launch an unprovoked attack on us. Truly, they have no shame. You can read the complete exchange of correspondence on Magnatom’s site ‘here’.

Recently, I was cycling in a favourite spot of mine, where the Streetlamp team often go hill-walking, in a quiet corner of rural Stirlingshire when I happened across the following sobering and sombre shrine to a fellow cyclist who’d been involved in an accident: 

This simple gesture, made by an unknown person, of placing these items at the lonely spot really brought it home to me how vulnerable we are, even when out on the sort of quiet back-roads that should be heaven for cyclists. It seems obvious to me, that with cars getting bigger and faster we MUST change drivers’ mindset on cyclists. We have every right to use roads safely just as much as drivers do.

If you agree with this sentiment, then you can play your part by getting involved with the Pedal on Parliament campaign; it doesn’t have to be very much, at the very least you could take a few seconds to sign their online petition ‘here’.

Now for a wee bit of bike-related music to lighten the mood. Here’s the sweeping, indie-surf epic Late Night Bikes by Kansas City-based band Capybara.

Great song, I think. It can be downloaded as a free MP3 ‘here’. Drummer Mark Harrison says of the song:

"I think deep down everybody has a sense of nostalgia. In 'Late Night Bikes,' it's the simple pleasure of riding bikes at night that we wanted to share, whether you're on your way to meet up with friends or running to the store to pick up milk for the cereal that you're eating alone in your apartment."

He makes late night bike riding sound very romantic, doesn’t he? Now, let’s all work together to make it safe too.

Ray

Songs in the key of Griff: Heart of Glass

Ok, Heart of Glass by Blondie - what do you know about it? Well, presumably the obvious stuff; it was written by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein and featured on the band's third

studio album, the platinum-selling Parallel Lines, which was released near the end of 1978. Hugely popular at the time, and remaining the band's most popular and best-selling album, as well as being chock-full of hit singles, Parallel Lines has also garnered its fair share of critical plaudits. Heart of Glass was plucked from the album and released as a single in January 1979, topping the charts all over the world. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song number 255 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time

That's the official line on Heart of Glass, but it's not the one that I'm here to peddle. No, I would prefer instead to deal with the song, and its place in the Blondie canon, in my own idiosyncratic manner. So read on, and if the things I write are a little disparaging then do try to keep in mind that Blondie were, and still are, a band who hold a very dear place in my heart. For this is a 'songs in the key of Griff' piece with a difference; in some respects, I come to bury Heart of Glass, not to praise it.

Firstly, let's remind ourselves of the song. The version on the video below is the globe-straddling, chart-topping, mega-pop hit that you'll all be familiar with. However, I've chosen not to embed the famous Studio 54 video that is normally associated with the song but to go with a mimed performance from, what I believe is, a German pop TV show of the time. Have a look.

What did you think? Good song? Great song, maybe - or is something missing? The reason I wanted to use this video is that, in line with the theory I'll develop below, I believe it shows the band going through the motions in the most desultory fashion possible whilst their iconic lead singer, in a vain attempt to entertain, attempts a few woodenly choreographed moves, but mainly stands rooted to the spot, apparently overcome with ennui. Harsh, maybe, but look again, this just isn't a band enjoying itself and loving the music. This is a band, presumably in the middle of an expansive world tour, at the very top of the arc of pop fame, and who all look as though the very life is ebbing from them minute by minute. In my opinion, the video above demonstrates Blondie consumed by the big-label pop machine culture. So, why do I think this is? Let me explain.

First taking recognisable shape in 1975, Blondie grew out of the nascent New York punk scene with an idiosyncratic sound; one-part garage punk, one-part bubblegum pop, one-part New York, heroin chic art-rock, and one-part provided by the cynical, street-wise, squatter glamour of lead-singer Debbie Harry (pictured below).

Right from the band's inception, they experimented with mixing styles and genres in beguiling and unpredictable ways. In the early 70s, New York city was very much the crucible where disco music was formed; in 1974 New York City's WPIX-FM premiered the first disco radio show. But it wasn't on the airwaves that disco developed but, obviously, on the dance floors. In clubs favoured by the African American, Latino and gay communities, the sound was developed as a reaction against the po-faced, macho-posturing of rock music and the derogation of dance music by counterculture intellectuals during this period. Ever ones to experiment with new styles and forms, the band recorded a demo in 1975 of a song which utilised a scratchy, funky, rhythm guitar riff and a basic, slowed-down, disco beat. Never really firming the demo up into a completed song, the band referred to it simply as 'The Disco Song' and put it on the back-burner. Have a listen:

It's an odd little piece, don't you think, a real chimera. You feel as though the, unsteady on its feet, disco rhythm is going to fall apart at any minute and the lolloping reggae bass-line almost succeeds in unbalancing the whole thing. Debbie Harry, provides the vocal in her trademark early style, coming across like a wise-cracking, gum-chewing, New York waitress busting a cocky customer's ass; the line "soon turned out to be a pain in the ass" fitting perfectly with that persona. Yes, it's a not-quite-altogether, grubby piece of musical hybridisation, and I love it. This is a band capturing the moment, at the moment, and having fun doing so. Those of you who've played in bands will know the carefree, creative, doesn't really matter attitude that goes with this; it’s a feeling you can't fake and its why we call it PLAYING music; it's play, pure and simple.

The band went on to release their debut, and still their best, album, the eponymous Blondie, in 1976 and followed this up with the patchy Plastic Letters in 1977. Around this time, the band had another stab at recording a demo of 'The Disco Song', by this time known as 'Once I Had A Love'.

Have a listen:

I like this. It's more recognisably in the pop-rock style of Blondie at the period. The woozy bass line has been replaced by something more solid and Debbie's tough and brassy vocal complements the rough and rugged instrumentation. I find this version very evocative, it has the muffled, grimy, unpolished spirit of a live performance; it sounds like the sort of thing that's vigorously making the venue pound whilst you're in a cubicle in the toilets doing something illegal.

So, what happened next? Well next, the band then decided to record the song for the album, to be called Parallel Lines, which was to be produced by old-style, uber-pop producer Mike Chapman. How did Chapman, a man who had made his reputation churning out formulaic pop songs to provide a conveyer belt of hits for the likes of the Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Smokie and Mud, get teamed up with the unprofessional, art-school squalor style that Blondie represented, you may well wonder. Simple, at this time Blondie were gaining recognition as a punk/New Wave act in Australia and the UK. At home, in the US, however, they were still very much an underground band. Terry Ellis, the English co-founder of Chrysalis music, wanted to assign a producer who could virtually guarantee that the material Blondie brought to the summer 1978 sessions evolved into hit material; and he believed that man was his compatriot Chapman.

Chapman says, of his recruitment:

"I wasn't being used as a songwriter, but as a song manipulator and song construction consultant/technician. There was a lot of stuff that needed to be put together, because as loose as the band was, their songs were even looser." 

The band was, says Chapman:

"Musically the worst band I ever worked with."

So how did producer and band regard one another in the studio? Chapman says of the time:

"The Blondies were tough in the studio, real tough. None of them liked each other, except Chris and Debbie, and there was so much animosity. They were really, really juvenile in their approach to life

— a classic New York underground rock band — and they didn't give a fuck about anything. They just wanted to have fun and didn't want to work too hard getting it."

Regarding his own attitude:

"By then the only writing responsibilities I had were to come up with a hit or two each year for both Suzi Quatro and Smokie, and those were easy gigs because they were nice people to work with. There was no suffering on those sessions. Blondie, on the other hand, was all about suffering."

"Musically, Blondie were hopelessly horrible when we first began rehearsing for Parallel Lines, and in terms of my attitude they didn't know what had hit them. I basically went in there like Adolf Hitler and said, 'You are going to make a great record, and that means you're going to start playing better'."

"My relationship with Blondie was very interesting. As I’ve said, I was a perfectionist in the studio, and it was extremely hard for Debbie and the guys to accept my authority. I expected greatness from them and I got it. I had no choice but to use the whip to get those performances and make all those hits. Poor Debbie! She really didn’t know what hit her at first."

And what were his views on 'Once I Had A Love (the disco song)’?

" 'Heart Of Glass', on the other hand, was called 'Once I Had A Love' and they had it in a lot of different versions, but it wasn't right in any form. After they'd played me the covers, as well as some of their sketchy song ideas, I decided the first thing we should work on was 'Once I Had A Love’, I thought that track was the one that probably needed the most attention, because even though it was complete, it was wrong, and I knew that if we could get it right it might be a big hit. So there we were on the first day of rehearsals, in some little hole-in-the-wall on the Lower East Side, and all of the band members were being very, very cautious about having a new producer. This was not their idea, they would have gone back to Richard Gottehrer. And although they knew who I was and what I'd accomplished, they didn't quite understand what was going to happen. Neither did I."

Indeed.

"At the first rehearsal we worked on "Heart of Glass." This proved to be a blessing and a huge step forward in cementing our working relationship. It was a great idea that needed to be put into the right shape to find a home on American radio play lists."

"When we were rehearsing Heart of Glass, the song was a little different from the way it ended up.

It was sort of reggae-punk. I was worried that the reggae ingredient might lessen its potential in the US, so I discussed changing the vibe on the very first day. Debbie and Chris really liked the vibe that Georgio Moroder had with Donna Summer, so we decided to give it a bit of that and it sort of snowballed from there."

So, in an attempt to make a commercially viable pop hit, Chapman takes the song and basically remodels it into a clone of Donna Summer's 1977 disco smash hit 'I Feel Love'. Here's how that sounded:

Hear the similarities? Compare especially the vocals. As I've outlined above, one of the defining aspects of the Blondie sound is Harry's brassy, rock-pop singing style. Chapman, however, opts instead to ask her to modify it and then smooth it out with a sleek double-tracked vocal behind a single-track to produce a high-pitched cooing which sounds like Harry doing a karaoke version of Summer, and removes virtually all trace of emotion.

On top of that, for this track, Chapman changed the entire way that Blondie, a live rock band, recorded. The entire production of Heart of Glass was built around the use of a Roland CR-78 Drum Machine. This, for a band that included the drumming phenomenon that is Clem Burke! To add insult to injury, when it came to record the real drums, Chapman insisted on recording them one piece at a time; the kick drum first, then a hi-hat after that, followed by a snare etc etc.

Chapman recalls:

"Clem didn't want to do it this way at all, and he was very, very moody, but Debbie and Chris were running the show and they said, 'Just do it.' He hated it, and he probably still does, but at the end of that first day we had a great drum track and we all knew it."

Apart from Clem, presumably.

Once the band had recorded their parts to Chapman's satisfaction he set about manipulating the song to his own ends and, admittedly, came up with a hit record bought by many millions of people. He then changed the song title, explaining;

"At the same time, we also changed the title. I said, 'You can't call it 'Once I Had A Love'. The hook line in there is 'heart of glass'. Let's call it 'Heart Of Glass'.

The final change to the song, as we were first introduced to it, was to deal with the issue of the use of the expression "pain in the ass" within the lyrics which, at the time, did not sit easily with the BBC in the UK. The radio edit changed it to "heart of glass" and a hit was born. Interestingly, in Australia, the song was banned altogether from the radio on account of its "strong language."

( Blondie singer Debbie Harry and keyboard player Jimmy Destri in the studio with Chapman - presumably they've just heard his take on 'Once I Had A Love')

Blondie's Chapman produced Parallel Lines became the perfect encapsulation of money-spinning, high-tech, 1978, pop-rock (all 38 glossy minutes of it), and became a ubiquitous feature in virtually every home in the UK. I own it, and I do like it, after a fashion, but, for me, it comes nowhere close to matching the surprising musical delights offered up by Blondie on their debut album. Why is that? Simply, it lacks soul. To a certain extent, it's the sound of a band ground down by the pop-machine and simply going through the motions; which brings us back to the video at the top of the article.

You see, I like my music raw, genuine and emotional, and no amount of industry awards or platinum records can alter the fact that, if music doesn't move me, then it can never mean anything to me. No doubt, Chapman has become a very rich man through the rewards from his career in music and, after working with Blondie, he continued to fashion hits, penning Simply the Best for Tina Turner and Love is a Battlefield for Pat Benatar.

Chapman/Blondie’s Heart of Glass continues to be enjoyed on dance floors around the world. But is it art? When you take a classic New York underground rock band and turn them into anodyne, radio friendly purveyors of hummable, but emotionless, pop hits what have you achieved? Money, yes; fame, yes;  the regard of others in the 'industry', yes. But like Blondie might have said in 1976 - so fucking what?

I hope you've enjoyed this little tale of how a song can evolve from being a fun, mess-about in the rehearsal room to a massive, multi-national hit. Finally, I'm probably not supposed to do this but you can download the demo version of 'The Disco Song' 'here' and the demo version of 'Once I Had A Love' 'here'.

Enjoy!

Griff

xx

Griff says; Heavy metal mayhem! - Plutonian Ode.

If the article title made you do a double-take, then please forgive my little joke. The Streetlamp is not, of course, straying into the overblown, cock-rock territory of heavy metal music but, instead, does intend to add a few more precious points to the pretentionometer with an article on contemporary, American, 'classical' composer Philip Glass (pictured below). And the reason for our little foray into the world of orchestral music is that tomorrow, Thursday 24th May, at 7.30pm, in the sumptuous setting of the Grand Hall of Glasgow's City Halls, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is giving the UK Premiere of the composer’s Sixth Symphony.

 Naturally, the Streetlamp will be there, and as tickets are still available at a not unreasonably priced £12, we wanted to give our readers based in central Scotland the chance to attend what should be an excellent night of music.
The concert is part of the 75th birthday celebrations for Philip Glass and his Sixth Symphony is an apposite choice of piece as it was commissioned 10 years ago to mark his 65th birthday. Glass's Sixth Symphony, Plutonian Ode, is named for and inspired by poet, and anti-war activist, Allen Ginsberg's epic poem of the same title. The late Ginsberg, a long-time friend of Glass, is now widely, and properly, recognised as the pivotal figure linking the 50s Beat Generation and the counter-cultural revolution of the 1960s.

Ginsberg (pictured above) wrote Plutonian Ode in 1978, at the height of the cold war, as an impassioned plea against the arms race and nuclear armament. During the last ten years of his life, he and Glass had performed frequently together in poetry/music collaborations. It had been their plan to collaborate on a piece based on Plutonian Ode but, unfortunately, Glass was unable to complete it until after Allen's death.
The three movements of the symphony follow the three parts of the poem, and follow, also, the narrative arc of the poem -- the first movement is a passionate outcry against nuclear contamination and pollution, the second a turn towards healing, and the final movement an epiphany arrived at through personal transformation.

The text of Plutonian Ode can be read 'here'. An MP3 of Ginsberg reading the poem (as well as MP3s of many of his other works) can be downloaded freely from the wonderful University of Pennsylvania site 'here'.

Here is a part of the first movement of Glass's Symphony to whet your appetite:




Tomorrow night, the orchestra will be conducted by Nicholas Collon, Principal Conductor of the Aurora Orchestra. Plutonian Ode is preceded by Richard Strauss’s classic tone-poem of decay and rebirth, Death and Transfiguration.

While we're on the subject of nuclear weapons and nuclear contamination, it seems like a good time to remind you all that, as of June 12th, the Faslane Peace Camp will have been in existence for 30 years. To celebrate this, a 30 Day campaign of anti-nuclear insubordination, from June 9th to July 9th, has been planned.

I visited the peace camp myself recently and I would urge anyone interested in this issue to get along and find out how you can help. With a vote on Scottish Independence and Trident replacement in the offing, now seems like the ideal time to revive the Faslane campaign. Due to the nature of some of the happenings being, ahem, not entirely approved by the MOD, the Faslane Peace activists are unable to provide a full list of events. However, here are the ones that they have announced;

PEACE PICNIC JUNE 17TH: Helensburgh CND would like to invite all local groups to a peace picnic at Faslane North Gate on Sunday June 17th from noon to 4pm. Jeely Peace cafe from Stirling CND will provide catering. Please bring banners, musical instruments and your friends. The Peace Camp will be pleased to welcome you before or after the picnic, or any time, ever.

PEACE MARCH FROM GLASGOW TO FASLANE 21ST-23RD JUNE: A group of enthusiastic walkers and concerned citizens will meet at George Square, Glasgow at midday on Thurs 21 June to walk to Faslane in the name of peace and no nukes! They will be stopping to camp en route overnight. The pace will be relaxed. Bring banners and practical shoes!

 RISE UP SINGING 1ST AND 2ND JULY: *Come and sing Trident out of Faslane and out of Scotland! *To re-invigorate the diverse creativity of Faslane 365 and to keep the issue of nuclear weapons firmly in the public eye and on the political agenda, Rise Up Singing (a Trident Ploughshares affinity group) has organised a two-day gathering to celebrate the 30th birthday of Faslane Peace Camp. Everyone welcome! No singing experience necessary. Bring a song to share, a banner and some cake, and we'll provide the tea.

ACADEMIC SEMINAR ROADBLOCK 6TH JULY: On Friday July 6th academics and activists from all over the world will participate in a seminar blockade as part of Faslane 30. The seminar blockade will be peaceful but will insist on claiming the public space for democratic debate on what security means both geopolitically and in people’s everyday lives. The seminar will involve creative public and participatory scholarship, using a variety of media and forms alongside workshops for small group debate, experience sharing and other kinds of learning. The timing and exact locations of seminar events will necessarily be determined on the day, but participants are invited to gather at the Peace Camp between 8 and 9.30 am.

CIRCA 7TH JULY: The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA) will NOT be marching on Faslane nuclear submarine lair on Saturday 7th of July, oh no. Even though the Trident missiles at Faslane Naval Base could kill all the Clowns on the planet we won’t be there. Even though the Trident missiles at Faslane are going to be replaced at an astronomic cost when all Clowns are feeling the pinch, we will not be roused to action. Even though none of our Clown comrades and friends in Scotland want Trident or its replacement, CIRCA aren’t for turning (up). Most of all, even though Rebel Clowns would defend everyone for just the price of a rubber dingy and load of custard pies, even though Trident replacement will take our Army jobs away, we will NOT be part of Faslane 30. Academics say that CIRCA has died a death in Britain, and they are right. They must be right because they are academics and academics know everything about elites, exploitation, militarisation… (Funny how nothing changes, then, eh?) However. A new Army of Rebel Clowns from all over Britain is trained and ready to join our international comrades and peace camp friends to PARTY on the 30th anniversary of resisting nuclear nonsense at Faslane. If Trident makes us redundant and academics pronounce use dead, we will come to the party as the unemployable undead, as gummy vampires, vegan zombies and mangy werewolves. CIRCA will NOT be marching on Faslane, but a ghost army of Rebels Clowns – seasoned corpses and the freshly (sic) deceased (diseased?) might, just might, be there! Come on, do the Resurrection-Insurrection Shuffle!

Sound interesting? Then get yourself along to Faslane Peace Camp this summer. There are scenic camping spots, and vegan food will be provided for all meals (donations for which will be gratefully received from those who can afford it). Caravans will be allocated on a needs basis first, so do let the Peace Campers know in advance. They can answer questions and queries by email at faslane30@riseup.net or phone them on 01436 820901 or 07511793227. 

If you live in Scotland and you simply can't get along to support the Peace Camp's 30th birthday then you can at least support Scottish CND's Nae Nuclear Weapons Here Campaign. All Scottish CND want people to do is to add a pin to their map to show that people in every corner of this country want to see nuclear disarmament. Add your pin 'here'. 

Griff 
xx

Griff says: California Über Alles - It's Eva on the Western Castle Island

I think we've probably got a unique combination of nationalities in a pop group for you tonight. If you know differently get in touch, but as far as we know Eva on the Western Castle Island are the only Finnish/Malaysian indie-pop group out there. The Finnish contingent is Ilkka, Eero and Martin who met in High School and who have been playing together ever since. In the spring of 2011, the boys found Eva through an advertisement she had posted on an internet music forum. Eva is a Malaysian/Chinese singer who had been singing as a professional in her homeland of Malaysia but had become disillusioned. Deciding that she needed a change, she moved to Finland, where her sister lived, and the rest is history.

Eva on the Western Castle Island have so far released only three singles; Shooting Stars & Satellites, 夏之恋 (Happy), and the nicely named PandaWonder - 奇幻熊猫. All of the songs are available as free digital downloads on their bandcamp page. Eva, as may be apparent from the song titles, sometimes sings in English and sometimes in her native Chinese. Her vocals give the band a distinctive Asian pop influence that sits nicely with the boys indie-surf accompaniment.
The line-up of the band is:
Eva Wong - Vocals
Eero Vesterinen- Bass, Vocals & Backing Vocals
Ilkka Saarinen - Guitar & Backing Vocals
Martin Linnankoski - Drums & Percussions

If you're wondering where the band name comes from, the surnames above give a clue, well to Finnish speakers anyway. Apparently, Eero’s surname of Vesterinen translates as Western, Martin’s surname, Linnankoski contains the word linna, which translates as castle, and Ilkka’s surname is Saarinen, containing saari, which equates to island. OK, that all clear now?

Anyway, the band recently got in touch to tell us about an acoustic video they have recently filmed for one of their new songs, California Shrills. I wanted to share it with you as I thought it was rather sweet. The band play on a raft, colourfully decorated with rugs and pot plants, on a freezing cold day on a small lake opposite, what looks like, a power station. It all seemed so whimsical, and featured such charming melodica playing, that I had to share it with you:




I hope you enjoyed that, I know I did. As well as bandcamp, the band can be found on tumblr, soundcloud and Facebook.


Griff
xx