Golden Glow is the solo project of Manchester singer/songwriter Pierre Hall, which began following serious injury sustained in a car accident. Incapable of getting around, Pierre started from scratch and honed his home demos, attracting the attention and support of Brooklyn indie-poppers The Drums. Download Adore Me, from the album Tender Is The Night – Franz Ferdinand meets Lightspeed Champion with a tip of the cap to Manchester bands past. None of the rough edges knocked off, bash it down, pump it out. Nice.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra is the new project from Ruban Neilson, of Flying Nun indie darlings The Mint Chicks. Grab a couple of slices of distorted indiefied R&B – Ffunny Ffrends (courtesy of Pitchfork) and How Can U Love Me – ahead of an eponymous debut album on Fat Possum. If Prince used Toe Rag Studios, he’d sound like this.

I remember when I met him so well, yet it must be nearly ten years ago now.. I get the feeling we’d still be talking and drinking Guinness in Islington today if I’d not had to call a halt to the interview and stagger off for my train. He’s a lovely guy, so full of stories.

The news he’s had a recurrence of his earlier health problems is not good, so I’d just like to say hang in there, big fella, we’re with you.

Here’s Bill and the boys in the best of times, covering Jimmy McCracklin’s The Walk (which did good business on the UK charts in 1979, if I remember rightly).

Related post: Interview – Bil Hurley

So don’t miss out: support your local cinema (“Hullo, is that the local cinema?” – “Well, it depends where you’re calling from”) and see these tales of.. my heroes. Then come back and tell me what I’m missing, you ‘orrible lot.

Great that Andy Serkis, well known in these here parts, of course, got the Ian Dury gig.

In recent years the Pirates sailed on, impressing old and new listeners alike with their high-powered brand of rhythm and blues. Appearances become more scarce as the gentlemen grew older, but a fair amount of the old fire and skill was always in evidence. Unfeasibly loud and forceful, for a bunch of old fellas!

In the last ten years or so, Mick had stints as a sideman with Van Morrison, Paul McCartney and Bryan Ferry.. plus his share of health problems, which have, sadly, now taken their toll.

And it IS sad, because the Pirates meant a lot to me and always will. I first saw them in that 70s renaissance (at Hudderfield Polytechnic, supported by a Cambridge new wave band called The Push, and a Pakistani escapologist!) and many times since then. An understated kind of guitar genius: Paul Burlison and Wilko Johnson rolled into one, more dextrous than either and do you know what? I never ever worked out how Mick Green did what he did.

I’m just happy I saw him do it. RIP, Mick.

After the jump, a Pirates gig review I wrote for Blues in Britain..

The Pirates – Dingwalls, Camden Lock, 17th February 2000

The burly figure of Mick Green hefts his Telecaster Custom and leans into the opening bars of ‘Peter Gunn’ and suddenly I’m 18 again. For those of us present at the second coming of THE original British rockers in the late 70′s, a chance to see them in fine form once more was too good to be missed. Frank Farley and Johnny Spence complete the classic line up: September’s last Pirates blast at the Grey Horse in Kingston was supposed to be the end, but here are our heroes back again, one more time, rocking as hard as they ever have.

Mick grins at Frank, cues in the old set-opener ‘Please Don’t Touch’, and immediately everyone in the room is bouncing up and down. All that’s missing is the illuminated galleon at the back of the stage and the pirate clothes! Johnny’s shifty second-hand car dealer attitude and solid bass playing light up the room; he’s singing loud and clear. Frank keeps the pace going; you just know he’s thinking ‘How many more times can we do this?’ but the Dingwalls crowd neither mind nor care, this is original British rock and roll heaven.

And all the old favourites just keep coming. An impossible breakneck pace on ‘Gibson Martin Fender’, a thumping ‘Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee’, a faithful version of ‘Going Back Home’. “Written with Wilko, is he here?” says Mick. ‘Do The Dog’ was done as a mid-set breather. “Johnny wants to do this one” says Mick, before the less-than-politically-correct lads-on-the-pull “Four To The Bar”. “This could be a bit iffy…” precedes a sturdy version of ‘Don’t Munchen It’. “Didn’t need a break 20 years ago” remarks Johnny as the Pirates go off for a half-time livener…..

Certain elements of the crowd have been baying for ‘Lonesome Train’ all night, and the Pirates kick off the second half with that delightful tune, and a reminiscence about their youthful days, listening to Johnny Burnette records that ex-merchant seaman Frank brought back from his travels. “Who’s actually seen Johnny Kidd on stage?” shouts Mick, answered in the affirmative by a guy who “looks about eighteen!”. Mick pockets his guitar pick and does his Paul Burlison impression on “Honey Hush”, followed with another favourite “Tear It Up”. The Pirates are chatty and so obviously at home, it’s lovely to see. It’s all becoming a bit of a blur, there’s a tear in my eye…..I know I heard fine versions of “I Can Tell” and “Sweet Love On My Mind” and “You Don’t Own Me” too.

All too soon our three heroes are drawing the set to a close, with a belting ‘Milk Cow Blues’ and the anthemic “All In It Together”, and of course a blazing “Johnny B. Goode” as the encore. There’s a genuine emotional connection between band and audience, the likes of which you just don’t see these days. Sure, Johnny forgets a few words, but the rhythm is so sound and solid and, well, just plain sweaty, and Mick is still the finest rhythm guitar player on the planet.

Was this the last ever Pirates gig? If they ever turn out again, beg, borrow or steal a ticket, you won’t regret it. The Pirates, a national treasure. To steal a quip from Pete Townshend, “Guys, don’t grow old gracefully, it wouldn’t suit you”.

Pirates photo: Yukiko Akagawa

(#2 in a series – 10 albums that shaped my musical taste)

1976 – fifteen years of age. I was gaining a bit of confidence. I explored and read about music avidly, heavily influenced by a string of young gun rock writers who plied their trade in the NME. Not the shallow travesty it is these days, mind: back then, it was a proper newspaper and you got your hands dirty, literally and metaphorically, when you read it. Nick Kent, Charles Shaar Murray, Tony Parsons & Julie Burchill.. I ate it all up. John Peel on the airwaves (on school nights, the transistor radio poised on my pillow) and Tony Wilson on the telly (just look at the schedules of ‘So It Goes’ in 1976 to see how things were changing).

I discovered ‘serious’ rock bands, lost patience with all that progressive widddly-diddly, but if it was based on the blues it took hold.. I ‘got’ the blues. And being British, the blues I got most was a sweaty stripped-down revved-up cheapskate version, purveyed by a gang of petrochemically-enhanced reprobates from Canvey Island – Dr. Feelgood.

In some ways it was easier to imagine them plotting a bank job than playing music. Just look at the cover of ‘Malpractice’ – tell me it ain’t so. Lee very much the guvnor, stony menace spread across his grim features, speeding, gritted teeth, facial tic. Wilko the psychotic younger brother out on remand, leering over Lee’s shoulder, Lee holding him back. Sparko’s the fixer, the driver, the one with the array of appallingly sharp tools in his car boot. The Big Figure is the patriarch, an avuncular be-suited secondhand car dealer, a suitcase full of fivers and a weighty blackjack in his pocket.

Wilko’s flinty propulsive guitar style spawned descendents Andy Gill and Bill Carter (and propagated right on through to Franz Ferdinand and the like). His skittering choppy licks and wild-eyed lunging fit right in to the burgeoning punk scene.. the New York New (and No) Wave mafia checked the Feelgoods as a major influence, both muscially and sartorially. What could have more raw attitude than Lee Brilleaux’s harmonica work? Hell, if he could blow like that, so could I! So I did.

Early waxings were basic, live in the studio, captured by the legendary Vic Maile. Scratchy, distorted, wiry, an almost alien sound. Thrilling stuff, but the ‘ne plus ultra’ for me was the British #1 live album (limited edition of 20000 with free 7″ single) ‘Stupidity’. A whole extra level of excitement compared to the studio recordings, the locked-in groove of Sparko and The Figure, the furious interaction between Lee and Wilko, the workrate, the roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd.

No crowd here on this video, but it’s the best. Lee’s jacket would famously not be cleaned as the years went by, Wilko’s guitar method would remain indecipherable (he’s just waving his right hand up and down, right? So where do the licks come from?) and the Feelgoods rolled on. Wilko departed, but Gypie Mayo took them to a new level of acceptance. Lee’s up in British R&B heaven now, god bless him, but his band was always an inspiration.

P.S. Part 3 of The Sacred Days You Gave Me: 1977

Back In History – The Inmates

With two albums out and following a barnstorming gig at the Borderline in September, 70s R&B giants The Inmates are back on the loose again. Keith Shackleton talked to lead singer Bill Hurley over a couple of pints, and learnt all about the soulful and bluesy world of both Bill and the band…

The Captain: Tell me about the re-released records! How did you come to make ‘Meet The Beatles’?

BH: One of our first big breaks as a band, even though we were semi-pro …a Czech guy who was into blues came to watch us quite regularly, spoke to a friend of his who had a good rock club in Paris. They asked us to do a gig there. Little did we know that this particular guy had set it up with Radio France to be broadcast, so almost overnight we were big stars! The French newspaper ‘Liberation’ was a big fan of the band and in 87 they had an idea of celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Sgt. Pepper album, with a rough and ready band just like the early Beatles and Stones.. so they asked us!

We did the concert in the suburbs of Paris, 6000 people present, and Vic Maile did the production on the mobile. It was a tall order since the Beatles had three main singers; of course in The Inmates I’m the only lead singer.. but we did it! The album did well in France and was #1 in Scandinavia and it re-established the original band; I had left The Inmates in the mid 80s because of illness.

From 87 up to today we kept the original line-up. Gil from Riverside Records had been a fan of the band from his days in France, and I got to know him when he came to London. He called and asked who had the rights to the Beatles record; we weren’t sure, Mute/Sonet who released it originally had closed down, and we didn’t even have a tape or album of the gig. In the end I think Gil found an original copy and put it out.

The Captain: And with great timing, the release ties up with the Warners ‘Best Of’ which is out now…

BH: Another guy at Warners who is a fan! He has license to do special projects and someone in France also had the same idea a couple of years ago. The two of them together with Pete and Tony from The Inmates made the selection of songs.

The Captain: All the original line up on the records?

BH: Myself singing, Peter Gunn and Tony Oliver on the guitars, Ben Donnelly on bass and Eddie Edwards on drums.

The Captain: There’s a story there from the ‘First Offence’ album isn’t there? The drummer billed as ‘Eddie, courtesy of CBS Records’.

BH: We didn’t have a drummer at that point. Vic Maile recommended Eddie to us, and he was playing with The Vibrators (which he still does even now, we share him). But he was always just known as ‘Eddie’ in those days… Jim Russell joined the band for the second album when The Vibrators were busy again.

The Captain: How did it all begin? Have you always known the guys in the band?

BH: My dad was a singer, did all the big bands in the 50s, recorded for HMV, and so I was originally influenced by a lot of the people he liked: Dinah Washington, Jimmy Rushing, Joe Williams. That’s why I wouldn’t run away from doing a ballad. But I took my own influence from rock and roll and rockabilly – Presley, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent – then all the sixties groups when they came through – Yardbirds, Pretty Things, Small Faces.

I was working for IPC Magazines and was offered a job with The Count Bishops, but couldn’t leave my job to do that. I kept looking through the Melody Maker and finally saw an advert for a band into Wilson Pickett, Stones, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf… looking for a singer. So that’s when I met Pete and Ben. The three of us sounded good! Then along came Tony Oliver from The Cannibals and also John Bull, the drummer who played on the ‘Dirty Water’ single. John left a little bit before we got our deal.

We thought we’d just be semi-pro, but we managed to get a gig from John Eichler at the Hope and Anchor on a Monday night. He liked us and gave us four more Mondays: by the fourth Monday, there was a queue round the block! Then we got the Nashville and it started to build. Max Bell reviewed one of our gigs in Melody Maker, Andrew Lauder from Radar saw it and signed us up.

We’d already recorded the Standells song ‘Dirty Water’, did the rest of the tracks and that became the ‘First Offence’ album and I quit my day job when it was going up the charts!

The Captain: The Inmates influences always seemed a little more soulful that the other 70s R&B bands.

BH: I’d say that Ben and I are the two soul fans in the band: Wilson Pickett is my favourite singer, Otis Redding, Bobby Womack, people like that. The other guys, well, Pete is into Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy, Merseybeat, and Tony likewise. I like 50s rock and roll as much as 60s Stax and 70s soul. I was never quite sure what I should be when I was a bit younger, a mod or a rocker!

I’ll tell you a funny story.. I’d just come back from a tour in France in 1981, wanted something to do so I got the newspaper, Etta James is on that night at Dingwalls, so I just had to go. I couldn’t get in, sold out. I was just walking away when I heard this voice say ‘Who was that?’. ‘It’s Bill from The Inmates’. I was called back and Etta hadn’t turned up, stuck in Paris fog-bound, the band was there so I had to rush in, make a set list and we did it! Every soul song I knew…

The Captain: You came back after your illness very strongly with the ‘Double Agent’ album.

BH: I put a band together called The Blueberries which was Geoff Britton, Gypie Mayo, Johnny Guitar and The Rumour horn section, so fortunately I got some very good players. That was a start but what really got me back into singing was Juice On The Loose, they used to invite me down to get up with them. I was given the chance to do the solo album; I paid the guys what I could afford and it got me gigs in France too, including one great headlining gig replacing Eric Burdon as top of the bill. This was alongside The Inmates who had Barrie Masters singing for them at the time!

I was trying to get something more serious together and met Drew Barfield and Brad from The Specials, which gave me a change to do the JB’s All Stars record… and then on to The Big Heat. I took round the demos for that band and the record companies were telling me it was too authentic, too ‘black’.. which disillusioned me a little. However I’d send a tape to Elvis Costello just to ask what he thought and he came on board as producer. Of course record companies were a little more interested!

But touring with a twelve piece band without big record company backing was a problem.. and then Ben called and asked me to come back and sing with The Inmates because Barrie was reforming the Hot Rods, so the Beatles album was around the start of that second period.

The Captain: You took a little sideways turn with the Elvis album, which was a big challenge. You didn’t just do the rock and roll songs but his whole career, the Vegas songs.

BH: I don’t know, he is really a favourite singer.. it was strange, it was something I’d always wanted to do but I was wary of doing it because of the Beatles album, I didn’t want us to get pegged as a covers band. It was a fun project but there were times I thought it would never see the light of day.

The Captain: And you’ve been doing some more straight-ahead blues too.

BH: I know some of the people on the current blues scene too, the guys in the Blues Connection poll. Corrine Grayson calls me up to sing sometimes, I know Todd (Sharpville)… I like going out and about to jam sessions if I’m not playing. A friend Andy Neill phoned me up out of the blue and I’m hoping to do an album with The Enforcers line-up.

In the 60s quite often I used to go and see blues acts like Freddie King, Buddy Guy and Otis Rush when they were here. I remember seeing Freddie on a Tuesday night blues club in 1967 in Finsbury Park! I looked in the newspaper regularly for that gig. One time it said ‘Next week – The New Yardbirds’. We pop down there with our mohair suits on (I suppose we were mods actually!) and the name is crossed out on the posters. Underneath of course is written Led Zeppelin. We thought it was some third-rate rock band and as it was raining we decided to go in to while away an hour, and we watched Jimmy Page and his mates do the whole of the first album!

The Captain: What now for The Inmates? Interesting times…

BH: I definitely want to do some dates, there are various festivals in place for next year and we’re talking to European agents. There’s a possibility that we might go to Japan too. Gil’s masterplan is that he would love us to go out with Nine Below Zero, the Hot Rods and the Feelgoods as a package.

The Captain: The Japanese do seem to like R&B so much, I’m sure you’ll do well.

BH: There were two other occasions when we would have gone there but didn’t; once with Wilko and once with the Feelgoods. I know what you’re saying about Japan, a fanatical guy set up a web site for us and we helped him when he came to England and wanted to see Southend and the R&B scene.. we put him in touch with Chris Fenwick. I think they like the music because of the aggression and power in the playing. Touring the continent too, they take an interest in you, before, after and during the gig. Great audiences!