Carly Simon - Why? (Extended Version) (WEA, 1982)

Euphoric but philosophical disco gem from The Chic Organisation.

The variety of delicious covers of Chic songs prove that Messrs. Rodgers and Edwards were genius songwriters as well as masterful musicians and producers. Not least The Memory Band's rustic version of 'Why' but also Paul Weller's acoustic take on 'Thinking Of You'.

After creating hits for themselves through the late 70s, they became a production team for hire as the 70s turned into the 80s creating some amazing records - 'Spacer' by Sheila B. Devotion, Norma Jean's 'Saturday', Sister Sledge's 'Lost In Music', Diana Ross' 'My Old Piano' - as well as being a massive influence on the likes of New Order.

This one-off single was from a film soundtrack but the skeletal funk, silvery guitar lines, clattering drum sequences, delicious flow and that melody line work perfectly with Carly Simon's vocal. It's seven minutes of bliss.

Download Carly Simon 'Why? (Extended Version)' (Chic, funk, disco, genius, mp3) (Divshare)

The The - Uncertain Smile (12" Mix) (Some Bizzare/Epic, 1982)

More classic angst.

Beginning like Steve Reich gone bendy, 'Uncertain Smile' soon settles into a rolling, indie lilt with a milkman-friendly melody. Matt Johnson mumbles the words like he's talking to himself on a bus, drawing you in to listen closer.

'Uncertain Smile' has a folksier feel to it than the more aggressive sound of the later 'Infected', 'Sweet Bird Of Truth' and so on. This 12" mix drifts gently across ten minutes, taking in long instrumental sections and building in intensity.

Download The The - Uncertain Smile (12" Mix) (Some Bizzare, mp3) (Divshare)

Scritti Politti - Faithless (12inch Version) (Rough Trade, 1982)

Expansive version of the Scritti Politti classic that takes in Lovers Rock, Miles Davis and Zapp.

What exactly is Scritti Politti?

From scratchy post-punk beginnings to unashamedly uber-polished machine-tooled pop. And onwards to home-made meta-pop across a journey of 30 years. It's always been hard to comprehend an artist responsible for both 'Skank Bloc Bologna' and 'Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy)' but I love them equally.

I came to the 'Songs To Remember' after the future-perfection of 'Cupid & Psyche '85' and it is probably the coolest of all the Scritti albums. A concoction of dub, Lovers Rock and just a hint of the scratchiness of the early records.

Though I wasn't buying Scritti Politti records (or any records at all for that matter) in 1982, you can see that each single release leading up to the album gained an extra lacquer of polish. The sleeves are works of art, modelled on a range of luxury brands, seeming to suggest that Green Gartside was slowly turning Scritti into something similar.

This extended, extended version of 'Faithless' runs to almost ten minutes. It's a luxurious, funk-tinged thing that spins off into instrumental bliss, weaving Miles Davis-esque trumpet and Roger Troutman vocoder into the loose, relaxed extemporisation. Of course, both these influencers would go on to appear on later Scritti records (answers on a postcard...).

Sublime.

Download Scritti Politti 'Faithless (12" Version)' (alternative pop mp3, RT101) (Rapidshare)

Re-Post - Wah! 'The Story Of The Blues (Part One and Part Two)' (Eternal, 1982)

Managed to track down a 12" copy of this since I posted about it previously and posted an mp3 of the 7" version, 'The Story Of The Blues (Part One)'.

The full, seven minutes plus, version is glorious.

Download Wah! 'The Story Of The Blues (Part One and Part Two)' (mp3) (Box)

The Mighty Wah! - The Story Of The Blues (Eternal, 1982) (mp3)

My earliest memory of this song is on the 'Top 40 of 1982' that I'd taped off the radio (replete with the chocolate tones of Tommy Vance). Can't remember where it was in the Top 40 of 1982, but it was a number three hit when it came out (thanks Wikipedia). Back then it still took a decent amount of sales (500,000, I suppose) to hit the top end of the charts.

On that badly edited radio taping, the tune definitely stuck in my head but I know that it's an awesome record, packed with soul and yearning and hope and defiance. The soaring strings buoy you up, Wylie's vocal strains for something other and the strangely chattering drum patterns builds a sense of anticipation that the sweeping, majestic chorus delivers on.

Pete Wylie is/was one of pop's mavericks - like Dexys' Kevin Rowland, ABC's Martin Fry, Echo & The Bunnymen circa 'Ocean Rain' - who just has to pursue his own vision and conjures magic out of intensity and passion. Strangely it occurs to me that Patrick Wolf might be the closest thing we have to this type of songwriter these days.

The b-side features a spoken word version of the song, Pete Wylie waxing lyrical, delivering a pep-talk for the maintenance of personal pride and communal faith in the face of political onslaught (at the time it was Thatcher's 'restructuring' of the unionised industries).

As his website currently proclaims - Pete Wylie: Part time rock star, full time legend. Word.

Download Wah 'The Story Of The Blues (Part 1)' (mp3) (Mediafire)