OMD - Live in Glasgow 1983

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark or OMD as they are more conveniently referred too, emerged from the Wirral Peninsula in the north west of England.

Their live debut was in October 1978, close to home in nearby Liverpool.

By the time this concert took place less than five years later, they had already notched up six top twenty singles and three top ten albums in the UK.

Not bad for a band, whose electronic and partly Kraftwerk influenced music, was often very different from the mainstream at that time.

In fairness founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys had an ear for a good tune, and with the likes of former Gong bassist Mike Howlett producing some of the material, they had every chance of the success they achieved.

When I first heard 'Messages' I was blown away, having been a fan of the likes of Germany's Can, Kraftwerk, and Amon Duul, at last an English band with enough personal originality was coming up with really classy electronic music, yep this band bring back fond musical memories for me.

Live the band are really good, a little more funky, with a closeness to the original songs, without allowing the technology to dampen a live concert buzz.

This recording of OMD is from The Glasgow Apollo, Glasgow, Scotland, recorded live on the 28th April 1983.

The set list is:

01 - Genetic Engineering (3:36)
02 - Messages (4:42)
03 - She's Leaving (4:05)
04 - Georgia (3:49)
05 - Julia's Song (4:44)
06 - Joan Of Arc (3:25)
07 - Maid Of Orleans (3:26)
08 - Romance Of The Telescope (3:29)
09 - Souvenir (3:42)
10 - Telegraph (3:48)
11 - Radio Waves (3:37)
12 - Bunker Soldiers (2:53)
13 - Enola Gay (4:20)
14 - Silent Running (4:05)

The sound quality is very good - an FM stereo recording.

REPLACEMENT DOWNLOAD LINK IN COMMENTS OR CLICK ON THE PICTURE (10TH SEPTEMBER 2009).

The Beehive Candy Store has some OMD Cd's in stock - click HERE to check out.

Whats Up Doc - Number Five - January 2008

You may have noticed, January 2008 has arrived.

Well although it can be a lean month for new music, I have two bands that I reckon can be pretty big this year, mind you - the competition will be tough.

Just look at some of the established acts with new albums lined up, and these are just the ones I am looking forward to right now!

In no particular order... Emmylou Harris, Marianne Faithful, Franz Ferdinand, CSS, Madness, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Black Crowes, Billy Bragg, Guillemots, Martha Wainwright, Drive By Truckers, REM, David Byrne, Moby, PJ Harvey, Primal Scream, Supergrass, Counting Crows and The Pogues.

Musically that's quite a taster for the year to come.

However if you want a recommendation right now, then if you have not yet enjoyed No Fixed Abode, can I be the first to share this superb band with you.

Their roots may be in folk (predominately modern), however as I listen I hear so many inspirations (The Waterboys, Bruce Springsteen, Fairport Convention and a host of others) that said, this really is a refreshing current sound, and I love it!

Check out these two songs, and if you are attracted by them, the album builds superbly on these.

On a personal note, this really is a band I would urge you to tell your friends about.

No Fixed Abode - 02 - Kebab.mp3

No Fixed Abode - 05 - Absent.mp3

You can buy their album HERE along with a chance to read independent reviews, or sample the whole album first.

Also the No Fixed Abode My Space site is HERE.

Next we are off to Brooklyn, New York, for a band that yes are already featured on other blogs - MGMT.

They are, I understand on the David Letterman show in the USA today, and touring in the USA right now.

It's a simple case of 'I like their music'. OK I am old enough to be their collective father, but they have an energy that translates into great music. The proof is in the eating so enjoy these tracks from their wonderfully titled 2007 Oracular Spectacular album:

Links Removed - MP3 Policy.

MGMT - Electric Feel.mp3

MGMT - Kids.mp3

MGMT - Tiime to Pretend.mp3

You can find out more HERE at their My Space site, along with link details for purchasing their music.

Finally I am going back to a time, when not only was I not old enough to be anyones father, I was in some cases not even born.

I tend to avoid main stream compilation albums, as they often include the same old boring songs, that have made much of todays radio, so predictable and boring.

However despite the clearly defined marketing for December purchasers, and a few of the usual suspects, Dreamboats and Petticoats, is a wonderful trip back to a time when a very young me, wondered what all the fuss was about ( and then along came Radio Caroline).

A few examples from this compilation to help explain:

Links Removed - MP3 Policy.

John Leyton_Johnny Remember Me.mp3

Helen Shapiro - It Might as Well Rain Until September.mp3

Connie Francis - Who's Sorry Now [50s Oldies].mp3

Mike Sarne & Wendy Richards - Come Outside.mp3

Connie Frances - Lipstick On Your Collar.mp3

Find out more from this really diverse but rather aged double album along with purchase options HERE.

OK so I started off talking about the year to come and new artists, and somehow I have dragged you back to the late 1950's and early 1960's!

Lets hope that musically the year 2008 delivers, it does not look so bright on the other horizons does it?

Finally the random 'Whats Up Doc' mp3, and why not?

Lighthouse Family - Lifted.mp3

Whiskeytown - Live at Cats Cradle 1995

Whiskeytown only released three albums, and yet they are often cited as one of the key elements in the development of the alternative country rock scene or 'Americana' during the 1990's.

Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary were the only two members of Whiskeytown to see the whole adventure through, indeed Ryan Adams had a reputation of being difficult to work with during the bands history, and therefore the overall turnover of members was quite high.

Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1994, the bands first album was released in 1996.

Describing this era the entry in Wikipedia states:

Faithless Street, released on Mood Food Records in 1996, established the band as one of the genre's leaders, thanks to glowing reviews in publications such as No Depression, and helped the band score a major-label record deal with the Geffen Records imprint Outpost.

Faithless was re-released on the imprint in 1998 with nearly a dozen bonus tracks from the era, some of which are new, and others of which showed up on Stranger's Almanac, Rural Free Delivery, and other early EPs in different versions. One track, "Oklahoma," was removed. Adams claimed that the reason for the re-release was the muddy sound of the original version and his distaste for "Oklahoma," which was added to the album despite his objections.

The liner notes to the re-release provide some insight to the band's dynamic at the time, referring to the lineup as "this version of Whiskeytown" and featuring a quote from Adams regarding the 1995 recording sessions: "In retrospect, I knew that was the last optimism I was gonna have for a long time."

All of which makes this particular recording poignant.

Recorded 'relatively' close to the bands hometown of Raleigh North Carolina, at Cats Cradle a highly established venue at 300 East Main Street, Carrboro, North Carolina, USA, this is a fascinating concert before their debut album was released.

It also captures the band in their early stages of development and comfortable to play a few diverse cover songs along with their own material.

This then is Whiskeytown at Cat's Cradle, Carborro, NC, on the 25th May 1995

The Set list is:

01. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart
02. Lucky Me
03. Drugstore Truck Driving Man
04. Don't Take Your Guns To Town
05. Tennessee Square
06. Desperate Ain't Lonely
07. Top Dollar
08. Midway Park
09. Western Stars (Chris Isaak)
10. Blank Generation (Richard Hell)
11. Way Down In The County
12. This May Be The Last Time (Staple Singers)
13. Faithless Street
14. Encore Break/Interlude
15. Drank Like A River
16. If He Can't Have You

The band line up is:

Ryan Adams
Caitlin Cary
Phil Wandscher
Steve Grothmann
Skillet Gilmore

The sound quality is exceptional, it is most likely a direct stereo soundboard copy.

THE REPLACEMENT DOWNLOAD LINK IS AVAILABLE IN COMMENTS BELOW (3rd September 2009).

Whiskeytown, Ryan Adams, and Caitlin Cary, material is available HERE in the Beehive Candy Amazon affiliate store.

Pink Floyd - Studio Out Takes & Demos 1971 - 1972

Pink Floyd out takes and demos from 1971 and 1972.

There is plenty of Pink Floyd material around from this era, including studio out takes.

I plan to feature a couple of live concerts from the seventies in due course, however decided to start with these out takes for one specific reason.

The quality is really good, all mp3's are at 320kbps, and the journey from the original masters is a limited one, retaining much of the initial quality.

I am personally fascinated by the first track 'On The Run' and where this piece of music may have originally gone, alas - as with all musical history from bands like Pink Floyd there remain so many 'what ifs'.

Track listing is:

1. ON THE RUN (OUTTAKE) 1.44m
(Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, November 1972)

2. TIME (DEMO) 6.05m
(Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, June 1972)

3. MONEY (ACOUSTIC DEMO) 1.38m
(Recording location unknown, 1971)

4. US & THEM (DEMO) 5.27m
(Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, June 1972)

5. BRAIN DAMAGE / ECLIPSE (DEMO) 3.24m
(Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, June 1972)

6. BRAIN DAMAGE (OUTTAKE, PART 1) 1.24m
7. BRAIN DAMAGE (OUTTAKE, PART 2) 2.18m
(Both recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, November 1972)

8. ONE OF THESE DAYS (DEMO ONE) 4.50m
9. ONE OF THESE DAYS (DEMO TWO) 6.49m
(Recording studios unknown - 1971)

Reloaded - 03/June/2015 - download link in comments.