BEEHIVE CANDY

A second helping of 'Whats Up Doc' this month, exclusively for The Puppini Sisters . OK I am a little late as their second album was released in February, and yes, they have received considerable attention in the UK media, however just in case you have missed them, here's an unashamed plug from the Beehive! The Puppini Sisters led the British retro wave in 2006 with their 1940’s-influenced blend of pop with swing, a gorgeous sense of glamour, and fun. Their debut record, Betcha Bottom Dollar , was the fastest selling jazz debut in Britain on its release, also debuting at number 2 on the US jazz charts and in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. In that vein, their second album The Rise & Fall Of Ruby Woo is a collection of highly original songs written by the trio, including “I Can’t Believe I’m Not A Millionaire” and “Jilted,” as well as extraordinary covers of tunes by artists ranging from Barry Manilow to BeyoncÈ. The Puppinis’ trademark watertight harmonie...

Declan Patrick MacManus aka Elvis Costello was one of a good number of energetic performers on the London 'pub' circuit in the mid 1970's. He was linked to the 'punk' scene and perhaps more fittingly to the development of 'new wave' music. This recording is from his first USA tour in 1978, with material from his 1977 debut (My Aim Is True), and his then forthcoming new album 'This Years Model'. The frenetic energy of Elvis Costello and The Attractions is recaptured in full on this recording. Performing live at The Warner Theater, Washington DC, USA on the 28th February 1978, the concert was broadcast on WHFS-FM. Set List is: 1.Pump it up. 2.Waiting for the end of the world. 3.No action. 4.Less than zero. 5.The beat. 6.(The angels wanna wear my) Red shoes. 7.(I don't want to go to) Chelsea. 8.Hand in hand. 9.Little triggers. 10.Radio radio. 11.You belong to me. 12.Lipstick vogue. 13.Watching the detectives. 14.Mystery dance. 15.Miracle man 16.Bl...

This is what the UK's Uncut Magazine had to say about Wilco in 2007. 'Sometime in the late 1980s, Jeff Tweedy and some friends from Belleville, Illinois, formed a band called Uncle Tupelo. They were pretty good, as it happens, but the impact they had was phenomenal. By fusing American roots music with the scrappy vigour of punk and grunge, Uncle Tupelo accidentally kicked off the entire alternative country scene. Quite an achievement. But that wasn’t good enough for Jeff Tweedy. In 1994, Uncle Tupelo split up, and Tweedy began a quest to stretch the parameters of what we could loosely call Americana - though he’d probably baulk at the term himself. Tweedy put together Wilco and, over the course of six studio albums, various elaborate and rewarding projects and multiple gifted line-ups, the band have become one of the most inventive and popular bands in America'. Praise indeed, and having listened to their music over the years, I tend to agree that Wilco are one high quali...

This is the April minimalist edition of 'Whats Up Doc', in keeping with those fine chaps The Raconteurs website . Released recently then, check out the excellent new Raconteurs album - 'Consolers Of The Lonely'. The Raconteurs - 2 - Salute Your Solution.mp3 The Raconteurs - 05 - The Switch and the Spur.mp3 The Raconteurs - 13 - These Stones Will Shout.mp3 (links for The Raconteurs removed - see comments below) However those nice folks at NPR are currently 'officially' streaming two tracks from the new album HERE . Buy HERE. Portishead have not rushed into their third album (called Third) fans may also want to tread a little carefully - mixed revues all round. Links Removed - MP3 Policy. Portishead - Machine Gun.mp3 Buy HERE . REM recently released 'Accelerate', if you are a fan you will probably have a copy (reviews have been generally quite positive), if you are unsure then checkout: REM - 06 Accelerate.mp3 REM - 10 Horse to Water.mp3 You can lead ...

Franz Ferdinand seem to have survived the curse of the 'Mercury Music Prize' and a third album is due out later this year (October 08). The new album will apparently have an 'African' feel to it (they recently performed at the Africa Express show in Liverpool). Anyway this particular concert has a Franz Ferdinand feel to it (music that girls can dance to), and reminds us that they breathed life back into the British music scene not so long ago, even if they do remind me of The Jam. Performing in Amsterdam on the 11th March 2006 this set comprises of songs from the first two albums: 01 - Cheating On You 02 - Jacqueline 03 - Tell Her Tonight 04 - Shopping For Blood 05 - Take Me Out 06 - Love And Destroy 07 - Truck Stop 08 - This Fire 09 - Michael 10 - Darts Of Pleasure Band Line up: Alex Kapranos - lead vocals, guitar Nick McCarthy - rhythm guitar, keyboards Bob Hardy - bass guitar Paul Thomson - drums This is a 192kbps - stereo FM recording. THE DOWNLOAD LINK IS IN C...

Bob Marley and the Wailers undertook the 'Catch A Fire' tour from April 27th to July 21st 1973, in the UK and then finishing in the USA. The set list varied from show to show on this tour, however this gig captures those songs most frequently performed, and includes both Peter Tosh compositions (Stop That Train and 400 Years). The running order is also fairly typical of the gigs where these songs were performed. This concert was at The BBC's Paris Theatre in London, the line up included Wailers stalwarts Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. The concert lasted just 45 minutes and an additional performance of Jammin' recorded at Pittsburgh in 1980 is included at the end. This then is Bob Marley and the Wailers live at the BBC Paris Theatre, on the 24th May 1973. Set list is: 1. Rastafarian Chant 2. Slave Driver 3. Stop The Train 4. No More Trouble 5. 400 Years 6. Midnight Raver 7. Stir It Up 8. Concrete Jungle 9. Get Up Stand Up 10. Kinky Reggae Re broa...

America (the band) formed in 1970. By the time of this concert in 1975, they were in the process of releasing their first 'greatest hits' album. With five albums released by 1975 (the first two went platinum, the following three gold), the band who formed in London (UK), had achieved popularity and commercial success both sides of the Atlantic. The band continue to tour and record, this concert however is from their first era of success. Performing at the Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA, USA on the 4th May 1975 this is a full concert from America . Set list: 01. Intro 02. Tin Man 03. Muskrat Love 04. Baby It's Up To You 05. Moon Song 06. Old Man Took 07. To Each His Own 08. Lonely People 09. I Need You 10. Don't Cross The River 11. Ventura Highway 12. Only In Your Heart 13. Woman Tonight 14. Story Of A Teenager 15. Half A Man 16. Company 17. Hollywood 18. Sister Golden Hair 19. crowd noise 20. Sandman 21. A Horse With No Name The recordi...

This is Bon Jovi live, back on the 29th June 1985, at the Milwaukee WI, Summerfest in the USA. I had the pleasure of seeing Bon Jovi perform at the final concert at the old Wembley Stadium, London in 2000, prior to the place being demolished and rebuilt. I was never a great fan of Bon Jovi however I was impressed on than night, and even if the show was a little bit 'show biz' rather than just rock'n'roll, it was easy to understand why they sell out stadiums with ease. This boot, is from the period just prior to them hitting major success with their third album 'Slippery When Wet'. The concert was I understand circulated as 'Get Ready' on the Japanese boot label Bondage. Set list was: 1. Tokyo Road 2. Breakout 3. Only Lonely 4. She Don't Know Me 5. Shot Through The Heart 6. Ritchie Sambora guitar solo/In And Out Of Love 7. Runaway 8. Home/Get Ready 9. Burning For Love Band line up was: Jon Bon Jovi (lead vocals, rhythm guitar)...

A while back I was emailed asking if I had any Yes bootlegs ( I accidentally deleted the message, so apologies to the sender for never replying). The answer was of course yes . I recently came across this show, and one song prompted me to start featuring the band. Lets take a step back. I have most official Yes material both on vinyl and CD, so I have to admit more than a passing interest in the band. That said, down the years I have also found them infuriating! The self indulgent, pretentious, 'prog rock at it's worst' moments, have left me cringing, and the stage costumes in the seventies and eighties, a million miles from street credibility, can only make me gag. However, and a very big however at that! in the right mood and on the right day, Yes can still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was one particular track inclusion on this boot, that even before listening, had me poised for a little neck hair rising. The song in question is 'America' th...

This is Creedence Clearwater Revival , live at Woodstock. John Fogerty felt the band's performance was below standard on the night, this was after all CCR at their peak of success both live and commercially. As a result their concert did not appear on the Woodstock soundtrack or film, (several CCR tracks from the event were included in the 1990s commemorative box set.) The band also complained that they had to take the stage at three in the morning because The Grateful Dead had jammed far past their scheduled set time, (and many of the audience had gone to sleep - no change there then - sorry Dead-Heads). All of that said and having listened to this boot of the show, I have to say I think they were harsh on themselves, this is full on CCR, at a true moment in musical history. This then is Creedence Clearwater Revival on August 16th 1969, live at Woodstock. Set List: 01 Born on the Bayou 02 Green River 03 Ninity Nine and a Half 04 Bootleg 05 Commotion 06 Bad Moon ...

The 1970 Isle of Wight festival was the third and final year of the early festivals history. With an estimated 600,000 people in attendance both the organisers and the islanders had enough after this event. Free were a young band who first came together to rehearse at the Nag's Head pub in Battersea, London, on April 19, 1968. Bass player Andy Fraser, was only 15 years old while lead singer Paul Rodgers, lead guitarist Paul Kossoff, and drummer Simon Kirke, were also still teenagers. It would have been hard to imagine that just over two years later they would perform to such a large audience. Just three years later in 1973 the band disbanded, however they left classics such as 'All Right Now' and 'Wishing Well' along with some superb album tracks for posterity. This is Free live at East Afton Farm, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England, the home for the third festival, on Sunday 30th August 1970. Set List: 01 Ride on a Pony 02 Woman 03 The Stealer ...

Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) formed A Flock of Seagulls with his brother Ali (drums) and Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later. The group released its debut EP early in 1981, and while the record failed to chart, its lead track, 'Telecommunication' became an underground hit in Euro-disco and new wave clubs. The band signed a major-label contract with Jive by the end of the year, and their eponymous debut album appeared in the spring of 1982. 'I Ran (So Far Away)' was released as the first single from the album, and MTV quickly picked up on its video, which featured long shots of Mike Score and his distinctive, cascading hair. The single climbed into the American Top Ten, taking the album along with it. In the U.K., 'I Ran' didn't make the Top 40 (highest position 43), but 'Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)' reached number ten later that year. Which in commercial terms was the hi...

Welcome to this months 'Whats Up Doc' . They have been called 'pop surrealists' and 'new wave kooks', their original 'trade mark hairstyles' clearly have had an influence on this blog, whatever, they are The B52's , and in these dark times, any band that can pick up sixteen years after they left off, with some fun music gets my vote! The new album 'Funplex' is due out later this month, and here are two songs and two versions of the title track including a CSS remix, (CSS are just one of numerous bands to happily admit the positive impact The B52's have had on their music). Links Removed - MP3 Policy. The B-52s - Funplex.mp3 The B-52s - Funplex (CSS Remix).mp3 B52s - Hot Corner.mp3 Album details and purchase option HERE . Another favorite band of The Beehive are The Black Crowes , who finally have their new album 'Warpaint' out, as of yesterday. Recently insulted by Maxim magazine who reviewed and graded the album without even ...

Echo & the Bunnymen formed in Liverpool in 1978 making them a whopping thirty years old this year, and as always reminding me of my own state of aging! Their original lineup included vocalist Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant, who both continue to be, the main stays of the band. The band are scheduled to play a sell out show in September this year at London's Royal Albert Hall, complete with an orchestra to perform the album 'Ocean Rain'. A little removed from their 'post punk' beginnings in Liverpool three full decades ago. Anyhow, this is from just one decade ago and features Echo and The Bunnymen live at The Kilburn National, in London on the 17th October 1997. This concert was broadcast by the BBC, and this is a good quality FM stereo recording of the gig. Set list is: 1. Rescue. 2. I want to be there when you come. 3. Baseball Bill. 4. The Cutter. 5. Just a touch away. 6. Crocodiles. 7. Forgiven. 8. I'll fly tonight. 9. Seven seas. 10. Villiers...

This is Madonna live on the 1990 Blond Ambition Tour. This particular show from the 31st July 1990 was performed at the Estadi Olímpic, Barcelona, Spain, and featured a seven minutes long extravagant fireworks display after the show. The show apparently had a few glitches. Numerous technical mistakes included Madonna forgetting part of the lyrics to "Sooner or Later" and "Material Girl," and getting her monocle caught on her head-microphone at the beginning of "Express Yourself". Not realizing that her headset microphone was still live as she exited the stage after " Where's the Party ," resulted in her command at a backstage crew member to "Get the f### out of my f#####' way" and complaints about the oppressive heat to be broadcast to the audience while the dancers performed during the closing of the number. Also, at the end of "Holiday" a man came on stage and put a shirt on Madonna to promote a product as Ma...

This is Heart Live in Chicago, USA, on the 3rd August 1976. This boot has been called 'Heart'n'Zeppelin' for obvious reasons, tracks one, three, and five are all Led Zeppelin covers, which for Heart fans would, I imagine, make this something of a collectors item. This recording was from a single CD, with some obvious editing, however this remains a feisty performance with an excellent collection of songs. Band line up was: Ann Wilson - lead vocals Nancy Wilson - guitar and vocals Roger Fisher - lead guitar Howard Leese - guitar Michael Derosier - drums Steven Fossen - bass guitar Set list: 1. Rock 'n roll 2. Heartless 3. The Battle Of Evermore 4. White Lightning & Wine 5. The Rover 6. Devil's Delight 7. Magic Man 8. Crazy On You 9. Barracuda The recording is stereo soundboard sourced and good quality. REPLACEMENT DOWNLOAD LINK IN COMMENTS BELOW (29/05/2010).

This is a live concert from The Cult , from 1985, the year they broke through to mainstream success in the UK. In March 1985, The Cult recorded their fourth single, "She Sells Sanctuary", which charted at Number 15 in the UK charts. It re-entered the charts at Number 56 in September 1986, spending 41 consecutive weeks on the charts. The song has also been voted Number 18 in one of VH1's Top Indie 100 charts. For me The Cult were one of the defining bands of the 'post punk' era. The clear impression was of a band that played what they wanted to play, with a refreshing energy, and enjoyment for good old rock music. Just to demonstrate how 'time flies' (as if the 1985 concert date was not enough) it was nearly two years later that The Cult, toured the USA as headliners, with a widely unknown band called Guns'N'Roses. This is The Cult at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, on the 31st October, 1985. The set list is: 1.Love. 2.Nirvana. 3.Christians. 4.Holl...

Having vivid, exciting, and first hand memories of the punk revolution, that was the mid 1970's, I remain surprised that the expression 'progressive rock' remains, as a use-able tag. I suppose one of the saving graces of 'prog rock' from those heady late sixties and early seventies days, was the fact many of the performers were very capable musicians. From a very English perspective, I never really thought of Focus as 'prog rockers' , after all they were from Holland ! Those quirky alto flute riffs, accordion presence, 'different' guitar and drum solos, whistling, nonsensical vocals, falsetto singing, and yodeling, were a by product of being Dutch. Focus remain to this day, and appear comfortable with the 'prog rock' tag, however I would venture to say, that however much my collection of old 'prog albums' grows, I cannot say for certain they belong there. Rock they are, different they are, Dutch they remain, but their old music, h...

This is The Bangles live a couple of years before they hit the big time, with 'Manic Monday'. Having morphed from The Bangs (for legal reasons), the band was part of the so called 'Paisley Underground' scene in LA, which featured groups that played a mixture of 1960s influenced folk-rock and jangle pop with a more modern punk/ garage band undertone. This is the band performing in Valencia, which a quick google suggests, is a pretty up market and wealthy location, sorry I do not know the specific venue. In actual fact the band played two shows on this date, and I am pleased to have both of them to share, hence some songs appear twice, however they are very much to individual performances. This is The Bangles - Valencia, CA, USA on the 27th May 1983. Set lists are as follows: Early Show: Mary Street Hazy shade of winter I'm in line Where were you when I needed you Restless Live Dover Beach The Real world All about you Tell me Want you How i...

I am not a number !! - I am a free man !! - welcome to number six of 'Whats Up Doc' (fans of the sixties TV series The Prisoner, will know what I am on about). The Drive By Truckers new album 'Brighter Than Creation's Dark' , is the top choice for both of the UK's leading music monthlies, Uncut and Mojo Magazine, for their album reviews, in the March 2008 publications. Not surprising, this is one incredible album. Based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of five members (Mike Cooley, Patterson Hood, and Shonna Tucker) originally hail from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama, this is 'southern rock / Alt Country' at it's finest, I cannot recommend this album enough! From the album check out: Links Removed - MP3 Policy. Drive By Truckers - Self Destructive Zones (07).mp3 Here is a live version (unofficial) recorded in Athens, Georgia a month ago, of another track on the new album. Drive By Truckers - 3 Dimes Down (Live Version - 12th Jan 08).mp...