S.o.t.D. - Move – Ministry

Move – Ministry

Really surprised by this. For many years I had known this tune from Keith LeBlanc’s 1989 Stranger Than Fiction album, and also from Tackhead’s M.O.V.E. It certainly has that very distinctive On-U-Sound sound. Then I belatedly hear this for the first time. So I’m guessing this is an outtake from the production work Adrian Sherwood did for 1986’ Twitch.

It kicks ass, no matter what the progeny of this song is.

S.o.t.D. - Stormy Weather – Fats Comet

Stormy Weather – Fats Comet

Or...Tackhead in another guise. The vocals are sampled from a version of the song done in the 1930s by Bert Ambrose and His Orchestra with vocals by Sam Browne

S.o.t.D. - Delgado Riddim – Deedar Zaman, Adrian Sherwood & Skip McDonald

Delgado Riddim – Deedar Zaman, Adrian Sherwood & Skip McDonald

Deedar Zaman is unknown to me, but Skip McDonald and Adrian Sherwood I’m a huge fan of, and have been for a long time.

S.o.t.D. - The Value of Nothing – Flux

The Value of Nothing – Flux

The unmistakeable sound of Adrian Sherwood, and the members of African Head Charge and Dub Syndicate helping to flesh out his ideas.

S.o.t.D. - Eugenic Device – Creation Rebel & The New Age Steppers

Eugenic Device – Creation Rebel & The New Age Steppers

Classic from 1981. 

S.o.t.D. - Night Train – Lee “Scratch” Perry & Dub Syndicate

Night Train  – Lee “Scratch” Perry & Dub Syndicate

A slightly different version from the one I played yesterday.

S.o.t.D. - Night Train – Dub Syndicate

Night Train – Dub Syndicate

Just learned Style Scott was killed at 58. Loved Dub Syndicate live. I’ll always cherish that night. Classic sound of Adrian Sherwood and On-U-Sound in this. His production is what drew me to dub.

S.o.t.D. - Move – Keith LeBlanc

Move – Keith LeBlanc

There is also a version of this by Tackhead called M.O.V.E. 

One of the greatest drummers ever.

S.o.t.D. - Forbidden Colour/Forbidden Dub – Mark Stewart

Forbidden Colour/Forbidden Dub – Mark Stewart

Finally, someone posted this. I have played these two tracks probably thousands, tens of thousands of times over the years. A cover of the Ryuichi Sakamoto/David Sylvian tracks from the Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence soundtrack. Their version is considerably airier. This one is a more ominous version, that really hangs on the edge.

S.o.t.D. - Technology Works Dub – Keith LeBlanc

Technology Works Dub – Keith LeBlanc

On-U-Sound – still blowing my mind all these years later.

The images in this are culled from the work of Edward Burtynsky. If you haven’t seen Manufactured Landscapes, you really need to.

S.o.t.D. - The Wrong Name and The Wrong Number – Mark Stewart and the Maffia

The Wrong Name and The Wrong Number – Mark Stewart and the Maffia

Crunchy industrial dub, with some William S. Burroughs samples thrown in for good measure.

My strange brush with fame comes in the form of going to the RPM club to see Mark, Gary Clail, Tackhead et al., on my birthday. The show fell during the time that the G-7 summit was going on in Toronto. I went to the washroom, and while at the urinal I see a lanky guy standing next to me. Out of the corner of my eye I see that it is Mark Stewart. At the same time two uniformed RCMP officers come into the washroom, look around, push open the doors to the stalls, look inside and leave. Given Mr. Stewarts agit-prop music with its undercurrent of paranoia, I thought this was a little freaky. Not wanting to look like a total dork, I didn’t talk to Mark while we had our dicks in our hands. At the sinks though he struck up a conversation with me. Sure enough his paranoid tendencies were tweaked by the sight of Canada’s national police. We chatted for a minute, told him I loved his stuff, was looking forward to the show and if he could please pass along to the other lads how much I loved their stuff.

Still one of the best shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending.

S.o.t.D. - Nothing Is Not Done – Flux

Nothing Is Not Done – Flux

I never paid much attention to Flux Of Pink Indians, because I wasn’t ever into that whole Crass punk thing. But when they transformed into Flux and got Adrian Sherwood to produce the album Uncarved Block, and got members of African Head Charge and Dub Syndicate to play on it, holy moly, did I sit up and take notice. Everything Sherwood touched became gold in my eyes, and this record was no exception.

S.o.t.D. - You Drummers Listen Good – Keith LeBlanc

You Drummers Listen Good – Keith LeBlanc

If money was no object and I wanted to put together a group of musicians to get all the track ideas I have in my head out, Keith Leblanc would be the first person I would call up for drumming duties.

S.o.t.D. - Pounding System – Dub Syndicate

Pounding System – Dub Syndicate

That point at about :45 seconds in, I have played that bit many times. Pounding system indeed. Besides a great name, I really enjoyed seeing these guys live.

S.o.t.D. - Mind At The End Of The Tether – Tackhead

Mind At The End Of The Tether – Tackhead 

The equivalent of a sonic grenade going off in my brain when I first heard the On-U-Sound sound.

S.o.t.D. - The Game – Tackhead

The Game – Tackhead
The Game (instrumental version) – Tackhead 

Mentioned Keith LeBlanc yesterday. Lots of stuff on On-U-Sound completely rocked my world back in the mid-80s, but this one in particular was so eargasmically good. The first concert I went to in a licensed venue, was the Tackhead/Fats Comet/Mark Stewart and the Maffia/Gary Clail/On-U-Sound tour that came to RPM in Toronto. It still ranks as one of the very best live shows I’ve ever been to. Awe inspiring concert from start to finish. The first note was that opening guitar riff from The Game. 3½ hours later, Keith LeBlanc drumming the entire show, everyone was spent. Easily my favourite drummer ever. What I wouldn’t give to relive that concert.

S.o.t.D. - Rockchester – Fats Comet

Rockchester – Fats Comet

If I had to list a favourite producer, it would probably be Adrian Sherwood. There have always been certain labels I would happily buy anything from. 4AD, Factory, Ninja Tune and On-U-Sound come to mind. The first concert I went to (well, legally in a place that served alcohol anyway) was the Tackhead/Fats Comet/Mark Stewart and the Maffia/Gary Clail/On-U-Sound tour that came to RPM in Toronto. It still ranks as one of the very best live shows I’ve ever been to. 3½ hours of dubby-funky-industrial goodness, with the incredible Mr. Keith LeBlanc laying down a killer beat the whole time. From the first chord of Tackhead’s The Game to the final note - mindblowing. Stuff like Fats Comet really broadened my mind to a lot of different stuff.