While buying CDs in HMV Oxford Circus, a lady approaches me.
‘Weren’t you at the Sebastian Horsley party?’
‘I was.’
‘I was wondering if you’d be interested in having your photo taken modelling some suits? For Paul Smith?’
Easiest question in my life. I give her my details.
And there I was worrying that I wasn’t ‘networking’ enough at the swanky Horsley do. Now I realise that just turning up and standing around is all that’s really necessary. Turning up at all is nine-tenths of everything. Turn up at a blank page, and you WILL write. The next step is turning up on time, and doing it regularly enough, but I’m working on that.
***
Here’s the CDs I bought, all of which I highly recommend. Interestingly, all three feature British bookish types playing soul music, whether Northern or Philly. Sissy Soul, if you like.
Edwyn Collins: You’ll Never Know (My Love)
The original indiepop soulboy, without whom etc etc. CD sleeve features Edwyn’s left-hand drawing of a badger, part of his therapy after losing the use of his right arm via the life-threatening stroke a couple of years ago. The song is his blissful Philly-Soul-influenced best since Orange Juice’s ‘A Sad Lament’. Crunchy guitars, echoey blips, soaring ‘Betcha By Golly Wow’ falsettos, catchy chorus.
I can sincerely say it’s the best single out this week to come with a free left-hand drawing of a badger. Does Rhianna give you southpaw watercolours of wolf cubs? Does Kanye West offer sinistral linocuts of lemurs? You see, that’s just where they’re going wrong.
Here’s the Edwyn video. Note his Peter Andre and Steps dolls.
Andy Lewis & Paul Weller: Are You Trying To Be Lonely?
Andy Lewis replaced me in the soul-tinged indie band Spearmint. He’s a rather gifted music maker in his own right, and when Mr Weller heard this Dexys-like stormer of a song, he demanded to sing the lead vocals. Mr Lewis has immaculate taste in books as well as pop music, and is responsible for introducing me to the darkly delicious London tales of Christopher Fowler.
The Go! Team: Proof Of Youth
The giddy multi-ethnic, multi-everything Brighton band’s second album, featuring Public Enemy’s Chuck D on one track. I love that the Go! Team are the missing link between Public Enemy and I’m Being Good, an archetypal tiny indie guitar band if ever there was one.
The chap in charge of the group is a bookish bloke called Ian, who believes in a musically bisexual, if not downright sissy approach to modern rap and hip-hop. All their songs sound like eight Music and Video Exchange records played at once, threatening to fall apart at any second. One of said records is clearly Neneh Cherry’s ‘Buffalo Stance’, another Malcom McClaren’s ‘Double Dutch’. Which is not a bad start in my book. An utterly glorious sweetshop of an album.
Do watch the lovely video for ‘Doing It Right’ if you haven’t already.
