Gamson is very busy these days.  He is credited as producing and  writing “Stephen” and “Backstabber” on Ke$ha’s album “Animal.” This album was #1 on billboard recently. “Tik Tok” on that ablum (which Gamson did not do) just might break Debby Boone’s 1977 hit “You light up my Life” record of 10 consecutive weeks at number 1 by a female artist.  ”Tik Tok” is # 1 now in its 9th week! (Not really Scritti related, but big music news)

Gamson also and recently wrote “Sure Fire Winners” for Adam Lambert’s recent album “For Your Entertainment.”

Current Scritti Politti keyboardist Rockin’ Rhodri Marsden pointed out the revelation of the new best of compilation album on a french website which makes the assertion that it will be available March 29th, 2010. Click here for a link.

update: added album title, ‘Absolute best of album’, Rhodri’s revelation, details on Gamson’s recent work.

Thanks Mr. F and mystery man for the pic and live tunes.

Wood Beez

Where Fat Lies Ant Follow

Human Fly

Queen Elizabeth Hall
ROBYN HITCHCOCK AND HIS FRIENDS
Diaphanously Yours
Friday 4 September 2009, 8pm

Robyn Hitchcock and his friends featuring Alessi’s Ark, Graham Coxon, Green Gartside, John Hegley, Mike Heron and Max Eastley play a selection of his own and other insect-related songs with added sound effects, including clicks, rubbings and hisses. Plus the premiere of Mandible Raga, a devouring instrumental, and the Abdomen Suite, a mating drone. Songs include ‘Madonna Of The Wasps’, ‘Insect Mother’, ‘Antwoman’, ‘Red Locust Frenzy’, and a cover Wire’s classic ‘I Am The Fly’.

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/calendar/productions/robyn-hitchcock-and-his-friend-47930

(As if the pics weren’t enough- Thanks for the video and article too Matt!)

I’ve been visiting London this past week, and as a longtime fan of the British folk-rock musician Richard Thompson, I bought tickets to a pair of related Barbican Centre concerts held over the weekend. Saturday’s concert was a reunion of Thompson’s original band, Fairport Convention, and Sunday’s was a tribute to the Incredible String Band, with Thompson as one of many special guests.

I know Fairport’s music well and very much enjoyed that show, but having never quite connected with ISB’s albums, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect last night, especially with the non-participation of central band member Robin Williamson. So although I was curious to see Thompson outside of his usual context and I’m always happy to catch Robyn Hitchcock live, Rhodri’s report that he and Green would be participating was responsible for making me excited to attend. Happily, it proved to be a worthwhile evening.

Before I say anything about the show, I’d like to note that the opening song on “Daring Adventures,” Thompson’s 1986 solo album, is “Bone Through Her Nose,” a seemingly snide song about a glam woman who adheres to all the rituals of being an urban “tribal animal” save having the aforementioned bone. And one of her attributes, he snarls, is a “boyfriend who plays in Scritti Politti.” So I never in my life expected to see Messrs. Thompson and Gartside sharing a stage, which they repeatedly did last night. I’ve sent John Hyde a fuzzy image of the two together, which he’s free to post somewhere for all here to see.

Because I’m not familiar with ISB’s music, I’ve copied a detailed set-list report that was posted overnight on the ISB group’s site by one “N. Lowe.” Well done, N., whoever you are. But for several reasons, I can report that Green appears to know the ISB’s music well. For one, on the ensemble numbers for which he provided harmony vocals, I often saw him mouthing lyrics that someone else was responsible for singing.

Green also told a delightful tale before performing “God Dog” about how ISB’s music made his not very nice town more livable, and also how he got his ears pierced after seeing Robin Williamson’s piercings on the cover of an ISB album, causing him to be exiled by his parents to his grandparents’ home. Green also brought down the house with his anecdote about hearing ISB live in Bristol, which so excited him that he ran out into the street after the concert and was struck by a car, causing him to lose the feeling in his leg for six months. “So,” he concluded, “they had quite an impact on me.”

Anyhow, as you can see from the set list below, Green was a frequent participant in the evening’s festivities, performing two featured songs with Rhodri and also providing vocals on ensemble numbers, including the opener and the final encore. For both featured tunes, he was paired with Camilla (Kami) Thompson, the daughter of Richard and Linda Thompson, whose sweet voice melded perfectly with Green’s.

I’ll leave it to Rhodri to assess the musical success of the evening, but to these ears, both “Dust Be Diamonds” and “God Dog” sounded great. Green was in superb voice throughout, and I repeatedly heard his voice soaring over the massed ensemble vocals. Both in the set list below and at the lobby bar afterwards, people were appreciative that Rhodri seemed to playing the Dolly Collins arrangement of “God Dog.” I’m afraid I don’t understand this, but good on ya, Rhodri.

I went out to the lobby with friends during the interval/intermission and was amazed to see a number of the performers mingling with the crowd. I spotted Rhodri and buttonholed him. He was as gracious and informative as ever, and also insisted that I say hello to Green, which I did, briefly. I asked Green about “Bone Through Her Nose” and he chuckled, jokingly adding that Thompson had promised him a “cash settlement” for the song mention.

Anyhow, I’m not quite sure how Scritti’s participation in this one-off evening came to be, but for me, the presence of Green and Rhodri immeasurably enhanced the evening’s musical value. And now I’m wondering if Green will mention Fairport on his next album.

–Matt

(Click either image for larger picture)

I think this version is the studio version of the track, not the live radio version.
I could be wrong…I ordered mine anyhow by visiting http://www.planbmag.com/order/

In the Latest issue of Plan B magazine #23: (On newsstands July 2nd.)

BONDE DO ROLE – Pervy office juniors, natural-born hookers, trashy mashups, Diplo-baiting and gonzo sampling: Bonde Do Roles bastardised baile funk speaks the universal language of laser-guided debauchery
BJÖRK – Plan B talks to Björk about her new album Volta where she summons up a pan-global marching band of tribal drums, seafaring horns, fighting talk, perpetual motion and fierce love
RIOT GRRRL – Riot Grrrl exploded the Nineties indie status quo with punk polemic, radical picnics, cut´n´paste fervour and electrifying feminist scream-pop. Fifteen years on, The Riot Project unearths the zines, flyers, records and passion, and looks at the legacy of the original rebel girls
TAKEN BY TREES – How former Concrete Victoria Bergsman spirited herself away from the bright lights and into the woods, happy to be Taken By Trees
GOGOL BORDELLO – As global gypsy-punk gang Gogol Bordello storm the world music barricades with a furiously fun new album, their ebullient captain Eugene Hutz talks tall tales, wild tunes and the hipster reappropriation of Roma music

VOID
Gallows, Good Shoes, Why I Love Repetition, Shy Child, In The Mix: Don Cash, Strange Death Of Liberal England, Read The Label: No Fun Productions, Anni Rossi, Music That Time Forgot: Antoine Duhamel´s Nouvelle Vague soundtracks, Tour Diary: Of Montreal, Playlist: Damn You! Promotions,Guided Tour: Art Brut, Buraka Son Sistema, Jana Hunter, When We Meet: Dan Deacon, Motor Ghost, Rolo Tomassi, Lucky Dragons, Nadja, Fursaxa, The Tender Revenge Of…Turbonegro

LIVE
Les Savy Fav, White Stripes, Los Campesinos!, Scout Niblett, Venn Festival, Faster Than Sound Festival

ALBUMS
Young Marble Giants, Pissed Jeans, Air Conditioning, Andersens, Apparat, Candie Payne, Nista Nije Nista, Dntel, Box Of Dub, Shellac, Las Malas Amistades, Karl Blau, The Tuss, Municipal Waste, Sa-Ra, Lil Wayne, Stinking Lizaveta, Turbonegro, Bis, Yacht, Destroyer
REISSUES
White Noise, The Monks, Robert Forster/Grant McLennan, McCarthy, Trojan´s Furry Selection, The Step Forward Singles

MEDIA
Kindertotenlieder puts black metal on the stage; Pil and Galia Kollectiv report back from Montreal´s art scene, The Seventh Seal, Worst Case Scenario, Athens, GA: Inside Out

Plus! A free 16 track CD in association with Rough Trade, featuring Oneida, Detroit Cobras, 1990s, Basia Bulat, Lavender Diamond, Brakes, Jeffrey Lewis, Decemberists, Miracle Fortress, Scritti Politti, Taken By Trees, Antony & The Johnsons, Destroyer, Arthur Russell, Sunset Rubdown

Here is a copy of my PayPal email

Dear John Hyde,

This email confirms that you have paid Plan B Publishing Limited£7.50 GBP using PayPal.

The exchange rate for this purchase is 1 USD = 0.487353GBP

—————————————————————-

———————————–
PayPal Shopping Cart Contents
———————————–

Item Name: Plan B Issue 23, SHP=ROW Air Mail £3.50ÇA

(Received item July 6, 2007)

Sit back for 10 minutes and listen:

BBC2, Charles Hazlewood Show, May 16th 2007.mp3

Thank you Richard for these pics from the Koko gig with Green and Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip on March 29th. Time Out magazine was rumored to have been given the nod that an album from the two is on the way…

http://homepage.mac.com/johnhyde/iMovieTheater256.html

Happy Holidays to all!

John

Click on picture to enlarge.