Few record labels hold the allure that ZTT do. Zang Tumb Tuum (or one of the other variations on the name that they have used from time to time) were formed in 1983 by Trevor Horn, his wife Jill Sinclair, and Paul Morley. Apart from an impressive range of artists, they came to be known for their videos and artwork, and remain influential to this day.
Created to release ABC‘s The Lexicon of Love, the label has gone on to house numerous huge names, including Art of Noise, 808 State, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Roy Orbison, Propaganda, Adamski, Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl, Seal, and Lisa Stansfield.
One of the most important names of the 1980s is Shep Pettibone. You’ll know him from multiple remixes and production credits, but there’s a good chance that you don’t actually know anything about him. Me neither, frankly, so let’s start with something we can all agree on – the brilliance of his 1986 remix of Love Comes Quickly, by Pet Shop Boys:
The New York-based DJ would work with Pet Shop Boys a number of times between 1986 and 1988, working on ten tracks in total. But by 1986, Pettibone was already half a decade into his career, having cut his teeth on Afrika Bambaataa‘s Jazzy Sensation in 1981:
His CV for the late 1980s is impressive to say the least, including remixes and production work for Art of Noise, The B-52s, Bee Gees, Bros, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Dusty Springfield, Elton John, Erasure, Falco, George Michael, Janet Jackson, New Order, Run DMC, Whitney Houston and many others. But his most prolific collaborator seems to have been Madonna, who used his services no less than sixteen times between 1985 and 1993. Here’s Into the Groove:
His mixes were undeniably of their time, with huge drum fills and solos, and a lot of orchestral hits – so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that his remix work dried up somewhat in the 1980s. But if you’re looking for someone who heavily impacted the sound of a particular era, Shep Pettibone should be very high on your list.
One of the most important and often forgotten artists in the world of music made a surprise reappearance last week with a little box set of rarities and live recordings. You may well not know about (The) Art of Noise, but they have a most accomplished back catalogue, including tracks such as this one, The Holy Egoism of Genius, which appears on this new collection:
Despite all my reservations about Record Store Day (mainly, the fact that only eBay sellers actually seem to get anything out of it), it’s hard not to get excited. So given the chance, you should probably think about finding your local record shop this Saturday, and seeing what might grab your fancy.
Here are some of the more interesting releases this year:
Amorphous Androgynous (sometimes also known as The Future Sound of London) – The Cartel & Remixes (2xLP, UK only)
Art of Noise – Live at the End of a Century (LP picture Disc, 500 copies, UK / Germany / Netherlands / Belgium only)
David Bowie – 1984 Picture Disc (7″, 4,000 copies, US / Canada only) and Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide (picture disc, Germany / Netherlands / France / Belgium only)
Chromeo – Ezra’s Interlude / Over Your Shoulder (7″, Germany / Netherlands / Belgium only)
CHVRCHES – Recover EP (12″, 2,500 copies, US / Canada only) and We Sink (7″, UK / Germany only)
Cut Copy – In These Arms of Love / Like Any Other Day (10″, 2,000 copies, US only)
Devo – Butch Devo and the Sundance Gig (Vinyl / DVD, 1,750 copies) and Live at Max’s Kansas City – November 15, 1977 (12″, 2,000 copies, US only)
Everything But the Girl – Eden (30th Anniversary Edition) (gatefold clear LP, UK / Germany / Netherlands / Italy / France / Belgium only)
Gemma Ray – Death Disc (7″ picture disc, Germany / Netherlands only)
Inspiral Carpets – Dung 4 + The Cow EP (LP + 7″, UK / Germany only)
Joy Division – An Ideal for Living (1978) (12″, 7,500 copies, US / Canada / Italy / France / Belgium only)
LCD Soundsystem – The Long Goodbye (LCD Soundsystem Live at Madison Square Garden) (5×12″, 3,000 copies)
David Lynch – The Air is on Fire (LP, 1,000 copies) and The Big Dream Remix EP (12″, UK / Germany / Netherlands / France / Belgium only)
Kylie Minogue – Golden Boy (7″, Germany / Netherlands / Canada / France only)
The Notwist – Run Run Run (12″, 1,770 copies)
Nova Nova & Peter Hook – Low Ends (Original and Slabb Remixes) (7″, UK only) and Low Ends (Thierry Criscione Remixes) (7″, UK only)
Pet Shop Boys – Flourescent (12″, UK only)
The Specials – Sock it to ’em J.B. / Rat Race (7″, 1,000 copies, certain US / Canada / Belgium locations only)
Tears for Fears – Ready Boys & Girls (10″, 3,000 copies, US only)
Sébastien Tellier – L’Incroyable Vérité (LP, UK / Germany / Canada / France only)
The The – Giant (12″, 2,000 copies)
Tracey Thorn – Molly Drake Songs (7″, UK only)
I’ve done my best to get the territories right, but you’ll probably want to cross-check with the lists here if there’s something specific you’re after…
Last year’s list, if it’s still of interest, was here.
Oh yes, 1989. The single most important year in the history of the BRITs. Broadcast live from London’s Royal Albert Hall, it’s the pop music event of the year. Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood famously presented for the first year that it was even called the BRIT Awards.
If you think that pairing a miniature Page Three model with an enormous Fleetwood Mac baldy might be a bad idea, you have little idea of the shambles which would follow. So disastrous was it, that the event wouldn’t be broadcast live for another decade. But on the plus side, we can watch the whole thing thanks to YouTube. So let’s sit back and enjoy the event of a lifetime in full. Part 1:
The show opens relatively poorly with Gloria Estefan, before the bizarrely paired hosts stumble on stage, eventually find their way to the microphones, and stumble their way through the show introduction.
Best British Single
Phil Collins arrives to put the hosts out of their misery, but disappointingly fails to kill either of them. Julian Lennon, although announced by the hosts, does not. Nominees:
Deacon Blue – Real Gone Kid
Fairground Attraction – Perfect
Robert Palmer – She Makes My Day
Tanita Tikaram – Twist In My Sobriety
Tom Jones & Art of Noise – Kiss
Cue some embarrassed filling by the hosts while the winners try to find the stage.
Winner: Fairground Attraction.
Best British Group
Presented by the fabulous The Fo… the wonderful The Four… the brilliant The Four Tops. Oh, it’s Boy George. Nominees:
Christians
Def Leppard
Erasure
Pet Shop Boys
Wet Wet Wet
Winner: Erasure.
Best International Male Solo Artist
This time, with a bit of culture (you know, because he was in Culture Club) it’s Boy Geo… oh, OK, The Four Tops. Nominees:
Alexander O’Neal
Luther Vandross
Michael Jackson
Prince
Terence Trent D’Arby
A clean sweep for… why on earth did he feel it necessary to bring race into it? The Four Tops steal the award, claiming they’ll pass it onto the winner “at some point”.
Winner: Michael Jackson.
At which point Fairground Attraction start doing bird impressions.
Best International Female
In possibly the worst introduction yet, we learn that Madonna has been busy glorying in her bask. Presented by Michael Hutchence and John Farris out of INXS. Nominees:
Anita Baker
Enya
Kylie Minogue
Tracy Chapman
Whitney Houston
Winner: Tracy Chapman.
Best British Album
Presented by Carol Decker and Mike Rutherford. Nominees:
Aztec Camera – Love
Fairground Attraction – First of a Million Kisses
Pet Shop Boys – Introspective
Steve Winwood – Roll With It
The Pasadenas – To Whom It May Concern
Winner: Fairground Attraction.
Best International Group
Whose turn is it? Um… no idea, let’s just fade the hosts out. Presented by Kevin Godley and Lol Creme out of 10cc. Nominees:
Bon Jovi
Fleetwood Mac
INXS
U2
Womack & Womack
Winner: U2.
Next up, Yazz, who sat on top of the chart for five weeks. Which must have been uncomfortable. Then Mark Knopfler and Alan Price bang on about the BRITs School for a bit.
Best British Newcomer
In an interesting move designed to completely outfox (ha!) the presenters, Ronnie Wood and Bill Wyman turn up with a mystery third person, without having shown us a list of “possibilities”. So the only nominee we know about is:
Bros
What a dreadful acceptance speech. Thanks Mum.
Winner: Bros.
Best International Newcomer
Presented by Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox out of Eurythmics, who seem to have locked the winner in a studio. Nominees:
Belinda Carlisle
Enya
Michelle Shocked
Salt ‘n’ Pepa
Tracy Chapman
Winner: Tracy Chapman.
Def Leppard turn up for some heavy, heavy metal. And massive perms.
Best Classical Recording
Presented by Courtney Pine and Mica Paris. Nominees:
Andre Previn – Violin & Viola Concertos: Walton
Jeffrey Tate – Opera Arias – Mozart – Kiri te Kanawa
Phillip Brunelle – Paul Bunyan – Britten
Simon Rattle – Symphony No 2 – Mahler
Trevor Pinnock – Messiah – Handel
Handel has been totally up there for loads of years.
Winner: Trevor Pinnock.
Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording
If we’re not careful then the whole show might grind to an abysmal and moody halt. Which would leave everyone feeling very pleased, probably. Presented by Justin Hayward, someone else out of The Moody Blues, and Belinda Carlisle.
Buster (various artists)
Good Morning Vietnam (various artists)
Hairspray (various artists)
Rattle and Hum (U2)
The Princess Bride (Mark Knopfler)
Winner: Buster, accepted by Phil Collins and The Four Tops.
Tanita Tikaram then performs in a suit.
Best Music Video
Voted for by viewers of Going Live on BBC1, and presented by Jools Holland, outshouted by Ken Russell. Nominees:
Bananarama – Nathan Jones
George Harrison – When We Was Fab
Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal
The Christians – Harvest for the World
Wet Wet Wet – Temptation
Winner: Michael Jackson.
Best British Male Solo Artist
By this stage we’ve pretty much settled into a pretty dreadful style. Presented by Joan Armatrading and Joe Elliott. Nominees:
Chris Rea
George Michael
Phil Collins
Robert Palmer
Steve Winwood
Winner: Phil Collins.
Best British Female Solo Artist
Presented by Tina Turner, complete with the kind of sexist introduction that you’ve never seen in any tabloid newspaper. Nominees:
Annie Lennox
Mica Paris
Sade
Tanita Tikaram
Yazz
Winner: Annie Lennox.
Bros follow with a lot of jumping around.
Outstanding Contribution
Presented by the chairman of the BPI Peter Jamieson, who should really have been hanging his head in shame by this stage.
Winner: Cliff Richard. After an appallingly pseudo-religious speech, Cliff deservedly leaves the stage to almost total silence.
Which artist could be singled out to close a show like this? I think we’d agree, no one. Mark Knopfler, Randy Newman and the BRITs Supergroup close the show with a song which even the performers don’t even seem to be enjoying, and finally the thing comes to an end.
Performances
Bros – I Owe You Nothing
Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me
Fairground Attraction – Perfect
Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine – Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
Mark Knopfler, Randy Newman and the BRITs Supergroup – Falling in Love
