Last Night from Glasgow

Last Night From Glasgow is a crowd-funded label run by a collection of music lovers who dedicate their spare time and enthusiasm to unsigned bands in and around Glasgow. A workers cooperative of sorts, when they founded the label they wrote biographies of their tastes as a way to convince potential investors of their sound minds. Ian Smith and Murray Easton from the label each choose seven tracks for Bella this week, so hear for yourself.

Ian’s seven:

Abba – The Name of the Game
Let’s be honest about it – Abba are simply magnificent and anyone suggesting otherwise needs their ears drained. I love them so much I suggested we name our label after one of their lyrics. Anyway I think this might be their best single – it’s simply perfection.

Wilco – Jesus Etc
When asked what my favourite album is – I usually say Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco, probably because I don’t think “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning” by Frank Sinatra scans as well. This duplicity on my part was highlighted beautifully in June when the glorious LNFG band Sister John played a version of this song in my honour thinking it was my favourite album. It was a very special moment and its a very special song and I also felt terrible when they discovered the dark truth.

Get Well Soon – A Gallows
Probably my favourite band of recent years – love them so much that my wife Julia and fellow LNFGer Stephen followed them around Germany and London last year taking in three concerts, one in a compact London pub, the second in the salubrious KoncertHaus Dortmund and the final in a sweaty club in Frankfurt, three of the greatest concerts I’ve ever seen – quite staggering band fronted by the simply insanely talented – Knonstantin Gropper – think Radiohead and the Flaming Lips playing Pet Shop Boys cover versions (three bands that would have walked into my top ten if this was a top ten).

The Monkees – Sometime In The Morning
Long before I fell in love with The Beatles and long before I fell more in love with The Kinks, I fell in love with The Monkees. It’s taken a long time for me to get over the “they didn’t write their own songs” cliche but the truth is whether correct or not, they could sing and they understood a pop song and dammit if those songs weren’t written by some of the best songwriters of their generation. This is a personal favourite of mine – Dolenz vocals are outstanding and oh that chorus!

XTC – No Thugs In Our House
To be fair picking seven songs from seven bands is tough – I’ve not found the room for The Smiths, my favourite band growing up, no New Order, no Wedding Present even, but I simply cannot ignore XTC – in my mind the most important British band of the 1980s. Four then three, then two absolute geniuses crafting songs like no other bands. I could pick any one of their singles or album tracks but for some reason today this is the one that resonates most.

So Far Away- Carol King
What can I say that hasn’t been said before … it’s a masterpiece plain and simple from probably the best album ever from a solo artist. Yes its better than anything Dylan, Young, Cohen or Drake produced and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.

R.E.M – Begin The Begin
Again when choosing bands from America, there are so many to consider – Pavement, The Rain Parade, Camper Van Beethoven, Talking Heads (Yes I know Dave’s fae Dumbarton) and The Band (a band I love so much I named my son Levon after their drummer) but the fact is between 1984 and 1994 R.E.M never put a foot wrong and in Life’s Rich Pageant they released one of the greatest albums of the 1980s. No-one could sing like Stipe and to this day no-one can sing like Stipe.

Murray’s seven:

Teenage Fanclub – I Don’t Want Control Of You
TFC are my favourite band – my blog Everything Flows Glasgow is named after their debut single. This song is from their Songs From Northern Britain album and it was written by Norman Blake about his daughter. Now that I am a dad I get a tear in my eye every time I listen to the line “every day I look at a different face, this feeling’s getting stronger with every embrace”.

everythingflowsglasgow.blogspot.co.uk

Electronic – Getting Away With It
Pop perfection from a supergroup featuring Bernard Sumner,Johnny Marr and Neil Tenant. I love everything about this song and it is an all time favourite of mine. The line: “I’ve been walking in the rain just to get wet on purpose” is just brilliant.

The Jackson Sisters: I Believe In Miracles (extended version)
Another all-time fave. This is outrageously euphoric, funky and heartfelt soul delivered at real pace. Does music get any better than this?

Prince – Controversy
My friend Phil made up a mix with this song on it. He djs with something called Traktor, allowing him to mix all kinds of songs. One of the many strengths of this song is that it feels like it is remixed – but that is just the structure of the song and the genius of Prince. Sublime.

Primal Scream – Come Together
Sadly the Farley mix of Come Together isn’t on Spotify but hey, the Screamadelica version is still sensational. The best version is the 14-minute version from the Screamadelica tour they did a few years back, it went on for 14-minutes – truly epic and euphoric. You can watch a film here:

Love – You Set The Scene
I was fortunate to get to see Arthur Lee live a half dozen times, including twice at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut. His voice and presence blew my mind and the first time he played this was one of the best live performances I have ever witnessed. Tuts was spellbound. This is magical.

Spiritualized – Feel So Sad (Glides and Chimes)
Six minutes and 32 seconds of sheer bliss. I only signed up to Spotify last year after always vowing that I never would. I’ll always buy vinyl but have to admit to loving Spotify. Despite being a Spiritualized fan I had never heard this incredible song before – it is really beautiful.

In the last 16 months Last Night From Glasgow have released eight vinyl albums, two CDs, four digital albums on USB and a tranche of digital singles.
In the coming weeks LNFG release new albums from Stephen Solo (August 18) and Sister John, who play two launch gigs at Glasgow’s Hug & Pint on September 14 and 15. Support comes from fellow LNFG artists Mark W. Georgsson and Annie Booth respectively.

Booth herself headlines the same venue on October 20 to launch her new LNFG release. 
To join Last Night From Glasgow, visit www.lastnightfromglasgow.com

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