The Phantom Chords - Born To Be Wicked (1991)

Following the 1989 breakup of The Damned, singer Dave Vanian, guitarist Roman Jugg and bassist Bryn Merrick formed the Phantom Chords with Brendan Mooney (guitar) and Clyde Dempsey (drums), releasing a cover of the Geoff Goddard song 'Johnny Remember Me' as their debut single in 1990. An 11-track album (including 'Johnny Remember Me') was written and recorded, and Polydor had planned to release it, but they changed their minds and only two one-sided acetates of it now exist. A promotional cassette was later made available for purchase at some of the venues when the band toured the United States later in 1993. The band released another single in 1992, with 'Town Without Pity' appearing on Camden Town Records, and by 1995 Donagh O'Leary had replaced Bryn Merrick on bass, following a tour of Britain and the US. In 1995 they eventually released their actual debut album 'David Vanian And The Phantom Chords' on Big Beat Records, promoting it by performing 'This House Is Haunted' on VH1 UK, and 'Born To Be Wicked' on ITV's "It's Bizarre". Oddly, this last song was not on the album, as the official debut contained all new material, and 'Born To Be Wicked' was recorded for the shelved 1991 album. The band's lineup was always very variable, and a 1993 Damned reunion meant that The Phantom Chords became a side project for Vanian, and they've released nothing since 1995, but both their albums, official and unofficial, contain some fine rockabilly/goth rock songs.   

Track listing

01 Someone Up There
02 Born To Be Wicked
03 Gunning For Love
04 Pretty Girl
05 Haunted Garage
06 Johnny Remember Me
07 After The Lights Go Out
08 Piece Of My Heart
09 King Of Fools
10 Time After Time
11 The Loveless And The Damned
12 Ghost Train
13 Relentless

Vivian Stanshall - Return Of The Ginger Geezer (1994)

After leaving the Bonzos in 1970, Vivian Stanshall enjoyed a wide-ranging and varied career. He released a few solo singles in the early 70's (see his last post), and his first big break came in 1971 when he was asked to fill in on the John Peel radio show while the DJ took a month off in the August. He recorded four two-hour shows which he called 'Radio Flashes', comprising sketches and music, and they've gained a reputation over the years from fans as being some of his best work, even though the BBC in their wisdom have apparently wiped the first show from their archive. I've included a couple of the sketches as interludes, and you can hear the remaining three shows in full here. 
Following the success of his short-lived radio career, other artists started asking him to guest on their recordings, the first and most famous of which was Mike Oldfield. They collaborated on Oldfield's 'Sailor's Hornpipe' single, with Stanshall writing and narrating some nonsense over Oldfield's interpretation of the traditional tune, and this led to Viv contributing his reknowned master of ceremonies piece for part three of Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells', introducing the instruments as they made their appearance. It wouldn't have been the same had it been anybody else but him. In 1974 Robert Calvert asked him to write and narrate some sketches to slot between the songs on his 'Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters' album, and I've included three of the best of them here. Also in 1974 he co-wrote 'Dream Gerrard' with Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi for Traffic's last studio album 'When The Eagle Flies', and it turned out to be one of the highlights on what was already one of their best albums. Winwood was obviously impressed with what Stanshall brought to the table, and they collaborated further on songs from Winwood's solo albums 'Steve Winwood', 'Arc Of A Diver', and 'Back In The High Life', including a song they co-composed for the '...High Life' album which never made the final cut, even though it was good enough to have been included. 
He was also asked to contribute his fruity vocals to songs by The Damned and Marden Hill, and in between that he still found time to play around in the studio with mates like Keith Moon, recording a humourous take of 'We'll Meet Again', which later appeared on a bootleg album in 1978. All of this is in addition to recording and releasing a number of fine solo albums, including the classic 'Sir Henry At Rawlinson End', which also spawned a 1980 film starring Trevor Howard, and a sequel album in 1984 with 'Sir Henry At N'didi's Kraal'. As I said in the last post, Vivian Stanshall really was one of a kind, and the world is a poorer place without him, so enjoy listening to this collection of his many talents, as surrealist comedian, radio broadcaster, songwriter, singer, and owner of the poshest voice in rock history.       

Track listing

01 Bruce Reason & The Reason Mobile (Radio Flashes 1971)
02 Sailor's Hornpipe (Mike Oldfield - co-write/narration 1973)
03 Aircraft Salesman (A Door In The Foot) (Robert Calvert - writer/narration 1974)
04 Ground Crew (Last Minute Reassembly Before Take Off) (Robert Calvert - writer/narration 1974)
05 Ground Control To Pilot (Robert Calvert - writer/narration 1974)
06 Dream Gerrard (Traffic - co-write with Steve Winwood & Jim Capladi 1974)
07 Announcement (Radio Flashes 1971)
08 Holiday Home (from 'The Roughler Presents The Warwick Sessions (Volume 1)' 1987)
09 Vacant Chair (co-write with Steve Winwood 1977)
10 Arc Of A Diver (co-write with Steve Winwood 1980)
11 Cohen's Colon Cream (Radio Flashes 1971)
12 My Love's Leaving (co-write with Steve Winwood 1986)
13 If That Gun's For Real (previously unreleased co-write with Steve Winwood 1986)
14 Thompson's Tiger Tongue Toiletry Paper (Radio Flashes 1971)
15 Lovely Money (The Damned - narration 1982)
16 Bombed On Heavy (Marden Hill- narration 1994)
17 We'll Meet Again (from the 'Harold Hare...And Other Droppings' bootleg with Keith Moon 1978)

The Damned - Neat Neat Neat (1978)

I've loved The Damned from day one, and 'New Rose' and 'Neat Neat Neat' are still two of my all-time favourite singles, but I realised recently that I'd never heard their version of 'Help', which was the b-side of 'New Rose', or 'Singalonga-Scabies' from the 'Neat Neat Neat' 7", so I decided to gather them up, along with the rare 'Stretcher Case Baby' giveaway single, and the original issues of 'Don't Cry Wolf' and 'Problem Child'. To flesh out this compilation I've added a few tracks from their early Peel sessions.

Track listing

01 New Rose (original 7" version)
02 Help (b-side to 'New Rose')
03 Don't Cry Wolf (original 7" version)
04 One Way Love (b-side to 'Don't Cry Wolf')
05 Neat Neat Neat (original 7" version)
06 Stab Your Back (b-side to 'Neat Neat Neat')
07 Singalonga-Scabies (b-side to 'Neat Neat Neat')
08 Problem Child (original 7" version)
09 You Take My Money (b-side to 'Problem Child')
10 Stretcher Case Baby (giveaway 7")
11 Sick Of Being Sick (b-side to 'Stretcher Case Baby')
12 So Messed Up (Peel Session)
13 I Fall (Peel Session)
14 Fan Club (Peel Session)
15 Feel The Pain (Peel Session)