I am Tim Baker and I totally sanction the above message. And the use of Pulp = WIN.

And it bears repeating from my January post – this is the best election song, ever from the Bonzos – here in original form:

I’ve been on a Viv Stanshall kick (again) recently because a kind listener (reader? what is the collection noun for podcast and blog listeners? poggers? pistener? err..anyway thank you Julian it made it through the snow!) sent me some Viv rarities as a result of the ‘Viv and Neil’ podcast I did last year inc the excellent 2002 radio documentary ‘Canyons of His Mind‘ which of course is referring to the above track, recorded for ‘Colour Me Pop’ in 1968. Apparently they did the whole show, which I really want to see.

Also read a great piece about Viv by his second wife, Ki Longfellow about how they met…I mean I fell in love with him reading it, so in person the effect must’ve been greater . She as mentioned in the text SHOULD write a book about him. If she or anyone relating to her is reading this, please give her a prod, because reading that I would buy a copy, and I have a feeling a lot of people would feel the same way…and also because of his mysterious/insane/wonderful/maddening/glorious lifestyle there are a lot of wrong rumours out there – one of which is that he set himself alight with cigarettes when he died (no, coroner said it was electrical wiring, apparently). Would be great to have a book that comes closer to the real Viv (well dunno if that’s possible actually, but closer than the people writing ones who never met him!) and fills in that gap post Bonzos in the mid-late 70s.

Also did they ever record Stinkfoot? I’ve always wanted to have a copy, either on DVD or audio – and missed hearing about the short revival on Thekla last July…bah!

Oh a few of you might not know who Viv Stanshall was, you poor petals. So here’s a good intro, a show produced by the BBC and introduced by John Peel with Viv on himself and his history in his own words and music (the original piece in 1991 was called ‘Crank’, it seems to have gained the name ‘Diamond Geezer’ somewhere?).

It explains how Viv was just Viv ‘Well I don’t do it, I’m merely being myself, as near as dammit without frightening the housing estates…and her question was absurd rather than fatuous, as if I’d decided one day to wake up and decide I’m going to be a giant squid for the weekend or that’s it I’m going to be a wardrobe for the rest of my…err..word. Well strap me to a tree and call me Brenda! I’m whatever you like just don’t expect me to join in….You see I’m not different for the sake of being different, only for the desperate sake of being myself” Great words, indeed

…although I have no idea why an obit from 1995 has the roman numeral date of 1993 (I suspect it’s been edited together from Crank?) – EDIT: it is from 1993, someone added the ‘Diamond Geezer’ in 1995, seems like many layers of ‘Late’ show, I’ve got a headache.

Bonus: One Man’s Week, a 1975 film about Viv seems to have escaped from the BBC’s Gormenghast Colditz Vaults by means of 1975 quality video…such a shame Viv wasn’t let loose more often on the public with a camera, that would’ve been a great TV programme. Also in part 3 you can see him working on ‘Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead’ which was heavily African influenced and years before it’s time.

Doo-dah, dada, dog. Radio Clash 175 is a special show which commemorates two great songwriters and performers – that original ginger geezah Vivian Stanshall and the Seventh Python (I bet he hates that term) Neil Innes, the former who sadly died in 1995, and their legacy of arty chaotic jazz/pop/psychedelic silliness and melancholy that probably only the English really get…as much rooted in the 20′s than the 60′s and 70′s, but strange and insane in any timeframe.

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Doo-Dah (92Mb, 2:05)

• The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – The Craig Torso Show (excerpt)
• The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – The Intro and the Outro
• The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – I’m Going to Bring a Watermelon to My Girl Tonight
• The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – Button up Your Overcoat
• The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – Death Cab for Cutie
• The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – The Sound Of Music
• The Bonzo Dog Band – Hello Mabel
• The Bonzo Dog Band – My Pink Half of the Drainpipe
• Vivian Stanshall – Pub Talk
• The Bonzo Dog Band – Canyons of Your Mind 2
• The Bonzo Dog Band – The Craig Torso Show (excerpt)
• The Bonzo Dog Band – By a Waterfall
• The Bonzo Dog Band – Sport (The Odd Boy)
• The Bonzo Dog Band – What Do You Do?
• The Bonzo Dog Band – Sofa Head
• The Bonzo Dog Band – Don’t Get Me Wrong
• The Bonzo Dog Band – Straight from My Heart
• Roger Ruskin Spear – Mattress Man
• Neil Innes – Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues
• Eric Idle & Neil Innes – Front Loader
• The Rutles – Eine Kleine Middle Klasse Musik
• Neil Innes – How Sweet To Be An Idiot
• Vivian Stanshall – Terry Keeps His Clips On
• Vivian Stanshall – Rawlinson’s End (excerpt)
• Vivian Stanshall – Viv stanshall – John Peel Epitaph
• Vivian Stanshall – Id Rather Cut My Hands (live)
• Vivian Stanshall – The Cracks Are Showing
• The Bonzo Dog Band – No Matter Who You Vote For, The Government Always Gets In
• The Bonzo Dog Band – Slush

I know it’s kind of geeky but here’s the stats for This One’s For Joe, the Joe Strummer mashup compilation – I wouldn’t have done this but Marty wanted to know for the KillaKast podcast (which incidentally played Willesden Blue as part of it’s Happy 2008 show!)

We’ve had over 1,000 people downloading!

Here are the hits (18th – 7th Jan):

1. The Clash – This is Radio Clash (Dunproofin mix) – 790 hits*
2. World Famous Audio Hacker – White Riot (Chaos Island remix) – 610 hits
3. Bobby Martini – Too Busy Thinking About the Magnificent 7 (Marvin Gaye vs The Clash) – 596 hits
4. Celebrity Murder Party – Coma Girl Acid Test – 476 hits
5. Fukjamum – Trashed Apple (2 Unlimited vs Tears for Fears vs Mescaleros) – 384 hits
6. DJ Earlybird – Straight to the Hair Farmer (Unitone Hi-Fi vs The Clash) -370 hits
7. Ian Fondue – The Brooding Moon (Joe Strummer featuring The Music Maker and Edo B) - 364 hits
8. Juxtaposeur – Jungle Appleseed – 344 hits
9. Instamatic – Willesden Blue (The Orb vs Mescaleros vs Bonzo Dog Band) – 324 hits
10. DJ Useo – Moody v. Thirteen (Moody Blues vs B.A.D.) – 309 hits
11. Dubjamum – Strummed Donkey – 303 hits
12. Instamatic – English Ghost (Dillinja & Lemon D vs The Clash) – 298 hits.

The Zip file got 905 unique visitors alone!

* probably much higher but he reposted the mix on his own server on the 31st.

Quite surprised at some of those (I’d recommend people check out Juxta’s great mix, Earlybird’s is brilliant and my English Ghost deserves more than last place- WAH!), but quite rightly Dun’s mix is the best and is the most downloaded!

In tribute to Joe Strummer and 5 years since his death on Friday, I’ve organised This One’s For Joe, a compilation featuring the great and the good of the mashup/remix world dedicated to Joe and the ideals he inspired in myself and others – the love of music of all types, politics, people and action.

It’s been 2+ months in the making and a lot of hard work and fun; and some great tracks in there, thanks to everyone who contributed. There’s even 2 new tracks from me!

Hope you enjoy, and maybe inspire you to think a little of Joe’s legacy.

http://www.mutantpop.net/strummerremix/

1. The Clash – This is Radio Clash (Dunproofin mix)
2. Celebrity Murder Party – Coma Girl Acid Test
3. World Famous Audio Hacker – White Riot (Chaos Island remix)
4. Bobby Martini – Too Busy Thinking About the Magnificent 7 (Marvin Gaye vs The Clash)
5. Fukjamum – Trashed Apple (2 Unlimited vs Tears for Fears vs Mescaleros)
6. DJ Earlybird – Straight to the Hair Farmer (Unitone Hi-Fi vs The Clash)
7. Instamatic – Willesden Blue (The Orb vs Mescaleros vs Bonzo Dog Band)
8. Dubjamum – Strummed Donkey
9. DJ Useo – Moody v. Thirteen (Moody Blues vs B.A.D.)
10. Ian Fondue – The Brooding Moon (Joe Strummer featuring The Music Maker and Edo B)
11. Juxtaposeur – Jungle Appleseed
12. Instamatic – English Ghost (Dillinja & Lemon D vs The Clash)