Yesterday I saw a post from The Psychedelic Furs' official Facebook and they said that they're going to announce the dates for their Spring tour on Monday. Seeing the post got me excited, and I can't wait to see what the first part of the 2019 tour will be like. I actually had a dream that The Furs were going to come back to the Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon and I really wished that was real! I'm so ready for the 2019 tour, and I want to see them for the fourth time.
With the Spring tour, I have a feeling that The Furs will only go to the East Coast but it would be so awesome if they added some West Coast dates, too (hopefully Portland!). If not, then I will be looking forward to when the Summer dates will be announced. I wonder if they will go back to the UK and Europe this year.
It's really exciting thinking about what surprises The Psychedelic Furs will bring us for 2019 and they are just amazing live. You definitely should see The Furs in concert this year, and I guarantee you that you will have the time of your life, especially if it's your first PFurs show. I'll always remember the first time I saw them (back in 2015) and it was unbelievable. A magical experience that I will never forget. <3
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Pretty In Pink Covered by The Coverups (Green Day)
On January 2018 Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and their touring musicians formed a new side project, a covers band called The Coverups, and went out to do some gigs. One day I saw a video of one of the songs that The Coverups performed on YouTube, and to my surprise and excitement, they actually covered The Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty In Pink!" Their cover was really good, and Green Day touring guitarist (and former member) Jason White sang the lead vocals. Though to be honest, I really wished Billie Joe sang "Pretty In Pink" because I would love to hear him sing Richard Butler's words. But still, it was so awesome, especially since The Psychedelic Furs and Green Day are two of my favorite bands. I wonder if Green Day is influenced by The Furs...
Here's the video of The Coverups performing "Pretty In Pink."
Monday, February 11, 2019
My Richard Butler Drawing
Throughout my childhood and early teen years drawing was one of my favorite things to do. I would draw video game and cartoon characters, but mostly I would create and draw my own characters and write my own stories. In my mid teens to early 20s I didn't draw as much as I used to, but once in a great while I would. During that time I drew a bunch of pictures of Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong (13 pictures!) and after when I drew the last Billie Joe picture in 2015, my drawing phase was starting to end. But a year later I drew a picture of Richard Butler, and even though I hadn't drawn for a year, I was pleased with how the Richard Butler drawing looked. A year ago I wanted to draw another picture of Richard, but sadly I had officially lost my drawing skills.
Anyway, here's my drawing of Richard Butler, drawn on September 3, 2016. The star on the bottom right is awry because my pen ran out of ink and I needed to get another one. Still, I'm really happy with how it turned out.
The drawing is based on one of the photos during the photo shoot for the Mirror Moves album cover.
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| Photo: Brian Griffin |
My Psychedelic Furs Vinyl #7
The Ghost In You (1984) (Columbia 44 04984) (USA 12" single)
Here are a couple of interesting things about the sleeve for this single. (1) The unique design/photo of The Psychedelic Furs was previously used for the UK single of "Heaven," and (2) the font of the band's name is the same font from The Psychedelic Furs (1980).
Side A:
1. The Ghost In You (Full Length Version)
Side B:
1. Heartbeat (New York Remix)
Here are a couple of interesting things about the sleeve for this single. (1) The unique design/photo of The Psychedelic Furs was previously used for the UK single of "Heaven," and (2) the font of the band's name is the same font from The Psychedelic Furs (1980).
Side A:
1. The Ghost In You (Full Length Version)
Side B:
1. Heartbeat (New York Remix)
My Psychedelic Furs Vinyl #6
Mirror Moves (1984) (Vinyl 180 VIN180LP079) (2015 Record Store Day reissue) (Purple vinyl) (*Signed by The Furs*)
This reissue of Mirror Moves was released exclusively for Record Store Day 2015 and the color of the record is a lovely purple. When I saw The Psychedelic Furs live for the first time that year, I got this at the merchandise area. The cool thing is that this was autographed by the band members! Signed by Richard and Tim Butler, Rich Good, Paul Garisto, and Amanda Kramer.
This reissue of Mirror Moves was released exclusively for Record Store Day 2015 and the color of the record is a lovely purple. When I saw The Psychedelic Furs live for the first time that year, I got this at the merchandise area. The cool thing is that this was autographed by the band members! Signed by Richard and Tim Butler, Rich Good, Paul Garisto, and Amanda Kramer.
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| Purple vinyl. |
Side One:
1. The Ghost In You
2. Here Come Cowboys
3. Heaven
4. Heartbeat
Side Two:
1. My Time
2. Like A Stranger
3. Alice's House
4. Only A Game
5. Highwire Days
My Psychedelic Furs Vinyl #5
Midnight To Midnight (1987) (Columbia FC 40466) (USA LP)
Side One:
1. Heartbreak Beat
2. Shock
3. Shadow In My Heart
4. Angels Don't Cry
Side Two:
1. Midnight To Midnight
2. One More Word
3. All Of The Law
4. Torture
5. No Release
Side One:
1. Heartbreak Beat
2. Shock
3. Shadow In My Heart
4. Angels Don't Cry
Side Two:
1. Midnight To Midnight
2. One More Word
3. All Of The Law
4. Torture
5. No Release
My Psychedelic Furs Vinyl #4
Mirror Moves (1984) (Columbia BFC 39278) (USA LP)
Side One:
1. The Ghost In You
2. Here Come Cowboys
3. Heaven
4. Heartbeat
Side Two:
1. My Time
2. Like A Stranger
3. Alice's House
4. Only A Game
5. Highwire Days
Side One:
1. The Ghost In You
2. Here Come Cowboys
3. Heaven
4. Heartbeat
Side Two:
1. My Time
2. Like A Stranger
3. Alice's House
4. Only A Game
5. Highwire Days
My Psychedelic Furs Vinyl #3
Forever Now (1982) (Columbia PC 38261) (USA LP)
Ah yes, that infamous cover art. As we all know, the original album cover of Forever Now (in England and other countries) had a photo of The Psychedelic Furs that was shot during the filming of the video for "Love My Way" (taken by Graeme Attwood) and was designed by Colin Fulcher (aka Barney Bubbles). However, when Forever Now was going to be released in the US The Furs' American label, Columbia, rejected the original cover art and designed the one pictured above, but without the band's permission. Plus they rearranged the songs in a different order.
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| Original artwork. |
The Psychedelic Furs hated the new cover art. John Ashton thought it was horrible, and when Richard Butler first saw it he actually burst into tears. I bet he hated having to sign his name on that album cover while doing autographs.
The UK cover art is better, but I definitely prefer the US track listing. In my opinion the songs on the American version flow so nicely in that order more than the UK version. On my 2002 remaster of Forever Now, it has the original artwork but the track listing is the one from the US version. They both fit perfectly.
Side One:
1. Forever Now
2. Love My Way
3. Goodbye
4. Only You And I
5. Sleep Comes Down
Side Two:
1. President Gas
2. Run And Run
3. Danger
4. No Easy Street
5. Yes I Do
The UK cover art is better, but I definitely prefer the US track listing. In my opinion the songs on the American version flow so nicely in that order more than the UK version. On my 2002 remaster of Forever Now, it has the original artwork but the track listing is the one from the US version. They both fit perfectly.
Side One:
1. Forever Now
2. Love My Way
3. Goodbye
4. Only You And I
5. Sleep Comes Down
Side Two:
1. President Gas
2. Run And Run
3. Danger
4. No Easy Street
5. Yes I Do
Sunday, February 10, 2019
My Psychedelic Furs Vinyl #2
Talk Talk Talk (1981) (Columbia PC 37339) (USA LP)
Side One:
1. Pretty In Pink
2. Mr. Jones
3. No Tears
4. Dumb Waiters
5. She Is Mine
Side Two:
1. Into You Like A Train
2. It Goes On
3. So Run Down
4. I Wanna Sleep With You
5. All Of This And Nothing
Side One:
1. Pretty In Pink
2. Mr. Jones
3. No Tears
4. Dumb Waiters
5. She Is Mine
Side Two:
1. Into You Like A Train
2. It Goes On
3. So Run Down
4. I Wanna Sleep With You
5. All Of This And Nothing
My Psychedelic Furs Vinyl #1
The Psychedelic Furs (1980) (CBS 88985459951) (2018 reissue)
This is the 2018 reissue of The Psychedelic Furs' debut album on vinyl. What I like about the reissue is that it's based on the original UK LP and the labels on the record are the old CBS ones. It even has an inner sleeve with the lyrics and I think it's based on the inner sleeve that was only on US versions of the album (I'm pretty sure the British LPs didn't have the inner sleeves). Someday I would love to get the original UK and US editions of The Psychedelic Furs.
This is the 2018 reissue of The Psychedelic Furs' debut album on vinyl. What I like about the reissue is that it's based on the original UK LP and the labels on the record are the old CBS ones. It even has an inner sleeve with the lyrics and I think it's based on the inner sleeve that was only on US versions of the album (I'm pretty sure the British LPs didn't have the inner sleeves). Someday I would love to get the original UK and US editions of The Psychedelic Furs.
What I find odd about the lyric sheet is that for some reason it doesn't have the lyrics to "Imitation Of Christ" but has the lyrics to "Susan's Strange" instead, even though the latter song's not on the original UK release.
Side One:
1. India
2. Sister Europe
3. Imitation Of Christ
4. Fall
5. Pulse
Side Two:
1. We Love You
2. Wedding Song
3. Blacks/Radio
4. Flowers
Side One:
1. India
2. Sister Europe
3. Imitation Of Christ
4. Fall
5. Pulse
Side Two:
1. We Love You
2. Wedding Song
3. Blacks/Radio
4. Flowers
Roger O'Donnell's Profile
Former Psychedelic Furs touring keyboardist Roger O'Donnell's profile from the Midnight To Midnight tour programme.
Name: Roger O'Donnell
Date and place of birth: 10-29-60, London
Favorite color, number and vice: Electric blue, 1,000,000, chocolate
Favorite food and favorite drink: Bacon cheeseburgers, Coca Cola
Favorite film and/or director: Taxi Driver - Nic Roeg
Favorite book and/or author: The Profession Of Violence
Most memorable occasion: Walking into Banana Obscurie
What's the worst job you've ever had: Being in the Thompson Twins
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Hockney, Baseball Mitt by Claes Oldenburg
Favorite clothes designer: Kansai
Favorite club: Le Zinc Club
Favorite single and album: "Kiss" - Prince, Sign Of The Times - Prince
First record you ever bought: [Jimi] Hendrix - Are You Experienced
Last record you bought: [Jimi] Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Favorite musician: Prince
Favorite songwriter: Prince
Favorite guitar solo of all time: "Purple Rain" [Prince]
Band you would least like to be in: Simply [__] Awfully Red
Best and worst gig ever seen: Prince at Madison Sq. Gdns
Favorite actor and actress: Robert de Niro, Marilyn Monroe
Date and place of birth: 10-29-60, London
Favorite color, number and vice: Electric blue, 1,000,000, chocolate
Favorite food and favorite drink: Bacon cheeseburgers, Coca Cola
Favorite film and/or director: Taxi Driver - Nic Roeg
Favorite book and/or author: The Profession Of Violence
Most memorable occasion: Walking into Banana Obscurie
What's the worst job you've ever had: Being in the Thompson Twins
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Hockney, Baseball Mitt by Claes Oldenburg
Favorite clothes designer: Kansai
Favorite club: Le Zinc Club
Favorite single and album: "Kiss" - Prince, Sign Of The Times - Prince
First record you ever bought: [Jimi] Hendrix - Are You Experienced
Last record you bought: [Jimi] Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Favorite musician: Prince
Favorite songwriter: Prince
Favorite guitar solo of all time: "Purple Rain" [Prince]
Band you would least like to be in: Simply [__] Awfully Red
Best and worst gig ever seen: Prince at Madison Sq. Gdns
Favorite actor and actress: Robert de Niro, Marilyn Monroe
Marty Williamson's Profile
Former Psychedelic Furs backup guitarist Marty Williamson's profile from the Midnight To Midnight tour programme.
Name: Marty Williamson
Date and place of birth: 6-12-62, Belfast
Favorite color, number and vice: Black, 6, guitars and clothes
Favorite food and favorite drink: Mexican, Virgin Mary
Favorite film and/or director: Rumblefish - Coppola
Favorite book and/or author: [James] Joyce - Ulysses
Most memorable occasion: L.O.T. gig at the Harp Bar
What's the worst job you've ever had: Operating fabric drying machine in a factory
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Egon Schiele, Monet's Waterlillies
Favorite clothes designer: Gaultier
Favorite club: I don't go to clubs
Favorite single and album: "Tinseltown" by Blue Nile; Blow By Blow - Jeff Beck
First record you ever bought: Led Zeppelin One
Last record you bought: Soundtrack to Betty Blue
Favorite musician: Jeff Beck, Miles Davies
Favorite songwriter: [David] Bowie
Favorite guitar solo of all time: Adrian Belew on "Remain In Light" - Talking Heads
Band you would least like to be in: Lynyrd Skynyrd
Best gig ever seen: Best - U2 [at] Ulster Hall, Belfast and Talking Heads at Wembley
Favorite actor and actress: Mickey Rourke, Nastassia Kinski
Date and place of birth: 6-12-62, Belfast
Favorite color, number and vice: Black, 6, guitars and clothes
Favorite food and favorite drink: Mexican, Virgin Mary
Favorite film and/or director: Rumblefish - Coppola
Favorite book and/or author: [James] Joyce - Ulysses
Most memorable occasion: L.O.T. gig at the Harp Bar
What's the worst job you've ever had: Operating fabric drying machine in a factory
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Egon Schiele, Monet's Waterlillies
Favorite clothes designer: Gaultier
Favorite club: I don't go to clubs
Favorite single and album: "Tinseltown" by Blue Nile; Blow By Blow - Jeff Beck
First record you ever bought: Led Zeppelin One
Last record you bought: Soundtrack to Betty Blue
Favorite musician: Jeff Beck, Miles Davies
Favorite songwriter: [David] Bowie
Favorite guitar solo of all time: Adrian Belew on "Remain In Light" - Talking Heads
Band you would least like to be in: Lynyrd Skynyrd
Best gig ever seen: Best - U2 [at] Ulster Hall, Belfast and Talking Heads at Wembley
Favorite actor and actress: Mickey Rourke, Nastassia Kinski
Paul Garisto's Profile
Psychedelic Furs drummer Paul Garisto's profile from the Midnight To Midnight tour programme.
Name: Paul Garisto
Date and place of birth: 1-30-61, New York
Favorite color, number and vice: Black, 5, coffee
Favorite food and favorite drink: Korean, beer
Favorite film and/or director: King Of Hearts
Favorite book and/or author: Another Roadside Attraction - Tom Robbins
Most memorable occasion: Last night
What's the worst job you've ever had: Gardening in upstate New York
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Chagall
Favorite clothes designer: Kansai
Favorite club: Riviera Club, Chicago
Favorite single and album: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince, The Top - The Cure
First record you ever bought: ?
Last record you bought: Sign Of The Times - Prince
Favorite musician: Prince
Favorite songwriter: Robert Smith
Favorite guitar solo of all time: Lou Reed - "Metal Machine Music"
Band you would least like to be in: Wang Chung
Best and worst gig ever seen: David Bowie, New York (best)
Favorite actor and actress: Al Pacino, Morticia from The Addams Family
Date and place of birth: 1-30-61, New York
Favorite color, number and vice: Black, 5, coffee
Favorite food and favorite drink: Korean, beer
Favorite film and/or director: King Of Hearts
Favorite book and/or author: Another Roadside Attraction - Tom Robbins
Most memorable occasion: Last night
What's the worst job you've ever had: Gardening in upstate New York
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Chagall
Favorite clothes designer: Kansai
Favorite club: Riviera Club, Chicago
Favorite single and album: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince, The Top - The Cure
First record you ever bought: ?
Last record you bought: Sign Of The Times - Prince
Favorite musician: Prince
Favorite songwriter: Robert Smith
Favorite guitar solo of all time: Lou Reed - "Metal Machine Music"
Band you would least like to be in: Wang Chung
Best and worst gig ever seen: David Bowie, New York (best)
Favorite actor and actress: Al Pacino, Morticia from The Addams Family
Mars Williams' Profile
Psychedelic Furs saxophonist Mars Williams' profile from the Midnight To Midnight tour programme.
Name: Mars Williams
Date and place of birth: 5-29-55, Chicago, Illinois
Favorite color, number and vice: Black and blue, 5, girls
Favorite food and favorite drink: The Worm, tequila
Favorite film and/or director: Blade Runner
Favorite book and/or author: Delacorte
Most memorable occasion: Playing for a deaf mute audience who then told me I sucked
What's the worst job you've ever had: Playing the New York City Perverts Club
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Dali, Harley Davidson
Favorite clothes designer: Me
Favorite club: Riviera Club, Chicago
Favorite single and album: "Tequila" - Champs, Remain In Light - Talking Heads
First record you ever bought: Ummagumma - Pink Floyd
Last record you bought: Blah Blah Blah - Iggy Pop
Favorite musician: Albert Ayler
Favorite songwriter: Iggy Pop
Favorite guitar solo of all time: Steve Stevens on "I Pity The Fool"
Band you would least like to be in: Barry Manilow
Best and worst gig ever seen: Best - Iggy Pop, New York; worst - AC/DC, Meadowlands
Favorite actor and actress: Michael Caine, Linda Lovelace
Date and place of birth: 5-29-55, Chicago, Illinois
Favorite color, number and vice: Black and blue, 5, girls
Favorite food and favorite drink: The Worm, tequila
Favorite film and/or director: Blade Runner
Favorite book and/or author: Delacorte
Most memorable occasion: Playing for a deaf mute audience who then told me I sucked
What's the worst job you've ever had: Playing the New York City Perverts Club
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Dali, Harley Davidson
Favorite clothes designer: Me
Favorite club: Riviera Club, Chicago
Favorite single and album: "Tequila" - Champs, Remain In Light - Talking Heads
First record you ever bought: Ummagumma - Pink Floyd
Last record you bought: Blah Blah Blah - Iggy Pop
Favorite musician: Albert Ayler
Favorite songwriter: Iggy Pop
Favorite guitar solo of all time: Steve Stevens on "I Pity The Fool"
Band you would least like to be in: Barry Manilow
Best and worst gig ever seen: Best - Iggy Pop, New York; worst - AC/DC, Meadowlands
Favorite actor and actress: Michael Caine, Linda Lovelace
Tim Butler's Profile
Psychedelic Furs bassist Tim Butler's profile from the Midnight To Midnight tour programme.
Name: Tim Butler
Date and place of birth: 12-7-58, Teddington, Middx
Favorite color, number and vice: Red, 22, Black & Decker
Favorite food and favorite drink: Indian, red wine
Favorite film and/or director: The Thing - John Carpenter
Favorite book and/or author: Stephen King
Most memorable occasion: My wedding
What's the worst job you've ever had: Groom
Favorite artist and/or work of art: [Andy] Warhol
Favorite clothes designer: N/A
Favorite club: Riviera Club, Chicago
Favorite single and album: "Rock And Roll" - Lou Reed. Velvet Underground And Nico
First record you ever bought: For Your Pleasure - Roxy Music
Last record you bought: Listen Like Thieves - INXS
Favorite musician: Lou Reed
Favorite songwriter: Lou Reed
Favorite guitar solo of all time: John Ashton on "Heaven"
Band you would least like to be in: The Smiths
Best and worst gig ever seen: John Cale at the Guildford Civic Hall (best)
Favorite actor and actress: Robert de Niro, Rita Hayworth
Date and place of birth: 12-7-58, Teddington, Middx
Favorite color, number and vice: Red, 22, Black & Decker
Favorite food and favorite drink: Indian, red wine
Favorite film and/or director: The Thing - John Carpenter
Favorite book and/or author: Stephen King
Most memorable occasion: My wedding
What's the worst job you've ever had: Groom
Favorite artist and/or work of art: [Andy] Warhol
Favorite clothes designer: N/A
Favorite club: Riviera Club, Chicago
Favorite single and album: "Rock And Roll" - Lou Reed. Velvet Underground And Nico
First record you ever bought: For Your Pleasure - Roxy Music
Last record you bought: Listen Like Thieves - INXS
Favorite musician: Lou Reed
Favorite songwriter: Lou Reed
Favorite guitar solo of all time: John Ashton on "Heaven"
Band you would least like to be in: The Smiths
Best and worst gig ever seen: John Cale at the Guildford Civic Hall (best)
Favorite actor and actress: Robert de Niro, Rita Hayworth
John Ashton's Profile
Former Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton's profile from the Midnight To Midnight tour programme.
Name: John Ashton
Date and place of birth: 11-30-57, Whips Cross Hospital, Forestgate, Westham
Favorite color, number and vice: Black, 7, cars
Favorite food and favorite drink: Japanese, tea
Favorite film and/or director: Aguirre - Wrath Of God, Michael Cimino
Favorite book and/or author: Machineries Of Joy - Ray Bradbury
Most memorable occasion: Sophie's birth [John's daughter]
What's the worst job you've ever had: Being unemployed
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Dali, the murals and ceiling of Dali's house
Favorite clothes designer: Harley Davidson
Favorite club: Various
Favorite single and album: "Hey Joe" - [Jimi] Hendrix, Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin
First record you ever bought: Electric Warrior - T. Rex
Last record you ever bought: Infected - The The
Favorite musician: Jimi Hendrix
Favorite songwriter: [Mick] Jagger, [Keith] Richards
Favorite guitar solo of all time: Mine on "Dumb Waiters"
Band you would least like to be in: The Oak Ridge Boys
Best and worst gig ever seen: Best - Iggy Pop, Los Angeles. Worst - Furs at Baton Rouge
Favorite actor and actress: Klaus Kinski, Bette Davis
Date and place of birth: 11-30-57, Whips Cross Hospital, Forestgate, Westham
Favorite color, number and vice: Black, 7, cars
Favorite food and favorite drink: Japanese, tea
Favorite film and/or director: Aguirre - Wrath Of God, Michael Cimino
Favorite book and/or author: Machineries Of Joy - Ray Bradbury
Most memorable occasion: Sophie's birth [John's daughter]
What's the worst job you've ever had: Being unemployed
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Dali, the murals and ceiling of Dali's house
Favorite clothes designer: Harley Davidson
Favorite club: Various
Favorite single and album: "Hey Joe" - [Jimi] Hendrix, Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin
First record you ever bought: Electric Warrior - T. Rex
Last record you ever bought: Infected - The The
Favorite musician: Jimi Hendrix
Favorite songwriter: [Mick] Jagger, [Keith] Richards
Favorite guitar solo of all time: Mine on "Dumb Waiters"
Band you would least like to be in: The Oak Ridge Boys
Best and worst gig ever seen: Best - Iggy Pop, Los Angeles. Worst - Furs at Baton Rouge
Favorite actor and actress: Klaus Kinski, Bette Davis
Richard Butler's Profile
Psychedelic Furs vocalist Richard Butler's profile from the Midnight To Midnight tour programme.
Name: Richard Butler
Date and place of birth: 6-5-56, Kingston, England
Favorite color, number and vice: Black & silver, 5, video
Favorite food and favorite drink: Fresh fruit & Evian water
Favorite film and/or director: Little Murders
Favorite book and/or author: Various biographies
Most memorable occasion: Moving to New York
What's the worst job you've ever had: Screen printing advertisements
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Walt Disney
Favorite clothes designer: Me & Su' O'Neill
Favorite club: The nearest video club
Favorite singles: "Dream Baby Dream" - Suicide, "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison
First record you ever bought: Led Zeppelin One
Last record you bought: Roy Orbison Greatest Hits
Favorite musician: Martin Rev
Favorite songwriter: Suicide
Favorite guitar solo of all time: [Jimi] Hendrix on "Voodoo Child"
Band you would least like to be in: Bronski Beat
Best and worst gig ever seen: 100 Club Punk Festival (best and worst)
Favorite actor and actress: Eric Roberts, Jean Seberg
Date and place of birth: 6-5-56, Kingston, England
Favorite color, number and vice: Black & silver, 5, video
Favorite food and favorite drink: Fresh fruit & Evian water
Favorite film and/or director: Little Murders
Favorite book and/or author: Various biographies
Most memorable occasion: Moving to New York
What's the worst job you've ever had: Screen printing advertisements
Favorite artist and/or work of art: Walt Disney
Favorite clothes designer: Me & Su' O'Neill
Favorite club: The nearest video club
Favorite singles: "Dream Baby Dream" - Suicide, "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison
First record you ever bought: Led Zeppelin One
Last record you bought: Roy Orbison Greatest Hits
Favorite musician: Martin Rev
Favorite songwriter: Suicide
Favorite guitar solo of all time: [Jimi] Hendrix on "Voodoo Child"
Band you would least like to be in: Bronski Beat
Best and worst gig ever seen: 100 Club Punk Festival (best and worst)
Favorite actor and actress: Eric Roberts, Jean Seberg
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Midnight To Midnight Tour Programme Introduction
I thought of sharing some of the contents from the programme for The Psychedelic Furs' Midnight To Midnight tour that I have. This here is an introduction/biography about the band that's included in the beginning of the programme, written by Steve Sutherland.
It began like all the best things, as an attitude rather than an ambition. Richard Butler, impressionable and impatient, came into confusion, conflict and, finally, complition with the trash ethic, discovered Warhol and the New York narcotic elite, flipped to the spiteful surge of the Velvet Underground's nasty, naive bid to infiltrate and infect pop and built massive Burroughsesque canvasses of cut-up conversations. But paint and print were confined to the rarified sphere of gallery and library - limited exposure, limited communication - and the young Butler was as anti that as anything so the collages took flesh in the form of chaotic performances, as out of place and antagonistic to the failed liberating promise of punk as to the establishment they attacked.
In '77, the noises crystallized around Butler's deadpan nicotine drawl, pipecleaner crouch and pink frock coat. Brother Tim came in on wrap-around shades and pneumatic bass, Duncan Kilburn added honking sax, Roger 'Dog' Morris attempted to shape some rhythmic sense from the bitter maelstrom, drummers joined and drowned, John Ashton started soaring around the sarcasm on lead guitar and, just to get up everyone's nose, they called themselves The Psychedelic Furs.
Richard: "The name was my antagonism towards how narrow-minded punk was - I mean, it was supposed to be anarchistic but it didn't leave enough room for creative anarchy and no way was punk as creatively anarchistic as psychedelic music was. I think anything is psychedelic that opens your head. It's anything that puts you... somewhere else. Ideally, I'd like to think we're making people think a bit and look at things from another point of view."
Richard: "The name was my antagonism towards how narrow-minded punk was - I mean, it was supposed to be anarchistic but it didn't leave enough room for creative anarchy and no way was punk as creatively anarchistic as psychedelic music was. I think anything is psychedelic that opens your head. It's anything that puts you... somewhere else. Ideally, I'd like to think we're making people think a bit and look at things from another point of view."
By '79, the band were attracting a following, Vince Ely of The Photons joined on drums, a Peel session sent a shock across the airwaves and CBS moved in. The first single, "We Love You" was a conscious parody of the Stones' earlier two fingered salute to the bastions of society, cynical and angry as only frustrated idealism can be. For the Furs, the subversive spirit of psychedelia was still so important that, in order to recapture its disoriented and disorienting vision, they spent the whole of The Psychedelic Furs, their debut album, violently trashing the genre. It was something to do with outweirding the weirdos aided and abetted by producer Steve Lillywhite's brutal wall of sound. The ensuing "beautiful chaos" tour presented an unrelenting and unresolved tension between cacophony and melancholy, between anger at what is and sorrow at what could have been. The Furs burned and frazzled, schizophrenically stretched between their positive attempt to change the charts and their negative abhorrence of all they stood for. The second album, Talk Talk Talk was a complex masterpiece of studied confusion; "A wall of melody as opposed to a wall of sound." Again produced by Lillywhite, it raged equally against conformity and the cosmetic fashion alternatives being offered by others. A carefully confused collection of other people's quotes 'cut up' and crossword-puzzle clues, it meant things within the immediate context of the songs and it rippled with reminders from its sources, rich to the point of crack-up.
The Furs were about to go too far. From bedsits in Muswell Hill, the band flourished on a dangerous contradiction between decadence and distance, between chaos and wicked criticism. It was as if they were living a lifestyle they loathed just to get on the inside and rip out its guts. There was as much of a sneer as a swagger to Butler's hedonism, a deliberate, tortured dimension to his self-immolation but the booze and the benders were winning.
As The Furs prepared for their third album, Duncan and Roger departed as the rest sought to stretch themselves beyond the nihilism of Talk Talk Talk and its thematic core: "Don't believe in anything." They found inspiration at Woodstock with Todd Rundgren as producer and the Forever Now LP tentatively pursued a new desire for more direct accessibility as evinced by the acclaimed smokey crooner, "Love My Way." A shock to fans, it was a deliberate bid to retain ambiguity, to escape the traps of reputation, to twist their antagonism into a demand for personal liberty and the band blossomed on a world tour of bombed-out narcissism. Vince quit and ex-Birthday Party drummer Phill Calvert joined for a while and, by the end of '83, Richard reckoned if he could translate looks into money he'd be a millionaire while John laconically reminded him if that were so, he'd still be broke in the morning.
The Butler brothers moved to New York and Richard, aware of a growing need to communicate beyond the converted, was anxious to make a record that eschewed the impulse to appear enigmatic and got down to saying things in a language anyone could understand. The Furs wanted to be heard and, in Keith Forsey, the man behind Billy Idol and Flashdance, they found an ally as well as a producer. The album, Mirror Moves, was magnificent, crafted for radio play and it worked. "Heaven," a song of belonging, immediately entered the British top 30, the album reached the top 10 and, in America, a whole new audience was discovering them through a hitherto reluctant sense of poise and melody. Compounding their success, the band toured for nine months, visiting 11 countries, then took a break, Richard using the time to record an idiosyncratic version of "Alabama Song" for Lost In The Stars, a compilation album of "single composer interpretations" of Kurt Weill, released by A&M. Ironically, history was catching up on them too. The Furs were namechecked in Brett Easton Ellis' exquisitely excruciating and highly-acclaimed LA-based novel Less Than Zero, the "nausea" of the me-generation, a neat reversal of the band's role as culture vultures. They fell even more fortunate of the post modernist search through the debris of cliche for that last slashing phrase when John Hughes, co-writer of the National Lampoon films and director of The Breakfast Club, shot Pretty In Pink, a pleasing high school drama based around a song from Talk Talk Talk. The Furs rerecorded the song for the soundtrack and found themselves with another worldwide hit on their hands while they holed up in Hansa by the Wall in Berlin, recording Midnight To Midnight, their new album, with producer Chris Kimsey who'd previously worked with the Stones, Marillion, and Killing Joke.
Returning in July '86 to headline the Glastonbury festival with a new band comprising the crucial trio of Richard, Tim and John, plus Mars Williams on horns, Paul Garisto on drums, Marty Williamson on guitar and Roger O'Donnell on keyboards, it was obvious that the old Furs gang thing had gone, replaced by a fresh, athletic approach. Richard off the bev, was fit and aerobic and singing with a rasping sensitivity. The single, "Heartbreak Beat" went for your feet as well as your head and confirmed that the Furs had entered the mainstream on their own terms. "Angels Don't Cry," another single off the album, is their tenderest moment yet, Butler's characteristic yearning for the heaven of possibility and his hatred of the hell of conformity still as precariously balanced as ever but voiced with more clear-headed understanding than previous tantrums.
This Summer '87, Midnight To Midnight comes to town. The tactics, as ever, may be different but the battle's still the same.
– Steve Sutherland
The Furs were about to go too far. From bedsits in Muswell Hill, the band flourished on a dangerous contradiction between decadence and distance, between chaos and wicked criticism. It was as if they were living a lifestyle they loathed just to get on the inside and rip out its guts. There was as much of a sneer as a swagger to Butler's hedonism, a deliberate, tortured dimension to his self-immolation but the booze and the benders were winning.
As The Furs prepared for their third album, Duncan and Roger departed as the rest sought to stretch themselves beyond the nihilism of Talk Talk Talk and its thematic core: "Don't believe in anything." They found inspiration at Woodstock with Todd Rundgren as producer and the Forever Now LP tentatively pursued a new desire for more direct accessibility as evinced by the acclaimed smokey crooner, "Love My Way." A shock to fans, it was a deliberate bid to retain ambiguity, to escape the traps of reputation, to twist their antagonism into a demand for personal liberty and the band blossomed on a world tour of bombed-out narcissism. Vince quit and ex-Birthday Party drummer Phill Calvert joined for a while and, by the end of '83, Richard reckoned if he could translate looks into money he'd be a millionaire while John laconically reminded him if that were so, he'd still be broke in the morning.
The Butler brothers moved to New York and Richard, aware of a growing need to communicate beyond the converted, was anxious to make a record that eschewed the impulse to appear enigmatic and got down to saying things in a language anyone could understand. The Furs wanted to be heard and, in Keith Forsey, the man behind Billy Idol and Flashdance, they found an ally as well as a producer. The album, Mirror Moves, was magnificent, crafted for radio play and it worked. "Heaven," a song of belonging, immediately entered the British top 30, the album reached the top 10 and, in America, a whole new audience was discovering them through a hitherto reluctant sense of poise and melody. Compounding their success, the band toured for nine months, visiting 11 countries, then took a break, Richard using the time to record an idiosyncratic version of "Alabama Song" for Lost In The Stars, a compilation album of "single composer interpretations" of Kurt Weill, released by A&M. Ironically, history was catching up on them too. The Furs were namechecked in Brett Easton Ellis' exquisitely excruciating and highly-acclaimed LA-based novel Less Than Zero, the "nausea" of the me-generation, a neat reversal of the band's role as culture vultures. They fell even more fortunate of the post modernist search through the debris of cliche for that last slashing phrase when John Hughes, co-writer of the National Lampoon films and director of The Breakfast Club, shot Pretty In Pink, a pleasing high school drama based around a song from Talk Talk Talk. The Furs rerecorded the song for the soundtrack and found themselves with another worldwide hit on their hands while they holed up in Hansa by the Wall in Berlin, recording Midnight To Midnight, their new album, with producer Chris Kimsey who'd previously worked with the Stones, Marillion, and Killing Joke.
Returning in July '86 to headline the Glastonbury festival with a new band comprising the crucial trio of Richard, Tim and John, plus Mars Williams on horns, Paul Garisto on drums, Marty Williamson on guitar and Roger O'Donnell on keyboards, it was obvious that the old Furs gang thing had gone, replaced by a fresh, athletic approach. Richard off the bev, was fit and aerobic and singing with a rasping sensitivity. The single, "Heartbreak Beat" went for your feet as well as your head and confirmed that the Furs had entered the mainstream on their own terms. "Angels Don't Cry," another single off the album, is their tenderest moment yet, Butler's characteristic yearning for the heaven of possibility and his hatred of the hell of conformity still as precariously balanced as ever but voiced with more clear-headed understanding than previous tantrums.
This Summer '87, Midnight To Midnight comes to town. The tactics, as ever, may be different but the battle's still the same.
– Steve Sutherland
New Album Update
Today I heard some great news about The Psychedelic Furs' new album! I saw an article that was posted on Instagram and there was some info about The Psychedelic Furs' new album. It was an article about Richard Fortus, who is the guitarist for Guns N' Roses (he first joined in 2001) and is also in other projects. But he was also the guitarist for Love Spit Love in the 90s. I looked at the article and it said this:
Richard Fortus is producing The Psychedelic Furs' new album.
I'll say it again:
Richard Fortus is producing The Psychedelic Furs' new album.
I. Am. So. Excited!!!! I can't believe it, it's just so awesome how Richard Fortus is the producer. Another thing I want to mention is I heard that Rich Good was in St. Louis recently, and it made me wonder if Rich went over there to work with Richard Fortus. I'm wondering if the new album is almost finished and if it will be released sometime this year! Ooh, I can't wait, I'm really looking forward to it!
"[Richard Fortus'] busy schedule currently includes producing the next album by Psychedelic Furs at St. Louis' Sawhorse Studios."
Richard Fortus is producing The Psychedelic Furs' new album.
I'll say it again:
Richard Fortus is producing The Psychedelic Furs' new album.
I. Am. So. Excited!!!! I can't believe it, it's just so awesome how Richard Fortus is the producer. Another thing I want to mention is I heard that Rich Good was in St. Louis recently, and it made me wonder if Rich went over there to work with Richard Fortus. I'm wondering if the new album is almost finished and if it will be released sometime this year! Ooh, I can't wait, I'm really looking forward to it!
My Top Nine 2018
[Originally posted on WordPress December 10, 2018.]
With 2018 being almost over I made a collage of my nine most liked posts on Instagram. The cool thing is that all of the nine posts are Psychedelic Furs photos, and with this being a Psychedelic Furs blog, I knew it would be perfect to share them on here. Also the second cool thing is that Rich Good had liked three of my posts on the collage. I always get excited whenever Rich likes my posts.
Here are my top nine Instagram posts of 2018.
Here are my top nine Instagram posts of 2018.
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