I got four of the new Scritti to sign my Anomie & Bonhomie Minidisc (remember those?). It is my fave Scritti album (and it’s got lots of white space!). Dicky, Alyssa and Rhodri seemed genuinely surprised to be asked - which I thought was very sweet.
Now, any bids on eBay? (Joke…)
Green et me!, originally uploaded by Enda P.
When I first heard ‘Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)” in 1984, it sounded like nothing before. It was urgent, literate, sophisticated and futuristic. I remember sitting down with my copy of Smash Hits with Green on one page and an interview and lyrics on the other.
I had to ask my mother what some of the words meant (’intravenous’ ’schizo’ ‘taboo’) and then what the hell they meant in the song. I was fascinated by it: all those new ideas for a 11-year-old country boy to take in - ‘there’s nothing I wouldn’t take/not even intravenous’ ‘that’s the gift of schizo’ ‘each time I go to bed/I pray like Aretha Franklin’. I had to get the single, and my poor mum was once again charged with this task on a shopping trip to Galway.
Then I saw the sleeve and was further intrigued. I found out about Aretha Franklin, Joseph Beuys,white chocolate, Arif Mardin, intertextuality and a whole new world began to present itself, populated with glamourous intelligent hip people such as Green, David Gamson and Fred Maher. I wanted to be a part of that.
I’ve written about Scritti before in detail, but suffice it to say that after 22 years, I finally shook hands with Green in Dublin after a blinder of a gig in Whelans with the new youthful Scritti line-up. I met Dicky, Alyssa and Rhodri too (all charming and self-effacing, seemingly surprised to be asked for an autograph). And then the man himself. Being completely starstruck, all I could manage to say was “I’ve been a fan snce ‘Wood Beez’” to which he sagely responded “blimey” and signed the inlay of the minidisc version of Anomie & Bonhomie (my fave Scritti album). He thanked me, posed for this pic (I look like shit!) and shook my hand.
I was high as a kite for hours afterwards and wouldn’t shut up about Scritti. So thanks to Tony whom I dragged along (he introduced himself to Green as “your newest fan”!) for putting up with an 11-year-old Enda getting overexcited about his records.
Why not scoot over to Bibbly-o-tek for all things Scritular. Audio, video, text- they got it.
A while back, Minge compiled his Top Ten Party Tracks and forced us to do the same. I toyed with the idea of doing a mix but I’ve not had time, so here is my top ten. And it was rather bloody difficult! I could have chosen 50 or 100. However, if any of these came on, I would wiggle my tush and ‘give it loads’.
In no particular order of discotasticness: 
Touch Me The 49′ers 1989
Walking On Sunshine Rockers Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin 1982
Ride On Time Black Box 1989And if this came on, I’d wig out entirely. For verily, ’tis genius:1.jpg)
Bizarrely, I had a nice shopping experience in Macys today [Sat 11 Nov]. I got three shirts and a tie for less than $80. That includes two Calvin Klein shirts at $10 each! Yay! Of course I had to have my neck measured by the cute black guy (ah, the Americans are so unfailingly wonderful at ‘service’).
Before I left I got sidelined by the fragrance counter. I saw a gift set of five fragrances in the Claibourne Curve family. There was the little bottle of Curve but also four others which were similarly distinctive. Now, I went out with a Latino boy for three years and he introduced me to Curve – a very distinctive fragrance which can’t be found in Ireland or the UK, and which I always associated very clearly with him. That relationship ended hideously and, sadly, bridges have been burned, but, seeing as I really like the scent, I bought the set ($32 bargainsville!).
Back in the hotel, I tried on my new shirts and decided to get room service. However, being conscious of the opinions of hyperactive tourist people such as my housemate, Tony and the enthusiastic American chap that visited Minge, I felt weird about just staying in of a Saturday night, so I fired up the laptop, sprayed one of the Curves on me and began some work.
Twenty minutes later, a generically handsome young Latino brought my Portobello burger (a large mushroom instead of meat – who knew?) and bottle of wine. As he opened the bottle he commented on how nice it smelled in the room. I was a little startled and said ‘Well, my mom will be pleased’. (I’ve been here less than a week and I’m saying ‘mom’ as easily as I stuff dollar bills into the mitts of anyone who speaks to me.) He asked if I was from Colorado, and I thought he was taking the piss, but I don’t think he was. I told him I was from ‘Europe, Ireland’ (I’ve learned it’s easier) and he said ‘Yeah, I thought I noticed an accent. Do I have an accent?’ he asked meeting my eyes with his deep dark brown pupils and clear brown skin.
“Em, yes, you do. Are you from Colorado? Have you ever been to Europe?’ He was and he hadn’t. Here was the beautiful young American boy of Latin heritage - unaware that people who talked funny might not be from Colorado and who seemed oblivious to other cultures. He wished me a good night and I did the same. Here was I thinking that all Latinos would be hyper conscious of their cultural ambiguities and would, by extension, be eager to talk to a foreigner. Not really.
Firstly, to say that one is ‘Irish’ here is not a big deal. Irish-Americans say they are ‘Irish’ rather than ‘American’. Italian-Americans identify as ‘Italian’ and so on. It’s not exotic. Back in Europe one might expect these people to say something like “I’m American but my grandmother was Italian and my father’s family were Irish immigrants”. They don’t do that though. So, perhaps I was projecting stuff on this young American. Maybe I expected him to break into Spanish and engage me in talk about Mexico.
Maybe I expected more from him and his Mexicaness because he liked the smell of Curve. Maybe sometimes I miss the ex.
This was what I was faced with all week until I had a chance to venture forward and discover the really rather charming Pearl St area. After day 2 I was a bit scared that the whole town was just one big dull strip mall. Alas, it gets dark around 5pm and American people don’t walk anywhere and especially not in the dark, so I felt like some kind of weirdo criminal poor person for daring to walk for longer than three minutes and not to a store.
Anyway, it’s Saturday morning and after a fab breakfast (they know how to do this properly!), I’m going to venture out again to the action. However, there seems to be some kind of ball game on as some very gaudily-dressed persons are milling about.
Yes, I am using my laptop in the restarant. I can’t get net access in my room, so the lobby area is wireless - yay!
Peopel suggested that I rent a car and drive up the Rockies. I nodded yes of course, but a) I didn’t take my licence, b) my licence is in pink fluffy tatters (washing machine) and c) no way am I going to attempt driving an automatic car on the wrong side of the road with 6 lanes and no bloody idea where I’m going. I think I shall settle for the local charms instead.
Anyway, the conference I attended was excellent and will do wonders for me professionally and practically, I think. Back to reality tomorrow evening, to arive back in London on Monday morning and Dublin later that day. Yawn….
Isn’t that fun? And it’s election day here and one of the issues is whether or not the Coloradans should ban gay marriage.
Anyway, I’m waiting to register for a conference and it’s a fab day outside so I may go for a wee ramble.
(God, that was the most dull post I’ve ever done, but my brain is a bit zonked after a ten hour flight from London and three very stupid movies.)
Regular listeners may have downloaded some of my previous seasonal mixes (and some you have actually danced to them, which is what they are for after all!). Here is the latest instalment, but it’s a little different.
Every year, I make special compilation for my closest friends. I usually have two discs: fast and slow. Last year, I had three (dance, pop, slow), but that was overkill. This year I’m going to a proper dance mix (I’ve learned about pitch-shifting, so the mixing is dramatically better!) and a spacey chilled out thing.
Anyway, I’ve decided to upload the dance mix as a work in progress for feedback. Keeping in mind that it’s a demo and the tracks are meant to be a selection of the best of 2006, can you give me some feedback? Do you like the tracks? What have I left out? Should I change the sequence? Where are the joins really jarring (Chris Martin comes in too early - yuk)? What do you like about it? Do you also think that ‘Cruel’ could so be a UK number 1 with the right radio edit? Are you crying out for Fedde Le Grande?
If that goes well, I might inflict upon you upload the chill out one as well!
Get your disco shoes on, kittens!
01. Find Yourself A Friend (Seamus Haji Big Love Vocal)Paul Harris
02. Boogie 2Nite (Seamus Haji Big Love Remix) Booty Luv
03. Love Don’t Let Me Go (Walking Away) David Guetta vs The Egg
04. Changes Chris Lake
05. Speechless (Seamus Haji Big Love Remix) Mish Mash feat. Lois
06. Same Man (Original Mix) Till West and DJ Delicious (The lyric seems to be ‘You’re always hungry when I am, for the same man’, but there are far funnier interpretations - make your own!).
07. Funk (Robbie Rivera Mix) Matteo Esse
08. Exceeder (Original) Mason
09. Cruel (Fonzerelli Full Vocal Club Mix)Aaron McClelland
10. No More Conversations (Richard X Remix) Freeform Five
11. Talk (Junkie XL Remix)Coldplay
Download Is It That Time Already? (61MB) (Watch out though, there are some ugly pop ups)
Do you like the disco sounds? Buy lovely DRM-free club mixs at DJDownload.com. Fabliss.
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