George McCrae – Rock Your Baby
In 1973 Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch cut a backing track in about 45 minutes, and George McCrae, who happened to be in the studio, sang Rock Your Baby over it.
Trainspotting
Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting cuts Iggy Pop and Underworld into a Scottish comedown where the soundtrack directs as hard as the camera.
New Order – Blue Monday
New Order’s Blue Monday (Factory, 1983): drum-machine 12-inch designed to make people dance, Sumner’s frank brief.
Phoenix Festival 1996 – The Prodigy
At Phoenix Festival 1996 near Stratford-upon-Avon, The Prodigy headlined in peak Firestarter form under July sun on a bill with Bowie.
George Michael – Praying for Time
In August 1990 George Michael led Listen Without Prejudice with Praying for Time: a slow sermon that hit US No.1 while the video showed only scrolling lyrics.
Afterlife Interview with Kurt Cobain
Riffs and Beats Kurt, if you were to walk the streets of today’s world, what would strike you most about the state of our society?
Love Deluxe – Venice to London, No Ordinary Love
In October 1992 Sade released Love Deluxe on Epic, a fourth album cut between Venice, Surrey, London and Los Angeles with programmed hush and No Ordinary Love up front.
Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence
Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence: bathroom draft, Tom Wilson electric overdub, Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 (1966).
Earth, Wind & Fire – Horns aimed at the sun
Earth, Wind & Fire stacked kalimba, horns and choir-ready hooks into Columbia-era hits that filled arenas.
The Undertones – Teenage Kicks
The Undertones’ Teenage Kicks (Derry, 1978) is two minutes twenty-eight of plain desire that John Peel called one of his favourite records.