Saturday 13 September 2014

Gareth Williams & Mary Currie ‎– "Flaming Tunes" (self-released cassette) 1985



Gareth Williams only made one solo album after the Heat,and it's a good one;in fact the best of any ex-This Heater. Collaborating with Mary Currie, its an understated post-electronic type of lo-fi urban folk. Thankfully only a few Indian Music influences appear,a couple of Tablas and some twangy sounds, but largely an eclectic mix of upright piano's, violins, and nursery rhyme-like songs.

I can imagine Looby Lou (how did you spell that?) dancing to these songs while Andy Pandy and Teddy are playing with their hobby Horse in the woods. Some of them would not have been out of place sung by Gabriel the Toad and Madeleine the Ragdoll in Bagpuss. There is a knowing innocence about these tunes that make them sort of …..creepy? This is a very desirable quality in music, that can only be achieved by the 'Non-Musician', which Gareth W certainly was. A great work of misty, unsentimental,childhood invoking art,by a greatly missed artist.

“Come and play with us;.....forever;..........and ever;........... and EVER!” (The Shining Twins)

Tracklist:

Another Flaming Tune 2:23
Beguiling The Hours 4:11 
The Best Weapon 3:28
A To B 3:48
Breast Stroke 3:29
Raindrops From Heavens 7:31
Restless Mind 4:07
B To A 3:52
Golden Age 6:29
It's Madness 4:50
Generous Moon 3:56


13 comments:

A. S. said...

Also really enjoying this This Heat streak. Thanks for posting.

Anonymous said...

Salute from Czech Republic! Ultra mega thanx for All your R.I.O. and experimental music upload!!!!! Good work! Great blog!!!! Robert

Jonny Zchivago said...

I'm enjoying it too Antonio.Can't get enough of This Heat.

Jonny Zchivago said...

Salut back to y'all in the Czech Republic. Thanks for reading/downloading, and taking an interest.
JZ

Judas Vigilante said...

This 'Flaming Tunes' cassette is excellent. Why are all self released cassettes from otherwise signed artists/bands mostly brilliant? Is it because of the lack of exec's watching their every move? Probably.
Loving the Williams/ Currie release and all the This Heat stuff. A band I wasn't aware of being a child of the nineties! Me bad.
Great Work Johnny. One of the few blogs I feel compelled to visit virtually every day.

Jonny Zchivago said...

Hi Judas, i wouldn't say that Gareth Williams(RIP) was ever signed up anywhere. But self-released stuff does enable a certain independence from unhealthy outside influences,mostly, leading to something rather special and unique.
You may not want my pity, but, i pity you being a child in the nineties!Worse than being an adult in the nineties.
Many thanks for your kind words anyways.
JZ

Judas Vigilante said...

Cheers Johnny,
I'll accept your pity on this occassion as grunge was my punk!
A poor substitute!
Regards

JV

Anonymous said...

I really like this tape, didn't think i would but has completely won me over. Thanks so much for this one. Oakland CA

Anonymous said...

Amazing! Thank you so much for this one!

dee_seejay said...

Thanks so much. Someone else seems to like this too:

http://www.factmag.com/2013/06/24/the-100-best-albums-of-the-1980s-100-81/57/

Jonny Zchivago said...

fucking hip journolists stealing the peoples music.Very surprising that this made a list at all!....the number one in that list is a shit record.

dee_seejay said...

Sorry I took so long to get back on this...just came back to this comments section to say thanks for all the This Heat/Charles H/Camberwell Now stuff otherwise I wouldn't have seen it! Yeah agreed with you there...and a lot of other strange choices too. I didn't actually get to go through many of them tbh. Anyway ta v. much.

loopheadtapenoise said...

Technically this wasn't self-released but released on Contagious Tapes which released a number of small run cassettes from bands/individuals in the South London scene of the 80s