Clint Boon

My last playlist for Fred Perry’s Subculture was in September 2014. It was titled '10 songs to listen to in your fave Fred Perry shirt before you go out’.

I’ve called this playlist … ‘FULL FREQUENCY / Tracks from the 10 vinyl albums currently at the front of the pile in our lounge’.

PIERRE HENRY ‘PSYCHE ROCK’
(From the album ‘Messe Pour Le Temps Present’)
I heard this track for the first time in a nightclub in Paris back in 1991 after an Inspirals gig. I asked the DJ who it was by; he held up the record cover. I remember just seeing the word ‘Bejart’. Recorded by French electronic pioneer Pierre Henry back in 1967 for a contemporary ballet by Maurice Bejart, it sounds as edgy, exciting and revolutionary today as any cutting edge modern electronic music.

The day after our Paris gig, we flew out to North America to start a tour. On the day we landed (Toronto I think), I strolled into a second-hand record shop on the main street and immediately found a copy of the Bejart album.

Fans of Sci-Fi TV cartoon ‘Futurama’ will recognise this tune immediately. It was completely inspired by and based on Psyche Rock.

THE BEACH BOYS ‘WOULDN’T IT BE NICE’
(From the album ‘Pet Sounds’)
The opening track from my favourite album of all time. It just injects me with sunshine the moment it starts. For me, the whole album is a ‘feelgood’ experience. Brian Wilson once said that when he was making Pet Sounds, he wanted to create sounds that made the listener feel loved. He ticked that box big time for me. An essential piece for every vinyl collection.

MARVIN GAYE ‘WHAT’S GOING ON’
(From the album ‘What’s Going On’)
One of the greatest songs ever written. It feels like it’s always been there. Part of our human fabric. I’ve probably heard it a thousand times over the years. In school playgrounds during 1970s dinner breaks…out of ropey cotton mill transistor radios through the 1980s or in the back seats of late night taxis somewhere else in time. But to sit and revisit the recording in all its vinyl glory through a modern-day hi-fi system in 2017 is like hearing it for the first time again.

LIAM GALLAGHER ‘CHINATOWN’
(From the album ‘As You Were’)
My recent interview with Liam for XS Manchester will be one of my most cherished moments in my years as a broadcaster. I first met Liam when he was 16/17 when his big brother famously came to work for the Inspiral Carpets. I’ve always got on great with Liam and have interviewed him several times over the years for various radio stations.

Our latest chat was so special because he’s in such a great place right now. Not only sounding and looking great, but feeling positive, upbeat, confident and getting great press at the same time. That, coupled with the fact that we go so far back means the interview had quite a unique intimacy about it.

His album ‘As You Were’ is another brilliant piece to have on vinyl. One of our greatest frontmen back on top of his game, captured on a recording which is sonically beautiful.

THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET ‘TAKE 5’
(From the album ‘Time Out’)
I’ve started listening to some classic jazz albums recently on the Boon record player. Miles Davis’s ‘A Kind of Blue’ is an incredible listen and an amazing story. I recently treated myself to a new vinyl copy of Dave Brubeck’s ‘Time Out’ album. The track ‘Take 5’ is one of the most famous jazz recordings of all time. It has probably one of my favourite drum performances ever (Joe Morello), even though, when I listen to the drums from about two minutes in, I get the mental image of a big cuddly dog stood in front of me excitedly waiting for me to throw the ball. Yeah, I know.

THE MONKEES ‘VALERI’
(From the album ‘Monkeemania”)
Although generally not perceived as a ‘proper band’ and criticised as such over the years, some fantastic music was made under ‘The Monkees’ banner. Despite being recognised for their more mainstream ‘bubble gum’ or pop output, they’d occasionally produce a psychedelic pop nugget like Valerie. It’s worth noting that some of the most important records made over the last few decades have been made by DJs, producers and managers. Not always ‘proper bands’. It’s the norm now. My friend Abi Richardson recently opened her ‘Honey Beat’ vinyl café in Altrincham. That’s where I found this double album. Thanks Abi and good luck with the shop.

PAUL WELLER (feat BOY GEORGE) ‘ONE TEAR’
(From the album ‘A Kind Revolution’)
From Weller’s latest album ‘A Kind Revolution’. On this track, Paul teams up with his old mate to create a beautiful duet which shows some amazing similarities in their voices. The whole album is a masterpiece, especially when heard on vinyl. I have the ultimate respect and admiration for Paul, not only for the incredible body of work he’s created over the years, but for the way he’s remained grounded and true to his roots. As with Ashcroft and Liam, one of the true greats.

PINK FLOYD ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond'
(From the album ‘Wish You Were Here’) This album’s opening track doesn’t induce the same ‘feelgood’ vibes as the Pet Sounds opener. If anything, quite an ‘ominous’ feeling. A heart-wrenchingly emotional ode to a lost bandmate. 43 years after I first started listening to it, I can relate to its sentiment more than ever. Epic. Monumental. Genre-defining. Another ‘must have’ for all vinyl addicts.

CONTROL OF THE GOING ‘SHE’
(Single)
Not actually an album track. Just a simple 7” 45rpm vinyl record with one track on each side. It was thrust into my hand at a DJ gig I did a few months ago in Oldham. The enthusiasm of the lads who gave it to me reminded me of the early days in our band. Going from gig to gig, handing out cassette tapes of Inspiral Carpets tunes. When I got home and played the single, I immediately fell in love with it. The sound of the band even reminded me of the Inspirals in some ways. A nice mix of garage, psychedelia and ‘shoegaze’ (I still struggle with that term but it does the job). The nicest part of this story is the fact that the room where the guys proudly gave me the record, was the same room the Inspirals, did some of our earliest gigs The Hurricane Club (aka Tokyo Project, Bier Keller Live) in Oldham.

The Circle of Life!

Incidentally, the Inspirals first ever single was called ‘Keep the Circle Around’.

RICHARD ASHCROFT ‘THIS IS HOW IT FEELS’
(From the album ‘These People’)
From his latest album ‘These People’, Richard’s voice and his writing never fail to give me goose-bumps. Combined with the gorgeous production courtesy of Chris Potter (and Ashcroft) this is one of my favourite vinyl albums. To me, he’s a perfect rock star. Iconic, charismatic, cool as f*ck, but totally grounded, caring and human at the same time.

As with a lot of modern vinyl releases, the album is spread across 2 discs on nice thick vinyl allowing the cut to be deeper. This gives a volume, clarity and quality which will take your breath away if your introduction to music has been solely as part of the mp3 generation.

As Henry Rollins says in the wonderful new book ‘Why Vinyl Matters’ (by Dr Jennifer Otter Bickerdike), when asked what vinyl provides that other formats don’t, he answers… “Full frequency.”

Clint Boon. 6th November 2017