05 May 2025

May: I Come Again - Close only Counts in Love & Handgrenades

On February 19, 2013, I shared some Tackhead here. 
 



Tackhead was a mainstay of On-U Sound in the 80s & 90s. The core members are Doug Wimbish (bass), Keith LeBlanc (percussion), Skip McDonald (guitar), & producer (sometimes credited as "mixologist") Adrian Sherwood. In the late 1970s, Wimbish, LeBlanc, & McDonald were members of the house band for the Sugarhill Records record label. Soon after British producer Sherwood met LeBlanc during a visit to New York in the mid-80s, the trio of Wimbish, LeBlanc, & McDonald relocated to London. They began working on tracks for Sherwood's On-U Sound record label.

Beside appearing as Tackhead, the band took over band duties for Mark Stewart & the Maffia for three LPs between 1985 & 1990. They toured with the On-U Sound System with MC Gary Clail as Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System, releasing the 1987 LP, Tackhead Tape Time. LeBlanc released two solo LPs featuring all Tackhead members. Since then, the trio has been the backing band for various Sherwood-led On-U Sound productions artists such as Gary Clail's solo efforts, African Head Charge, Dub Syndicate, New Age Steppers, Strange Parcels, Barmy Army, & the blues-oriented Little Axe.

On the first Tackhead LP proper (see link above), 1989's Friendly as a Hand Grenade, vocalist Bernard Fowler joined the line-up. Many of Tackheads older instrumental tracks re-appeared with lyrics.

The follow-up album was 1990's Strange Things... 

 

Tackhead - Strange Things, SBK Records SBKCD1003, 1990.
decryption code in comments


Nobody to Somebody    
Wolf in Sheeps Clothing
Classic Rock    
Dangerous Sex
Strange Things   
Super Stupid
See the Fire Burning   
For This I Sing
Take a Stroll
Change       
Positive Suggestion    

 

 

Revisiting,
NØ

at

14 comments:

  1. NØ5/5/25, 3:10 PM

    Strange Things
    wAglDjPhapogf7w_NYOf5AwYlYfn5Yw7RpcOqO1mJEs

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5/6/25, 12:49 AM

    Huge thanks for this! I've got the cassette version (and a couple of dead cassette decks) so it will be great to hear it again!
    Brian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ5/6/25, 2:26 PM

      Thanks, Brian. Glad to help fill a void in listening pleasures.

      Delete
  3. Richie Muster5/6/25, 6:49 AM

    Ahh, you can't beat a bit (or a lot) of Tackhead, can you?
    I don't know if this'll work, but knowing your love for all things Scientisty, i thought a link to a new release might prove tasty (assuming you don't already have it), so here goes: https://exystence.net/blog/2025/05/06/blanc-du-blanc-scientist-meets-blanc-du-blanc-before-the-beginning-2025/
    Exystence is a great place for checking out new stuff. I love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ5/6/25, 2:28 PM

      Tackhead, yes. But mainly, thanks for sharing the link to this Scientist goodness. Appreciated. I peruse Exystence but missed this one. Grabbing it now.

      Delete
  4. Christian5/8/25, 12:44 AM

    Interesting post with a fusion of funk and industrial brought by this label.
    Within this record label, there's one item that caught my attention: The Red House - The Red House 1990

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ5/8/25, 3:03 PM

      Too U2 melodic modern rock, too polished for my taste, but here goes...

      The Red House - The Red House, SBK Records CDP94476, 1990.
      https://mega.nz/file/v9EwgQpI#ckKAlLMUdX_5eSH9jr_tl__kWKNA8Nh9tnsPgOcyuU4

      Delete
    2. Christian5/9/25, 6:52 PM

      Thank you so much for the The Red House!!

      Delete
  5. Christian5/14/25, 1:29 AM

    Hi I’ve been trying to find a 1995 album by Gene - Olympian. Wondering if you have ever come across it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ5/14/25, 8:12 PM

      Gene - Olympian (US edition), Polydor 314527662-2, 1995 with two extra tracks than the UK version plus two bonus tracks from singles

      https://mega.nz/file/S9NTGbAB#DhksofFZmFjPXIrYO1v4dCUlnL710uEfw9uDUDPldho

      Delete
    2. Christian5/15/25, 1:29 PM

      I apreciate it!!

      Delete
  6. Christian5/16/25, 3:10 PM

    Hello, And here’s a new request on the off chance you might have it handy: Engine Alley - A Sonic Holiday 1992

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ5/17/25, 12:53 PM

      Engine Alley - A Sonic Holiday, Mother Records MUMCD9211, 1992.

      https://mega.nz/file/KgdgHaJD#EzBi9Ck2DJYR2k7ZapKZ1DE7CH8gmGWEcpyL3w4VM-w

      Delete
    2. Christian5/19/25, 2:24 AM

      Thanks for that Engine Alley link!!!

      Delete