The Electric Dread
This one is a direct off-shoot of this month's opener. With it we will follow some of the wandering connections of one musical genius...Donovan Letts.
Don Letts (born January 10, 1956) is a British film director, DJ, & musician. In 1975, he ran the London clothing store Acme Attractions, selling, as he sez:
"electric-blue zoot suits and jukeboxes, and pumping Dub reggae all day long".
Seeing the crowd at Acme, promoter Andy Czezowski started up the Roxy, a fashionable nightclub in Covent Garden during the original outbreak of punk in England, so that people could go from the Acme store & have some place to party. As most bands of that era had yet to be recorded, there were limited punk rock records to be played. Instead, now Roxy DJ Letts included many Dub & reggae records in his sets. He is most commonly credited with introducing those sounds to the London punk scene, influencing the Clash & other bands.
Letts quit the retail business to manage the band the Slits. He managed to get the Slits an opening spot for the Clash during their White Riot tour. Don didn't really feel cut out for the management gig but his involvement with the Clash grew as he became the videographer for the band, directing several of their music videos.
In 1978, Letts recorded an EP, Steel Leg v the Electric Dread, with Keith Levene, Jah Wobble, & Steel Leg.
Steel Leg vs the Electric Dread
Steel Leg was a one off project of Jah Wobble / Keith Levene featuring Don Letts & Wobble's mate Vince Bracken on vocals. Desribed as being the missing link between PIL's First Issue & Metal Box releases.
On Steel Leg vs the Electric Dread: Vince Bracken - vocals; Don Letts - vocals; Jah Wobble - bass, synthisizer, & vocals; & Stratetime Keith (Levene) - guitar & drums.
Don Letts, Stratetime Keith, Steel Leg, Jah Wobble – Steel Leg V The Electric Dread 45rpm,
Virgin VS23912, 1978.
all decryption codes in comments
Virgin VS23912, 1978.
all decryption codes in comments
Side One -
Steel Leg
Stratetime & the Wide Man
Side Two -
Haile Unlikely by the Electric Dread
Unlikely Pub
Big Audio Dynamite
In 1984, Letts co-founded the band Big Audio Dynamite with former Clash lead guitarist & co-lead vocalist Mick Jones, acting as the band's sampler as well as videographer.
After leaving the Clash in 1983, Mick Jones formed a new band called Top Risk Action Company (T.R.A.C.). He recruited bassist Leo "E-Zee Kill" Williams, saxophonist John "Boy" Lennard (from post-punk band Theatre of Hate), & former Clash drummer Topper Headon. Although the band was short-lived & only demos of their material exist, which I shared here, the band led directly to Big Audio Dynamite.
Jones then formed Big Audio Dynamite with film director Don Letts (maker of 1978 film The Punk Rock Movie, various Clash music videos, & later the Clash documentary Westway to the World in 2000), bassist Leo Williams (from T.R.A.C.), drummer Greg Roberts, & keyboardist Dan Donovan.
In 1989, BAD released Megatop Phoenix, the original line-ups last full-length...
Big Audio Dynamite - Megatop Phoenix, Columbia CK45212, 1989.
Start / Rewind
All Mink & No Manners
Union, Jack
Contact
Dragon Town
Baby, Don't Apologise
Is Yours Working Yet?
Around the Girl in 80 Ways
James Brown
Everybody Needs a Holiday
Mick's a Hippie Burning
House Arrest
The Green Lady
London Bridge
Stalag 1 2 3
End
Screaming Target
In 1990, the original B.A.D. line-up wrote & recorded the song "Free" for the soundtrack to the adventure comedy film Flashback, starring Dennis Hopper & Kiefer Sutherland. This would be the final song written with the original line-up, as the band broke up shortly after.
In 1990 Letts formed Screaming Target
Screaming Target was formed as the first iteration of the Big Audio Dynamite split in 1990. The former B.A.D. band members Don Letts, Greg Roberts, Leo Williams, & Lynette Brathwaite formed Screaming Target (the name taken from Big Youth).
The following aired on Mark Goodier's August 5, 1991 BBC radio show, recorded earlier, July 27...
Screaming Target - Mark Goodier Session, July 27, 1991, BBC Radio, 1991.
Who Killed King Tubby
Fallout
This Town
Bedazzled
Dreadzone
Screaming Target only released one album & three singles before the band split in 1992, as Greg Roberts & Leo Williams left for Dreadzone.
Greg Roberts teamed up with Julian Cope's sound engineer Tim Brian & formed Dreadzone. The name was the idea of none other than Don Letts. Ex-BAD members bassist Leo Williams & keyboardist Dan Donovan soon joined the band. In the early days, Alison Goldfrapp was one of the bands vocalists, By 1995, Earl Sixteen had joined the band as vocalist.
Dreadzone - Second Light, Virgin CDV2778, 1995.
Life, Love, & Unity
Little Britain
A Canterbury Tale
Captain Dread
Cave of Angels
Zion Youth
One Way
Shining Path
Out of Heaven
More tomorrow, still on the Trail,
NØ
Steel Leg & the Electric Dread
ReplyDeleteaw4c-fOgb0AwMP5WgZ_IHH6LaXux9bS8DAv_WS8Xack
Megatop Phoenix
-eqTxwsMWjNPoOwR1dk5n026DnCmqKH6lqeRN0JlX98
Mark Goodier session
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Second Light
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I got the B.A.D. when it arrived and always loved the band--might have seen them at First Ave but I don't remember as seen much. Had also posted some Don stuff from TV. This post is the rest I needed so BIG THANKS NØ!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, VCMD.
DeleteClash fan here. Love this stuff. Thank you for filling it all in.
ReplyDeleteJust a bunch of OVERFLOW that flowed together well. Thanks for the comment, SPB.
DeleteIf I'd known the trail was going to be this long and arduous, I would have packed a machete and some provisions! Thanks NØ the background on Don Letts and his important contributions to musik! I knew he was foundational, but I wasn't aware of all the connections. Thanks again for the tunes and knowledge!
ReplyDeleteSometime the path is easy & sometimes ya need a sharp machete. Never know when, so as rule of thumb, always pack a big blade. Thanks brother.
DeleteHaha NØ, you always seem to be 2 brain cells ahead of me. When you asked if I had any requests some weeks ago, one of the only things that came to mind was Screaming Target, as I've not seen their music posted anywhere in the blogosphere ever, but I hesitated as I've read that the LP is sort of half-baked. But then here you drop some along with other contextual gems. Now I can judge for myself. Thanks thanks thanks as always!
ReplyDeleteTheir radio set for Mark Goodier is a real good taste of their work. Thank you for all your kindness & insights. Stay well.
DeleteAdding another THANKS THANKS THANKS for the Screaming Target session. I once watched an interview with Don Letts where he complimented someone for having "big ears" (wide ranging musical tastes). Every visit to Nathan's blog is guaranteed to embiggen the earholes.
DeleteThank you, my friend. You have such a way with words. "embiggen the earholes." I've added it to my tagline.
DeleteI’ve been a fan of Don Letts since I became aware of him in the late seventies, initially I was interested in his photography but became slightly more interested when I discovered he was singer (only for a while) of one of the best unsung bands, the Basement 5, from the whole mad explosion of talent that was everywhere in the late seventies and early eighties. The recorded Basement 5 doesn’t feature Don as far as I know, the vocals were handled by another excellent photographer and really cool person, Dennis Morris. Leo Williams from both Big Audio Dynamite was bass player and Richard Dudanski was the guy bashing the skins.
DeleteBasement 5 didn’t release many official recordings but the ones they did are some of the best music to come out of that era. Every person mentioned in my post should be looked on as innovators. I was hooked when I heard their single “Silicon Chip” for the first time, of course I bought every other release after that.
I only saw them live once and that was by chance. They played an all nighter in London and I was walking past and got accosted. I was given a free ticket and as I went into the venue they started playing. I was having such a good night, the memory of the gig will always stay in my mind.
I’d urge everyone to seek out their albums 1965–1980 and Basement 5 In Dub, they were released as single entities originally but a later rerelease was both of them on one CD, I think. Well worth a listen if you have even the slightest interest in punk and reggae and music that paints the soundtrack of Margaret Thatcher’s period as British Prime Minister. Desperate times indeed.
Jack, couldn't agree with you more about the gratness of Basement 5 (or the connection to Don Letts). One Dec. I shared their single "Last White Christmas b/w Traffic Dub" as well as shared at some point In Dub. Wish they had released more than they did but its all worth having.
ReplyDeleteMust have been heavenly to just stumble across them playing an all-nighter, then scoring free ticket. Excellent. Thanks for the great & informative comment.
Hi Nø.
ReplyDeleteTo my shame I’ve been a lurker on your site for many years and never had the decency/courage to thank you for providing such joy through good times and bad. It is soo much appreciated.
I was moved to comment as Jack Sparrow’s experience reminded me of a similar story. Back in the 80s I was at a free reggae concert with friends in a park in West London. At the end the MC suggested we all went to the Acklam Hall underneath the Westway (the road made famous by the Clash) to check out a band called Urban Shakedown. We went, paid 2 quid to get in and were confronted by a bass player dressed like a Voodoo priest and a drummer banging out some hardcore punk/dub crossover.
Turns out the bassist was Dennis Morris and US his new band after B5. They only released one single; Living on the Edge/The Big Bad Wolf. Look hard enough and there is some grainy footage on YouTube somewhere, but don’t confuse them with a techno band with the same name, not that that’s possible.
Not entirely Don Letts related but does add to the Leo Williams/Basement 5 family tree.
All the best to you Nø and thank you again! Keep up the good fight against the shit-show of a world we’re in and maybe I’ll comment again in a few years time(!)
Gavski
Thanks Gavski, for the comment & the musical tale. Appreciate you being around for many years, even if you never commented before. I'll try to keep up the good fight & I'll be watching for your return in a few years time. Stay well.
ReplyDeleteBecause Gavski left such a heartening comment...
DeleteDiscogs says Anthony Thompson was the drummer but Morris has sez that Michael “T” Smith was the drummer. The single was one of the first releases on Paul Weller’s Respond label. "The Big Bad Wolf" is arguably the first drum ‘n’ bass tune.
Urban Shakedown - The Big Bad Wolf, Respond Records RESP5,1982.
Side A -
The Big Bad Wolf
Side b -
Rap the Wolf
bonus track -
Living on the Edge (live at the Brixton Fridge)
https://mega.nz/file/DwUXATzK#6zfIXZVGxsmec_BAnBuKpSimRTnY-v03rdrn_1s8zK0
What an interesting thread! So cool to know that Dennis Morris was involved both in Basement 5 (the primary inspiration for Big Audio Dynamite) as well as "arguably the first drum ‘n’ bass tune".
DeleteBasement 5 is a big favorite of mine. I bought the Screaming Target record based on Leo Williams' involvement. Aside from the single "Who Killed King Tubby" it was mostly disappointing. Hoping the radio session is a bit more raw.
Nathan, it is an honor to see my words alongside Brother iB.
The Trail of the Don winds ever onward. Cosmic entanglements of Frenz of NSS altering the frequency & creating new pathways.
DeleteCouldn't resist sharing the Urban Shakedown tracks after the Dennis Morris path branched off. Also, I think that the Mark Goodier radio session in the best kernels of Screaming T, as their full-lenth is quite scattershot.
"Slinging tuneage like some fried or otherwise soused short-order cook." & "Embiggening the earholes." are on an even keel of greatness, my friend (s). I am so honored to be so labelled. I have made arrangements for it to be my epitath.
Stay well, dear friend.
Mashing your brain like silly putty
DeleteLeaving you in a better frame of mind
Drowning out the voices that bug you
But I promise to be good to your earhole ...
Put your hands together, come on and stomp your feet
There's a good time waiting for you, so come on and let's get free!
Ah, for those bygone days of Silly Putty.
Delete