Strangler in the light

JJ Burnel, ...., Baz Warne, Jim Macaulay.

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evonx
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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by evonx »

I think it's fair to say Mk2 was almost a different band* but I enjoyed it, especially the gigs at the time.

*didn't Peter Hook vote for them as 'best new band' in NME or Meldoy Maker or something at the time?
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Re: Strangler in the light

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For those that can read French and can lay their hands on a copy - tomorrow in French paper Libération there will be a JJB feature
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Re: Strangler in the light

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Greatkudu wrote: 01 Jul 2022, 11:59
toilerinblack wrote: 30 Jun 2022, 18:54
painter in black wrote: 29 Jun 2022, 20:15 A photo of JJ when he was a kid, Already known but he admits that he wanted to quit around the time of "Written in red", and he took some revenge/ teased (is more correct), with writing (most of)"coup de grace", (at least as I could read/understand, as my French isn't very good.
I only wished that they hadn't bothered with Coup at all sorry.... but there was nothing wrong with WIR which is far better than Coup for me ever was and Paul was bloody excellent on that album that had some great songs to it's name except a poor cover version.To me WIR is far to underated as an album with the days of Paul and John they both done very well with the material they did produce on that one, i know i maybe might be in the minority here but re listen again to the album i'd say there were 6 very good songs out of the 11 with Valley of the birds,In heaven she walks,Silver into blue,Blue sky,Here,Joy Da viva all excellent tracks....sorry a bit off thread here but i've also just heard a live mk1 sewer version on youtube that's just blown me away...Down in the sewer chicago '87 where Hugh was on fire shouting....Chicago do you know why? nothing ever will ever touch what MK1 had sorry but that version has blown me away if you haven't heard it before take a listen to it on youtube and understand why this band can never be the same again post Hugh,even though their still great in their own right still.
Anyway back on thread.
Yes the gig was issued by SIS on a tape, Robert Williams on drums as Jet has shingles I believe? They are on fire with that gig.Lt Kudu .
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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by toilerinblack »

evonx wrote: 01 Jul 2022, 12:57 I think it's fair to say Mk2 was almost a different band* but I enjoyed it, especially the gigs at the time.

*didn't Peter Hook vote for them as 'best new band' in NME or Meldoy Maker or something at the time?
I wouldn't know tbh because at the time i wasn't really a MK2 fan following them post Hugh for a long time,but saying that i think Paul & John deserve a lot of credit for all the work they did put into the band at the time re looking back on it all i can now see it in a different light not being a fan at that point in time,WIR full praise to them when others had given up or whatever was going on at the time like i say i wouldn't know but i can now see like you say why some of the music papers at the time like the one's you've suggested would of said that.
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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by toilerinblack »

Greatkudu wrote: 01 Jul 2022, 11:59
toilerinblack wrote: 30 Jun 2022, 18:54
painter in black wrote: 29 Jun 2022, 20:15 A photo of JJ when he was a kid, Already known but he admits that he wanted to quit around the time of "Written in red", and he took some revenge/ teased (is more correct), with writing (most of)"coup de grace", (at least as I could read/understand, as my French isn't very good.
I only wished that they hadn't bothered with Coup at all sorry.... but there was nothing wrong with WIR which is far better than Coup for me ever was and Paul was bloody excellent on that album that had some great songs to it's name except a poor cover version.To me WIR is far to underated as an album with the days of Paul and John they both done very well with the material they did produce on that one, i know i maybe might be in the minority here but re listen again to the album i'd say there were 6 very good songs out of the 11 with Valley of the birds,In heaven she walks,Silver into blue,Blue sky,Here,Joy Da viva all excellent tracks....sorry a bit off thread here but i've also just heard a live mk1 sewer version on youtube that's just blown me away...Down in the sewer chicago '87 where Hugh was on fire shouting....Chicago do you know why? nothing ever will ever touch what MK1 had sorry but that version has blown me away if you haven't heard it before take a listen to it on youtube and understand why this band can never be the same again post Hugh,even thought their great in their own right still.
Anyway back on thread.
Yes the gig was issued by SIS on a tape, Robert Williams on drums as Jet has shingles I believe? They are on fire with that gig.Lt Kudu .
Oh ok didn't know that but yes Hugh was vocally amazing the PA/Production sound was awesome at that gig...boy what an amazing band we were into from that time even now looking back on it all still makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand right up,i was just so glad i saw them as much as i did back in the day with Hugh in it.
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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by Greatkudu »

No you can't beat the original lineup,they never lost it live either.Lt Kudu.
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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by evonx »

Started reading the book this week. Interesting quote is JJ saying Laurie Latham "de-strangled" the stranglers.

(Not sure if that works in translation, he means probably Latham took the edge off their sound)
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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by Lafleur »

evonx wrote: 01 Jul 2022, 12:57 I think it's fair to say Mk2 was almost a different band* but I enjoyed it, especially the gigs at the time.

*didn't Peter Hook vote for them as 'best new band' in NME or Meldoy Maker or something at the time?
Peter Hook said in 1992 that the album Stranglers In The Night is one of the best albums of the year.
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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by Frederik »

evonx wrote: 01 Jul 2022, 23:54 Started reading the book this week. Interesting quote is JJ saying Laurie Latham "de-strangled" the stranglers.

(Not sure if that works in translation, he means probably Latham took the edge off their sound)

A couple of references to Latham's style
Hugh 87
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm ... story.html
LA Times
"Not only has the band outgrown its reputation of being abusive and sexist, it also has changed musically. It has gone from the atmospheric sound of synthesizers and the spacey special effects on the 1981 concept album “The Meninblack,” to layered horns on the tracks of “Aural Sculpture” and “Dreamtime.”

Hugh
“The brass is really not all that outrageous,” Cornwell said. “When we worked with producer Laurie Latham on ‘Aural Sculpture,’ she suggested we use horns. We’re now traveling with a group of young whippersnapper horn players for the tour. It makes our old stuff sound more contemporary.”"

Hugh 2015
https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/Details?Id=23340
"HC: Yeah, on the earlier records the producers I worked with were very much into creating paintings with layers of stuff. Laurie Latham [Hi FI, Guilty] creates landscapes of sound. It would be very hard to reconstruct. In order to play everything that Laurie Latham put on the record you would have to have about ten people up on stage to play it accurately."


JJ views, are in an article on the making of Aural Sculpture, was on the Stranglers site, still available from Wayback machine

https://web.archive.org/web/20200612035 ... k/?p=11405
"Overall the sound of the album was softened up for American radio which was the brief given to Laurie by Muff but we resisted the efforts to turn us into Paul Young!’" .... more in the article.
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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by evonx »

Not much new so far but glad to read JJ has some of the same musical heroes as me ... Beach Boys, Jacques Dutronc, early Fleetwood Mac 👍
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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by theraven1979 »

Sounds like a really pointless book tbh

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Re: Strangler in the light

Post by evonx »

Halfway through now, not pointless inho but at the same time a lot of stories we all have heard before. A lot more depth though than the usual interviews and did you know Jet hates dogs?
--eric--
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