Scared To Get Happy tracklist locked down

I don't know why I'm so insanely excited about a compilation album that consists mostly of tracks I already own. Perhaps it's because Cherry Red have effectively curated a collection which spans, for me, roughly what got me through puberty-to-University.

They've not called it that, of course. They've called it Scared To Get Happy. And that's special too.

Jesus, they've made an album which, if you play it through in order, one moment you're listening to Bradford's Skin Storm; the next, you've got The Charlottes.

Here's that tracklist in full:

Disc 1:
1. THE WILD SWANS Revolutionary Spirit
Zoo, 1982
2. GIRLS AT OUR BEST! Getting Nowhere Fast
Record, 1980
3. ART OBJECTS Showing Off To Impress The Girls
Heartbeat, 1980
4. THE PALE FOUNTAINS (There’s Always) Something On My Mind
Operation Twilight/Les Disques du Crépuscule, 1982
5. JOSEF K The Missionary
Les Disques du Crépuscule, 1982
6. THE MONOCHROME SET The Jet Set Junta
Cherry Red, 1982
7. BLUE ORCHIDS Dumb Magician
Rough Trade, 1982
8. MARINE GIRLS Don’t Come Back
Cherry Red, 1983
9. FIRE ENGINES Candyskin
Pop:Aural, 1981
10. TV21 Ambition
Powbeat, 1980
11. DOLLY MIXTURE Everything And More
Respond, 1982
12. THE NIGHTINGALES Paraffin Brain
Cherry Red, 1982
13. SCARS All About You
Pre, 1981
14. JANE It’s A Fine Day
Cherry Red, 1983
15. THE FARMER’S BOYS I Think I Need Help
Waap, 1982
16. THE ROOM Things Have Learnt To Walk That Ought To Crawl
Red Flame, 1982
17. WEEKEND Summerdays
Rough Trade, 1982
18. PREFAB SPROUT Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone)
Candle, 1982; reissued Kitchenware, 1984
19. THE LINES Nerve Pylon
Red, 1980
20. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL Feeling Dizzy
Cherry Red, 1982
21. THE HIGSONS The Lost And The Lonely
Waap, 1981
22. BLACK Human Features
Rox, 1981
23. THE DAINTEES Roll On Summertime
Kitchenware, 1983
24. THE BLUEBELLS Happy Birthday
Lyntone, 1982
25. TRIXIE’S BIG RED MOTORBIKE Norman And Narcissus
Lobby Ludd, 1983
26. TV PERSONALITIES A Picture Of Dorian Gray (Live)
Creation Artifact, 1982

Disc 2:
1. HURRAH! The Sun Shines Here
Kitchenware, 1982
2. FANTASTIC SOMETHING If She Doesn’t Smile (It’ll Rain)
Cherry Red, 1983
3. PULP Everybody’s Problem
Red Rhino, 1983
4. STRAWBERRY SWITCHBLADE Dark 7
Previously unissued
5. THE SUEDE CROCODILES Stop The Rain
No Strings, 1983
6. GRAB GRAB THE HADDOCK I'm Used Now
Cherry Red, 1984
7. DEL AMITRI Sense Sickness
No Strings, 1983
8. FRIENDS AGAIN Honey At The Core
Moonboot, 1983
9. AZTEC CAMERA Oblivious
Rough Trade, 1983
10. LLOYD COLE & THE COMMOTIONS Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken (Indie Version)
LC, 1983
11. THE CHERRY BOYS Kardomah Café
Crash, 1983
12. IN EMBRACE This Brilliant Evening
Cherry Red, 1985
13. MICRODISNEY Dolly
Rough Trade, 1984
14. THE WOODENTOPS Plenty
Food, 1984
15. THE JAZZ BUTCHER Southern Mark Smith
Glass, 1983
16. THE JASMINE MINKS Where The Traffic Goes
Creation, 1984
17. THE HIT PARADE Forever
JSH, 1984
18. THE JUNE BRIDES Every Conversation
Pink, 1984
19. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM In The Afternoon
Creation, 1984
20. JAMES Hymn From A Village
Factory, 1985
21. THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN Just Like Honey (Demo Oct ’84)
Blanco Y Negro, 1985
22. BIFF BANG POW! The Chocolate Elephant Man
Creation, 1985
23. YEAH YEAH NOH Temple Of Convenience
In Tape, 1985
24. THE BODINES God Bless
Creation, 1985
25. BIG FLAME Debra
Ron Johnson, 1985
26. THE LOFT Up The Hill And Down The Slope
Creation, 1985

Disc 3:
1. PRIMAL SCREAM Velocity Girl
Creation, 1985
2. THE WEDDING PRESENT Go Out And Get ’Em, Boy!
Reception/City Slang, 1985
3. THE PRIMITIVES Thru The Flowers
Lazy, 1986
4. THE BMX BANDITS Sad
53rd & 3rd, 1986
5. THE SHOP ASSISTANTS All Day Long
Subway Organisation, 1985
6. THE MIGHTY LEMON DROPS Something Happens
Dreamworld, 1985
7. WE'VE GOT A FUZZBOX AND WE’RE GONNA USE IT XX Sex (Demo)
Vindaloo, not originally released, 1986
8. MIGHTY MIGHTY Is There Anyone Out There?
Girlie, 1986
9. THE SOUP DRAGONS Quite Content
Subway Organisation, unreleased, 1986
10. McCARTHY Red Sleeping Beauty
Pink, 1986
11. AGE OF CHANCE Motorcity
Riot Bible, 1985
12. THE CHESTERFIELDS Completely And Utterly
Subway Organisation, 1986
13. THE WOLFHOUNDS Cut The Cake
Pink, 1986
14. THE SERVANTS Loggerheads
Head, not originally released, 1986
15. THE CLOSE LOBSTERS Don’t Worry (Demo)
Not originally released, 1986
16. POP WILL EAT ITSELF Sick Little Girl
Desperate, 1986
17. RAZORCUTS Big Pink Cake
Subway Organisation, 1986
18. THAT PETROL EMOTION It’s A Good Thing
Demon, 1986
19. THE WEATHER PROPHETS Almost Prayed
Creation, 1986
20. JAMIE WEDNESDAY Vote For Love
Pink, 1986
21. TALULAH GOSH Beatnik Boy
53rd & 3rd, 1986
22. THE DENTISTS She Dazzled Me With Basil
Tambourine, 1986
23. THE RAILWAY CHILDREN A Gentle Sound
Factory, 1986
24. THE GROOVE FARM Baby Blue Marine (Alternative Version)
Raving Pop Blast, not originally released, 1987
25. JESSE GARON & THE DESPERADOES The Rain Fell Down
Narodnik, 1986
26. ROSEMARY’S CHILDREN (Whatever Happened To) Alice?
el, 1986
27. 14 ICED BEARS Balloon Song
Frank, 1987
28. THE WONDER STUFF A Wonderful Day
Far Out, 1986

Disc 4:
1. HOUSE OF LOVE Shine On
Creation, 1987
2. THE SHAMEN Something About You
Moksha, 1987
3. THE BACHELOR PAD The Albums Of Jack
Warholasound, 1987
4. GOL GAPPAS Albert Parker
el, 1986
5. HANGMAN'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS Love Is Blue
Dreamworld, 1987
6. WHIRL Heaven Forbid
Playroom Discs, 1987
7. THE BRILLIANT CORNERS Delilah Sands
SS20, 1987
8. THE FLATMATES Shimmer
Subway Organisation, 1988
9. THE WAKE Gruesome Castle
Factory, 1988
10. THIS POISON! Engine Failure
Reception, 1987
11. THE DARLING BUDS If I Said
Darling Buds, 1987
12. THE BOY HAIRDRESSERS Tidalwave
53rd & 3rd, 1987
13. THE WALTONES She Looks Right Through Me
Medium Cool, 1987
14. THE ROSEHIPS Room In Your Heart
Subway Organisation, 1987
15. APPLE BOUTIQUE Love Resistance
Creation, 1987
16. LAUGH Take Your Time Yeah!
Remorse, 1987
17. THE RAW HERBS She’s A Nurse But She's Alright
Medium Cool, 1987
18. THE HEART THROBS Toy
In Tape, 1987
19. THE CLOUDS Tranquil
Subway Organisation, 1987
20. THE GROOVY LITTLE NUMBERS You Make My Head Explode
53rd & 3rd, 1987
21. THE SIDDELEYS My Favourite Wet Wednesday Afternoon
Medium Cool, 1987
22. RUMBLEFISH Tug-Boat Line
Pink, 1987
23. THE HEPBURNS The World Is
Cherry Red, 1987
24. BUBBLEGUM SPLASH One Of Those Things
Subway Organisation, 1987
25. THE CORN DOLLIES Be Small Again
Medium Cool, 1987
26. THE KING OF LUXEMBOURG Lee Remick
el, 1987
27. THE LA's Son Of A Gun (Demo)
Not originally released, 1987

Disc 5:
1. THE STONE ROSES The Hardest Thing In The World
Silvertone, 1988
2. INSPIRAL CARPETS Keep The Circle Around
Playtime, 1988
3. THE POOH STICKS Indiepop Ain’t Noise Pollution
Fierce, 1988
4. THE SEA URCHINS Solace
Sarah, 1988
5. CUD Only (A Prawn In Whitby)
Imaginary, 1989
6. THE POPGUNS Landslide
Medium Cool, 1989
7. ONE THOUSAND VIOLINS All Aboard The Love-Mobile
Immaculate, 1988
8. ANOTHER SUNNY DAY I’m In Love With A Girl Who Doesn’t Know I Exist
Sarah, 1988
9. EAST VILLAGE Strawberry Window
Sub Aqua, 1988
10. BAD DREAM FANCY DRESS Choirboys Gas (Hack The Cassock)
el, 1988
11. RODNEY ALLEN Circle Line
Subway Organisation, 1988
12. THE ORCHIDS I’ve Got A Habit
Sarah, 1988
13. BRADFORD Skin Storm
Village, 1988
14. THE CHARLOTTES Are You Happy Now
Subway, 1989
15. THE CLAIM Picking Up The Bitter Little Pieces
Esurient Communications, 1989
16. THE POPPYHEADS Dreamabout
Sarah, 1988
17. THE SUN AND THE MOON Adam’s Song (Pour Fenella)
Midnight Music, 1988
18. THE McTELLS Jesse Man Rae
Frank, 1988
19. THE WOULD-BE-GOODS Cecil Beaton’s Scrapbook
el, 1988
20. THE DESERT WOLVES Speak To Me Rochelle
Ugly Man, 1988
21. THE RAIN Dry The Rain
Medium Cool, 1988
22. BLOW UP Forever Holiday
Cherry Red, 1989
23. THE FANATICS Suburban Love Songs
Chapter 22, 1989
24. THE MILLTOWN BROTHERS Roses
Big Round, 1989
25. THE SEERS Sun Is In The Sky
Hedd, 1989
26. THE TELESCOPES Perfect Needle
What Goes On, 1989
27. THE BOO RADLEYS Catweazle
Action, 1989

Blimey. How tantalising is that?

Punk preservation society

A tweet from @TheMichaelMoran with a link to something in the iTunes store:

Nevermind the Dovecotes - The Punk Collection (National Trust Music)

Yes, that's a National Trust collection of punk singles. Not just the cartoon punks like The Sex Pistols, either. There's GBH, and Discharge, and even Bingo Master's Break Out.

Perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised - 1970s UK punk long since moved from being a snarl in the face of the establishment to being a part of the tourist industry. Matt Belgrano postcards and those kids on Westminster Bridge who dress up like they're part of a Clash re-enactment society for the delight of holidaymakers with cameras were merely the first signs, and perhaps the surprise is that it's taken so long for the National Trust to catch up.

It surely can only be a matter of months before you're invited to Washington Old Hall for a summer evening of gobbing and warm lager.

After all, the Trust has already embraced Dennis The Menace wholeheartedly, and he's always been a bigger threat to the men in suits than ever John Lydon managed to be.

It's out today: We Make Our Own Mythologies

For three pounds, or more if you'd rather, via Bandcamp, you can snaffle a copy of We Make Our Own Mythologies, a Sweeping The Nation compilation album in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

What do you get for your money? Johnny Foreigner, Moscow Youth Cult, Codex Leicester, Japanese Sleepers and sixteen others. It's like a You Can't Be Loved Forever for 2011, without the risk of the tape snapping.

Michael Jackson album resurrected for AMAs

Away from the excitement of Adam Lambert and his very, very dry face-humping, the big story of the American Music Awards was Michael Jackson winning big.

Four awards, in fact. Quite an achievement considering the man hadn't actually done very much - besides dying, of course - in the qualifying period. There was something of a stretch on display:

He was named favourite male artist in the pop/rock and soul/R&B categories. His 2003 greatest-hits album, Number Ones, also won favourite album in both categories.

Okay, you can just about get away with calling his final curtain a justification for people going "you know, the way he keeled over was superstar, man, pure superstar."

But to scrabble around to give a prize to a six year-old album which, itself, was just a coagulation of earlier work is just ridiculous. If the album was that good, why didn't it win when it came out? Or any year subsequently, come to that? I'm a sucker for cheap sentimentality, but death hasn't added anything to the record that wasn't already there. And if the music industry is in the doldrums, maybe it might want to think about not writing off an entire year's worth of releases on the basis that there was a shoddy compilation made years ago that was better.

Kats Karavan being readied

The nature of John Peel's programmes makes any attempt to recreate a Peel show on record likely to wind up with a strange and beautiful compilation album; it's hard to picture any other concept for a compilation winding up with this sort of collection:

Small Faces, Thin Lizzy, Aswad, The Damned, Medicine Head, The Jam, The Slits, Funboy Five, The Cure, Linton Kwesi Johnson, That Petrol Emotion, Extreme Noise Terror, Ivor Cutler, Mercury Rev, Milo, Bloc Party and many, many more.

This is what is going into a four disc set Kat's Karavan, which also promises:

some clips of John’s own links appear from time to time

Turns out that there's not more of this because the BBC hasn't got any of Peel's stuff in the archive. (None at all? Presumably they must have saved the last programmes for the World Service at the very least?)

Downloadable: Simon Joyner

Not the one off the US cop show.

If you listened to Peel much during the, ooh, last decade or so of his career, you'll at the very least have heard the name of Simon Joyner - indeed, you might even have heard the show where Peel played a Joyner record all the way through.

If you haven't heard of Joyner, and wondered if there's a good place to start with his burned-heart Americana, there's some good news for you: Joyner has put together what we could call a Greatest Hits, or a best of, but what we'll settle on as a sampler.

The collection is Out into the Snow, and is already pre-orderable from the Team Love website. Although confusingly at three different prices.

If you want to get to know him without investing up front, try these downloads: Roll On and title track Out In The Snow. Don't worry, they're legal; Feargal won't be peering through your window.

Sandi Thom: Condensed

James T emails with exciting news:

I hope you're as excited about this as I am. Sandi Thom is finally releasing her Greatest Hits! I'm surprised they managed to condense it down to just *one* CD, but I'm glad they're giving it a summer release to prevent a witch-hunt after she beats the inevitable 15 Jackson compilations to number 1. Full story (just as tongue in cheek as this email) at Popjustice.

They've managed, somehow, to find 18 tracks for the album. Actually, 17, because the only song that anyone remembers is on there twice (I Wish I Was A Punkrocker - no, the one you were thinking of was probably KT Tunstall).

They've got a "live from the basement" track in the mix - you'll vaguely remember that Thom was launched as some sort of internet powerhouse who was self-made in her own basement with a webcam, until the story started to unravel and it turned out to be a PR stunt, so it's nice to remember that happy time.

There's also a song called When Horsepower Meant What It Said - which, erm, would be ever since the term was invented, as it's a measure of the amount of work a horse could do and only makes sense as a comparison figure for machines.

Still, the upside of all this is it sounds like a recording contract being tidily finished up, doesn't it?

DAF punk

Something to scribble on your "wants" list: Mute are releasing a 20 track best-of from Deutsch Amerikanischen Freundschaft, to sit alongside their 30th anniversary tour.

Donnas collected

We have all lived so long that we're now seeing The Donnas honoured with a career-spanning retrospective. Yes, apparently seven albums in so far and counting.

Curiously, the plan is to re-record some of the old songs - which, given the compilation is going to be on their own label, suggests shades of Simply Red's scheme to create versions of their back catalogue which they own.

Duff: too hot for... who, exactly?

Remember Hilary Duff's music career? No, that's what the record label was afraid your response would be. How amazingly convenient then that unspecified 'officials' decided that the video for Reach Out was "too raunchy" and had to be recut.

How terrible, that a yawn-so-provocative video with barely-restraining bondage light, some people in underwear, and a finger-licking scene should need to be toned down just as the track is being released to push next week's Greatest Hits album. How simply terrible to have all this fuss.

We'll save you the effort - and shame of having the Google search recorded. This is the 'official' version:



Unfortunately, all the effort seems to have gone on the pants purchasing and not on producing a decent song.

[Thanks to Michael M for the tip]

Now that's what I call an awkward point of confusion

The BPI pop up in the Daily Mail, praising the ongoing success of compilations and, especially, Now Thats What I Call Music:

BPI chief Geoff Taylor said: 'The ongoing success of the Now albums may surprise some in a digital age of abundant choice, but it's become a well-loved brand.

'Digital music promises huge potential, but music fans still love the quality, convenience and added value in CDs.

'Retail conditions are challenging in the credit crunch, but music is great value for money and with one of the strongest album release schedules we've had for years, labels are optimistic about the market leading up to Christmas.'

But... hang about: isn't buying an album that's just cherry-picked the singles a little like simply cherry-picking the singles from a download store? Weren't we all meant to be respecting the integrity of the artists album format?

Parky fills the hours

Did you happen to catch Michael Parkinson on Jonathan Ross at the start of the weekend? Somehow claiming that he'd given up his ITV chat show because he was tired of it - despite having been moaning on elsewhere that Michael Grade had canned it because it was too expensive? Still banging on about the BBC shifting him for Match Of The Day? Fawning over Ross and his interviewing technique, hoping nobody would remind him of his constant griping about the current state of the chat show?

If you've still not had enough of Parky shoved down your craw, you'll be delighted to hear that he's sticking out a series of albums. Because he's a proper journalist, you see, and not a celebrity, so he's following in the footsteps of the Charles Wheeler Presents The Hardline series from Def Jam a couple of years back.

There is, of course, a press release written in tones that make the Gospels sound uncommitted:

With a multi-award winning career as a broadcaster, Parkinson is renowned as one of the music industry's most influential figures. His series of album releases commences with the November 3rd release of 'My Life in Music', a compilation of the music that has provided the soundtrack to his life, remembers the extraordinary people he's met and celebrates the styles of music and performers he is most passionate about.

Is he really renowned as "one of the music industry's most influential figures"? Isn't that just a bit of old tosh dreamed up a couple of years back to try and boost the idea that appearing in the middle of the night on an ITV chat show while the world watched the football on the other side was some sort of a way to boost a career other than Parkinson's?

'My Life in Music' will be released on Reprise Records, the label founded by the man Parkinson calls his "greatest entertainer", the legendary Frank Sinatra, as well as home to one of his favourite contemporary artists Michael Bublé. The album's 40 tracks, hand picked by Parkinson, feature the crème de la crème of jazz and classical songs from some of the most respected artists including Bublé, Nat King Cole, Paul Simon, Elton John and of course Frank Sinatra. The Sinatra tracks are a particular coup as they are not usually licensed for compilations.

Interesting that "one of the music industry's most influential figures" has chosen to stick up a load of acts that, erm, got going quite nicely without his help. And, of course, Michael Buble who probably did get a boost from appearing on Parky shortly before disappearing again.

Still, good work on getting Sinatra onboard - after all, they only very occasionally allow his tracks to appear on compilations. They have to be of the quality of Classic Crooners Selection, for example.

And this is the first in a series. Michael, you're spoiling us.

Something to listen to: Wichita sampler

Fancy a fifteen-strong digital album from Wichita Recordings, including Conor Oberst, Los Campesinos!, Euros Childs and, clearly, twelve more?

All they want in return is a email address, and the tracks could be yours.

Would you like to meet young Blonde singles?

Putting a slight dent in the collectors market, The Long Blondes have rounded up their early 7" singles and are releasing them on a single record (or a single-click-to-buy-from-the-download-store-collection if you'd rather.)

Unlike Michael Jackson, they didn't poll people on the tracklist and have just bunged everything on there.

NME breaking news: Michael Jackson album "to be marketed"

Unless I'm missing something, NME.com seems to have devoted a page to a breathless report about how they intend to market the latest Michael Jackson best of.

The headline, admittedly, did catch my attention:

Michael Jackson starts battle between Facebook, MySpace, Bebo users

Images were conjured up of some sort of final conflict to decide who controls web 2.0, but instead it turns out the headline should have read "amongst" rather than "between", as its about a widget you can use on those web 2.0 sites to have a competition at 'who is the best at dancing like Michael Jackson in some way'.

Even the PR team who have succeeded in getting this story on the NME site are going to be less than delighted, though, as it turns out the bloody thing isn't even available yet:

The Michael Jackson applications will be available from August 22, and will allow users from the rival networks to compete against each other.

Who actually sends out messages about their hoped-for viral campaigns which haven't even started yet? It's like running a story "Man shoots material for YouTube video; edit planned for sometime after the Olympics". Apart from anything, having shared the idea, it's likely there's going to be sixteen thousand knock-off Dance Like Jacko apps launched before the official one gets distributed.

Jacko poll results revealed

That big public vote to decide what should go on the Michael Jackson best of? Looks like they've decided to ignore it, judging by some of the clunkers that are lined up for it:

'Billie Jean'
'Bad'
'Smooth Criminal'
'Thriller'
'Black Or White'
'Beat It'
'Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’'
'Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough'
'The Way You Make Me Feel'
'Rock With You'
'You Are Not Alone'
'Man In The Mirror'
'Remember The Time'
'Scream'
'You Rock My World'
'They Don’t Care About Us'
'Earth Song'

You don't have to be an expert in Florida chads to know that a public vote which claims that They Don't Care About Us and Earth Song are held in public affection - even amongst the sort of public who'd vote for a Michael Jackson tracklist - isn't quite right.

The Motorcade Sped Backwards

Some good news this morning: Steinski's getting a long-overdue career retrospective, What Does It All Mean? It's out at the end of May, and is pretty comprehensive - although it does miss off We'll Be Right Back, the satire on television advertising that, erm, ended up being licensed to advertise Ovaltine. Apparently it doesn't appear because of the theological vacuum that created, but because it was the only release he did for Island records.

The press release came with an mp3 stapled to it: The Pay Off Mix.

Young, women

Doing good things for charity: Cinnamon Girl is a collection of female artists doing Neil Young songs for breast cancer charities. Included is Tanya Donelly, Eurotrash Girl, Veruca Salt and - of course the expected many, many more.

Time for accountants

Now, we have as much respect for The Libertines and their great pop moments as anyone, but did their back catalogue really stretch so far as to make a compilation album either possible or necessary? Or is this merely a Christmastime cash-in, shaking down the loyal for a few more quid for the songs they'll already own?

Sort-of-indie compilation sort-of-stiffs

In this age of digital downloads and two-track ringles, is there place in the American consumer's heart for that slightly alt-rock compilation This Is Next?

No.

Units shipped: 100,000
Units sold: 1,014