Labour Pains

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All work and no play makes Jack incapable of being able to rhyme. Yet again, Mrs Johns and I are on holiday, so here's a programme about our seeming inability to work for prolonged periods without the need for an extended rest. I'm not entirely convince by the sentiment of Right To Work by Chelsea, but I am convinced by the song. Another favourite this week is the Feelies tune. Worth seeking out the whole record. After all this typing, I need a lie down.

1. Summertime Blues, Blue Cheer, Vincebus Eruptum, 1968, Phillips
2. The Book Lovers, Broadcast, Work And Non Work, 1997, Warp
3. Work Out, Alan Hawkshaw, The Big Beat, 1969, KPM
4. Money In My Pocket, U Roy and Dennis Brown
5. Forces at Work, The Feelies, Crazy Rhythms, 1980, Stiff
6. Operator's Manual, Buzzcocks, Love Bites, 1978, United Artists
7. Plastic Factory, Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, Safe As Milk, 1967, Buddah
8. Factory Grime, Crushed Butler, 1970, EMI
9. Repetition, The Fall, Psycho Mafia EP, 1978, Step Forward
10. My Hands Are Yellow (From the Job That I Do), The Del-Byzanteens, Girl's Imagination 12", 1981, DFOTM
11. Lost My Job, Alex Chilton, 19 Years: A Collection Of Alex Chilton, 1985, Rhino
12. Right to Work, Chelsea, 7", 1977, Step Forward
13. Part Of The Union, The Strawbs, Bursting At The Seams, 1973, A&M
14. Take This Job and Shove It, Dead Kennedys, Bedtime For Democracy, 1986 Alternative Tentacle

Heat wave

Martha Reeves singing Heat Wave

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Phew, what a scorcher. Well, in this part of the world anyway. No doubt our British listeners are inside with central heating on full blast, waiting for the rain to stop so they can go out and wash the car. So let's have 50 minutes of blistering tracks about heat. Chris Stamey has been on before on the power pop programme, but this is a first outing on the TUWSJ for the original industrialists Throbbing Gristle. (Update: R.I.P. Peter Christopherson).

1. The Summer Sun, Chris Stamey, 7", 1977, Ork
2. (Love is Like A) Heatwave, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, 7", 1963, Motown
3. Hot on the Heels of Love, Throbbing Gristle, 20 Jazz Funk Greats, 1979, Industrial
4. Hot Head, Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, Doc at the Radar Station, 1980, Virgin
5. Sweat Loaf, Butthole Surfers, Locust Abortion Technician, 1987, Touch and Go
6. Step Into The Breeze, Spiritualized, Lazer Guided Melodies, 1992, Dedicated
7. Take me to the River, Al Green, Al Green Explores Your Mind, 1974, Hi
8. So Hot (Wash Away All Of My Tears), Spacemen 3, Playing With Fire, 1989, Fire
9. Peaches en Regalia, Frank Zappa, Hot Rats, 1969, Reprise
10. Red Hot Indians, Can, Landed, 1975, Virgin
11. Baby's On Fire, Brian Eno, Here Come the Warm Jets, 1973, Island
12. Icebag, Canned Heat, Livin' the Blues, 1968, Liberty
13. Heat Miser, Massive Attack, Protection, 1998, Island
14. White Light/White Heat, The Velvet Underground, White Light/White Heat, 1968, Verve
15. Fire With Fire, The Gossip, Standing In The Way Of Control, 2006, Kill Rock Stars

Bastille Day de nouveu

Liberte, fraternite, duck pate

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It was Bastille Day this week, and again we found ourselves at the French Palace, plate in hand, awaiting the orgy of cheese, pate and champagne. Every other blighter in the city had exactly the same idea. There is a narrative thread to the songs, albeit rather vague, since it was somewhat tricky getting enough songs together.

1. Peasant in the Big Shitty, The Stranglers, No More Heroes, 1977, United Artists
2. Storming the Bastille, A Day In Black and White, My Heroes Have Always Killed Cowboys, 2004, Level Plain
3. Degree Zero Of Liberty, Porcupine Tree, The Incident, 2008, Road Runner
4. The Sweetest Sound of Liberty, Triumvirat, Spartacus, 1975, Capitol
5. Freedom, Edgar Broughton Band, Sing Brother Sing, 1970, Harvest
6. Forces of Victory, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Forces Of Vicory, 1985, Island
7. Powerman, The Kinks, Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround, 1970, Pye
8. Heads Will Roll, Echo and the Bunnymen, Porcupine, 1983, Korova
9. Madame Guillotine, The Legendary Pink Dots, Nine Lives To Wonder, 1994,
10. Start Choppin', Dinosaur Jr, Where You Been?, 1993, Blanco y Negro/Sire
11. The Internationale, Robert Wyatt, EPs, 1999, Rough Trade
12. Socialist, Public Image Ltd, Metal Box, 1979, Virgin
13. The Old Revolution, The Rebel, Prawns, ,
14. Don't Worry About the Government, Talking Heads, Talking Heads 77, 1977, Sire

Harvest records

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50 minutes of songs from the Harvest vaults. The label was set up in 1969 by EMI as an attempt to cash in on the new progressive rock sound and to give Philips' Vertigo and Decca's Deram/Nova imprints a run for their money. It ceased releasing new material in 1984, yet can still be found on reissues. And yes, the programme does close with Duran Duran. It's not a bad tune, honest.

1. Listen Learn Read On, Deep Purple, The Book Of Taliesyn, 1968
2. Careful With That Axe, Eugene, Pink Floyd, 7", 1968
3. Religious Experience (Singing A Song in the Morning) Featuring Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers, Joy of a Toy, 1969
4. Baby Lemonade, Syd Barrett, Barrett, 1970
5. Hell's Angels, Roy Harper, Flat Baroque and Berserk, 1970
6. Glenlogie, Shirley and Dolly Collins, Love, Death And The Lady, 1970
7. There's No Vibrations But Wait!, Edgar Broughton Band, Sing Brother Sing, 1970
8. Bubbles, Janus, Gravedigger, 1972
9. Axe Victim, Be Bop Deluxe, Axe Victim, 1974
10. 10538 Overture, Electric Light Orchestra, Light Years, 1977
11. This Perfect Day, The Saints, 7", 1977
12. Outdoor Miner, Wire, Chairs Missing, 1978
13. Planet Earth (Single Version), Duran Duran, 1981

Birthday blues

Burt Jansch's response to turning 30. I just got drunk.

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It's my birthday, and so I'm upset. Here is 50 minutes of songs about the passing of the years. If I make it to 74, I'm technically middle aged. How depressing.

1. Eighteen is Over The Hill, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Volume 3: A Child's Guide to Good and Evil, 1968, Reprise
2. Reelin' in the Years, Steely Dan, Can't Buy A Thrill, 1973, ABC
3. Tomorrow's Dreams, Black Sabbath, Vol.4, 1972, Vertigo
4. Feel So Sad (7" Version), Spiritualized, The Complete Works Volume One, 1991, Fierce
5. Grow Too Old, Bobby Charles, Bobby Charles , 1972, Bearsville
6. Star Sign, Teenage Fanclub, Bandwagonesque, 1991, Creation
7. Easy To Slip, Little Feat, Sailin' Shoes, 1972, Warner
8. Raining in my Heart, Robert Wyatt, Cuckooland, 2003, Domino
9. I Am Lonely, Bert Jansch, Birthday Blues, 1969, Transatlantic
10. Cry, The Birthday Party, Prayers On Fire, 1981, 4AD
11. Tears Of Rage, Gene Clark, White Light, 1971, A&M
12. How To Make A Sad Man Glad, Capreez, 7", 1967, Sound
13. Old man going, The Pretty Things, S.F. Sorrow Is Born, 1968, Columbia
14. Graveyard, Public Image Ltd, Metal Box, 1979, Virgin
15. Days, The Kinks, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, 1968, Pye