Author: Paul Tunkin

Blow Up Records is pleased to announce that the debut solo album by Ali Heath ‘When The Day Is Done’ will be released by Blow Up Records in the summer of 2022. Blow Up, have had a long association with Ali as a member of Alfa 9, releasing three highly acclaimed albums to date, Then We Begin, Gone To Ground and My Sweet Movida. When The Day Is Done was written, recorded and performed solely by Ali over the past two years. This news follows the announcement in January that Blow Up Songs has also signed Ali as the publisher for the album.

The official video for La Vieille Ville by David Woodcock premieres tonight via You Tube from the Blow Up Records You Tube channel. Tune in at 7pm: https://youtu.be/5NhLATuh3JA

The video was filmed and edited by Joe Blamey and Danny Flynn and was shot in the old town itself of Leigh-on-Sea.

La Vielle Ville is a French language new recording of David’s song Old Town, the song which closed David’s second album Normal Life. 

Old Town the final track of David Woodcock’s Normal Life album will be released as a single on Christmas Eve. It will also feature a brand new recording of Old Town, a French version titled La Vieille Ville.

La Vieille Ville was recorded and produced by Joe Lamb and David Woodcock at London Road Studios Leigh-on-Sea and was mixed by Kevin Feazey in London. David performs all instruments except double bass which was performed by Paul Ambrose. Oliver Rouff wrote the French interpretation of the Old Town lyric.

As announced today by Prog magazine “Aspic Boulevard release head-trip new video for Kubernetikós” The video for Aspic Boulevard new single Kubernetikós has been revealed. Conceived and entirely made by the band.
The various sculptures that appear in the video (the android’s head, the little robots and the mechanical fishes) were made by Marco, as well as the sets (the chessboard, the lunar landscape, etc.) and the springboxes.
Alessandro, on the other hand, worked on photography and filming, taking care of every technical detail of the video.
The work was developed in an artisanal way, including special effects. Various scenes were made with the stop motion animation technique.

The concept of the video is the relationship between nature and technology, man and machine: a dualism represented through the allegory of a chess game.

It is inspired by the atmospheres of Karel Zeman, Ray Harryhausen, Cristina Làstrego, etc.

There is a full page interview feature and Harlem Hipshake is reviewed in the latest edition of Blues & Soul Magazine, where the record is described that it “will significantly help to bring about the rise of the Afro-Latin funk revolution and we know who will be leading it! A knock out delight!” Read all about it now…

“Old gear meets dystopian futures. The result is a truly unique record” Aspic Boulevard ‘Memory Recall of a Replicant Dream’ is reviewed in the latest issue of Prog Magazine.

Released on this day 20 years ago the debut album from Big Boss Man Humanize.

Humanize displayed a clear definition of the Big Boss Man sound – a hip Hammond hybrid of 60’s R’N’B, Latin, Soul, Bongo-Fuzz and Funk.  

Humanize was the first of four albums recorded and released for Blow Up Records; Humanize, Winner, Full English Beat Breakfast, Last Man On Earth.

The album was preceded by the dancefloor killer 45 that is ‘Sea Groove‘, it was the bands first single and is now much sort after release. The track has remained hugely popular over the years, with it currently amassing over 5 million Spotify streams. Whilst it was used by the International Red Cross for a nationwide campaign in the USA.

‘Party 7‘ was also picked up in 2006 for Nike’s Worldwide World Cup ‘JOGA TV’ campaign featuring Thierry Henry and Eric Cantona and was subsequently reissued backed by ‘Kelvin Stardust’ the lead cut from BBM’s second album Winner as a limited 45.

Tracks from Humanize were used as soundtrack to the BAFTA nominated short film “Sweet” which featured Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt of The Mighty Boosh. With the bands music continuing to prove popular with TV, film and advertising placements, most recently with The Grand Tour (Amazon) and Russian film comedy Hotel Eleon in Sochi.

Buy Big Boss Man direct from the Blow Up shop: https://blowup.greedbag.com/bigbossman/

Further reading: https://www.blowup.co.uk/records/artists/big-boss-man/

BU018 LP / CD DD

Big Boss Man are currently working on tracks for the fifth album.

Released this day by Blow Up Records in 2008 the self titled debut album by Baltic Fleet.

Whilst on a world tour playing keyboards for Echo and the Bunnymen Paul Fleming began to write what would come to be his 2008 self-titled debut under the moniker of Baltic Fleet. With a laptop and any instruments that were to hand he would capture, in music, what inspired him in each city around the world.

The album was released to critical acclaim, making  Album of the Year (No 29) for Rough Trade Shops who described it as “A faultless piece of instrumental music that captures the spirit of Eno, NEU! all the way through to modern post-rock and chamber music”.

Baltic Fleet have subsequently released two futher highly acclaimed albums (Towers 2012, The Dear One 2016) and several E.P.s including the most recent E.P. – Rolling In Oceans Tide (2019) on Blow Up Records.

For further reading on Baltic Fleet: https://www.blowup.co.uk/records/artists/baltic-fleet/

Buy Baltic Fleet here direct from the Blow Up shop: https://blowup.greedbag.com/baltic-fleet/

Baltic Fleet – S/T (BU041) – Blow Up Records. Written by Paul Fleming, published by Blow Up Songs Limited.

Aspic Boulevard will be interviewed tonight by Italian broadcasting legend Red Ronnie, during the show “We Have A Dream”. The show will be streaming live from 9pm (CET). Aspic Boulevard will be discussing their debut album Memory Recall of a Replicant Dream.

The show will air from 21:00 pm (CET) on:www.redronnie.tv, www.roxybar.tv, www.optimagazine.com, and on Red Ronnie’s social pages (Facebook, YouTube, Periscope, Twitch).

The Weekenders second single and the second release on Blow Up Records (Blow Up 002) was released on this day 1995. Format 7″ single.

“And to have no time for common types like you, like you and me”

Man Of Leisure (A Side) World Of His Own (AA Side).

Recorded in January 1995 at Chiswick Reach Studios by Vic Keary. Band members Paul Tunkin Vocals, James Hender guitar, Chris Remington bass guitar, Steve Smith Drums,

The band had previously recorded both the songs in January 1994 on the 8-track tape machine with Vic Keary at Chiswick Reach Studios, when they recorded their first studio session of eight songs day. Some of the recordings from these sessions were released, All Grown Up, House Husband became the bands first single, Seem’s You Missed Sunday was released on the Fierce Panda Records EP Return To Splendour and In Love With It All a bonus vinyl only release on the compilation That Was Now But This Is Then.

Returning a year later to the same studio with Vic Keary again producing and two of the songs again from the previous session but this time using the 24 track machine to record. Vic actually always prefered the 8-track one inch machine but the band wanted to record new recordings for the single. Steve Diggle from Buzzcocks joined the band in the studio, a musicial talisman preciding over the procedings and lending the band an ace guitar to record with.

Mal Campbell played the studio grand piano for which he placed various cutlery across the strings to get that old music hall sound, also using a Roland SH3A a synth which was on longtime loan to the group from Terry Herbert (The Ladykillers).

Songs written by Paul Tunkin. Arranged by The Weekenders.

Published by Blow Up Songs. Mastered by George Peckham – A Porky Prime Cut Cat Number – BLOWUP002.

This was the first single that Blow Up Records released via a record distributer – SRD (Southern Record Distributors).

The initial pressing had a photo of a pooch with necklace on the centre label, this was left over from an earlier abandoned artwork, the second pressing a black and white silhouette of the characters running for the train from the front sleeve. The single was a limited edition 7″ which sold out on its week of release and was not repressed. The tracks were later compiled onto an export only (for Japan) singles compilation album – ‘That Was Then But This Is Now’ released in January 1996. Very limited stock is left of this release currently only available from the Blow Up shop – https://blowup.greedbag.com/buy/that-was-now-but-this-is-then-4/