The Best 40 Crossover Tracks – #5 – One Colossal Sweaty Mass

5. Born Slippy (Nuxx) – Underworld (1996, Junior Boys Own Records)

“It’s only a couple of hours of tunes”, said Richard, a guy who lived on the same landing as I did in my first year.  “You can have free beer, and there is going to be pizza”.

I mean what could possibly go wrong with an offer like that.  Well….

In the summer term of 1996, I was asked by the University Rugby society if I would DJ at their end of year party.  This is as you can expect, usually a quite tame affair, where very little happens.  Beer is rarely taken, and definitely isn’t drunk through an old unwashed sock or an abandoned old size 12 boot.  A nice 90 minute blend of trip hop, acoustic versions of country classics and some chill out music followed by twenty minutes of beard stroking ought to do the trick.  

It is an odd occasion, about 100 rugby players from across the University’s six teams, plus the female teams and the various friends, girlfriends, boyfriends and general hangers on.  I’m due to start playing tunes after the yearly award ceremony for which somehow they have managed to rope in a fairly famous rugby player to present – I won’t name him, in case the security services are reading this – awards are given for the usual ‘Best Player’, ‘Best Try’ etc.  but then awards like ‘Most Disgusting Pint’ are offered up, which sees lads drinking their own piss amongst other things.   It’s not really my thing to be honest.

At around nine thirty I start playing some tunes, I decide upon greatest hits set if you like, all the biggest tracks from the all biggest bands, nearly everyone is drunk and that appears to help make the dancefloor quite a busy place. Its quite good fun really, in a stay out of the way play some records and don’t be sarky to anyone kind of way.

At around ten fifteen I play ‘Born Slippy’ by Underworld and carnage followed.

I had played ‘Born Slippy’ for first time in the basement indie club, a week or so before and it was euphoric.  The dance floor was heaving and it sounded incredible and looked even better as about 200 people bopped their hearts out to it.  Those chunky beats colliding so perfectly as Karl Hyde’s garbled lyrics flew around the room. 

‘Trainspotting’ had of course just been released and that was largely the reason for the popularity of the song – although saying that it stayed popular for months after Trainspotting had been and gone – and cheers would fill the air when those opening synthy blasts filled the room.  That opening bit still makes my arms all goosebumpy knowing that that in about a minute those chunky beats would overtake everything.  It was thrillingly expectant. 

I mean it’s wonderful isn’t it.  The beat, the vibe, the vocal, that synth at the beginning.  

This time it wasn’t quite as euphoric, suddenly the floor was filled with rugby players who were bouncing up and down like demons possessed and when that now famous lyric about lager comes in, they almost merged into one colossal, sweaty mass stood in the middle of the dancefloor, arms pumping in time with the music, they were literally shouting “Lager, Lager, Lager” which they then proceeded to throw around the dancefloor.  I just about got out alive.

Of course, ‘Born Slippy’ had been around for about a year before that night and Underworld tracks were always popular in the basement bar.  ‘Rez’, in particular always went down well, even if my only copy of it was on a badly bootleg CD copy of it, hastily done by a friend on his computer.  Its also about three hours long.

See Also – Rez – Underworld (1993, Junior Boys Own Records) and if we are having ‘Rez’ in all its glory (and frankly that twinkly electroclashish opening is still incredible thirty years later) we better have the flip side of that legendary twelve inch as well (which if anyone has and wants to sell – I’ll be interested)

Cowgirl – Underworld (1994, Junior Boys Own Records)

50 Twelve Inches #26

6 Underground – Sneaker Pimps (1996, Clean Up Records)

To set the finger of fate moving today I have had to dig myself out from underneath a mound of sparkly bent up plastic and untangle my hands from about a kilometre of lights, which in around an hour’s time I will untangle again before tangling them all up again as I attempt to make a Christmas tree look “pretty”.  I also realise that by the time I actually get round to publishing this, Christmas will have been and then packed away again for another year.

Talking of which, last night when my daughter went to bed – I spent an hour – an hour – trying to find somewhere in my house where I could hide my daughters Christmas present – which sounds like I am rubbish at hiding things – but you see, she is getting a bike for Christmas – and they don’t quite fit in behind the wardrobe and I can’t quite get it under the bed.  In the end after a lot of swearing and bruising of shins, I squeeze the bike in the spare bathroom (which isn’t being used because I have been fitting a shower for the last eight months or so) and chuck an old blanket over it, in the hope that she doesn’t enter the spare bathroom.  The thought of wrapping the thing fills me with utter dread.

Anyway, the “STOP” command is bellowed alongside a mouthful of mince pie – which has been taken as a mid decorating snack and means that my finger comes to rest on the spine of a promo copy of ‘6 Underground’ by Hartlepool indie trip hop crossover act Sneaker Pimps.   Which isn’t a bad way to start a Sunday morning.   For once it is a track that is liked by the whole household and isn’t met with snorts of derision by my wife.

My sources tell me that this isn’t the original twelve inch of ‘6 Underground’ but a reissue.  The original track I have on CD single and I didn’t get the twelve inch sent to me until a good year later.  The reason for the reissue, was (apart from the fact that it is a rollickingly good track and deserves to be a hit) down to it appearing in the Hollywood remake of The Saint – which came packed with an indie dancefloor friendly soundtrack – which also contained this,

The Saint  – Orbital (1997, FFRR Records)

And a nine minute version of this,

Pearl’s Girl – Underworld (1996, Junior Boys Own Records)

‘6 Underground’ was for some reason the song that was playing when the hero ‘Simon Templar’ – (Played by the man responsible for utterly ruining Batman – Val Kilmer)– oh go on then,

Simon Templer – Splodgenessabounds (1980, Deram Records)

Got down and dirty with the films love interest Emma Russell (played Elisabeth Shue).  It is a bizarre choice for a love scene, probably not the most bizarre, but all the same, anyway, it helped to propel ‘6 Underground’ into the Top 10.  The 1996 original reached number 15.

The twelve inch came with a bunch of remixes. The pick of the bunch was done by remix kings Perfecto Records, which puts an almost jangly guitar over the top the track, and its rather marvellous.

6 Underground (Perfecto Mix) – Sneaker Pimps (1997, Clean Up Records)

There was also this jumpy little affair on the flip side

6 Underground (Attica’s Puma States Remix) – Sneaker Pimps (1997, Clean Up Records)

Before they arrived though a natty Two Lone Swordsmen mix was already in circulation

6 Underground (Two Lone Swordsmen Vocal Mix) – Sneaker Pimps (1996, Clean Up Records)

Here is No More Than Five Words Review, although I think she might be talking about the mince pies “Pastry is a bit soft”.

And here if you can bear it this weeks eleven year old recommendation – its more autotune hell by the way.  I’m going to stop her going to that youth club.

Run for the hills – Tate McRae (2023, RCA Records)

The best 44 4th Albums of All Time – #34

Second Toughest in the Infants – Underworld (1996, Junior Boys Own Records)

“Deep blue Morocco”

Points 49

Highest Rank 4^th

Pearl’s Girl – Underworld (1996, Junior Boys Own Records)

Remember MJM 15?  Well he has picked himself up after the kicking he got at the hands of MJM12 when they discussed Orbital, he has wiped the dirt from his knees and stuck a plaster over the bridge of his broken NHS Joe 90 Specs and I’m going to let him starts proceedings today because in all likelihood, the danceheads amongst us will be bruising his other knee before the end of the day.

“I thought Second Toughest in the Infants was Undeworld’s second album.  Am I missing something?  I even remember reading a review of the four CD anniversary one (the one with the 12 different mixes of ‘Nuxx’ on it) in the Guardian, and even their journalist, said it was their second album.  I do love this album, but to give any more than two points would be a con.”

I checked this out on the Guardian’s excellent musical archives site and indeed Dorian Lynsky, a brillant music journalist who I have massive respect for, states : –

“While their debut, dubnobasswithmyheadman, showed the trio discovering their sound, their second album, released in 1996, found them mastering it”.

Well MJM 15, you are wrong/half right but the fact you a) remembered the Guardian review and b) are wrong/half right with Dorian Lynsky, means that as ever I will forgive you.  There is a con in this countdown by the way but it comes much later when we discuss PJ Harvey’s “Fourth Album” ‘To Bring You My Love’. 

Anyway, lets have some music by Underworld and get comfy.

Confusion the Waitress – Underworld (1996, Junior Boys Own Records)

Where MJM 15 and Dorian have gone wrong is that they are getting their Underworld’s confused.  ‘Second Toughest…’ is their second album as Underworld Mk 2 (a trio), but before they embraced dance and techno they were a funk and synth band and they released two albums in that guise (not as a trio) – I’ve heard neither and so can’t really comment on whether or not they were any good or not but Underworld albums they are and therefore makes ‘Second Toughest in the Infants’ their fourth studio album, whether we like it or not.  Take note Elvis Costello, PJ Harvey, Wedding Present etbloodycetera fans.

Putting all that aside, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that ‘Second Toughest…’ is a landmark album.  It is a more detailed album that its immediate predecessor ‘Dubnobasswithmyheadman’ (although that is a better album if you ask me).  It opens with something that was kind of common in the nineties (well Goldie and Springheel Jack did it too, slightly earlier), a dance music suite – which comprised of three lengthy tracks that segue into each other, the result being a sixteen minute combination of deep house and techno.

I’d put the kettle on to listen to it in full if I were you

Juanita/Kitless/To Dream of Love – Underworld (1996, Junior Boys Own Records)

After that you get some deep intelligent drum and bass and the second of two Underworld songs named after greyhound dogs that Karl Hyde bet on one afternoon down at the Walthamstow track (the other is ‘Born Slippy’ just in case you were wondering).   By track four, the album timer has just passed 30 minutes, ‘Second Toughest…’ is not an album to listen to in a rush (and the  20^th anniversary CD that MJM 15 mentions earlier clocks in at FIVE hours long!) you need to dive in deep and get comfy.

Sappy’s Curry – Underworld (1996, Junior Boys Own Records)

The rest of the album relatively flies by in comparison to its opening few tracks.  You get the sedated brilliance of ‘Pearls Girl’ (which also might have been a greyhound…I’ll ask Dorian Lynsky, he’ll know).  The jungle (I have no idea what jungle music sounds like, I just think it sounds like this – if it isn’t jungle then it should be) madness of ‘Rowla’ and the rather lovely and seemingly beatless, track ‘Blueski’ amongst others.

Blueski – Underworld (1996, Junior Boys Own Records)

Here is tomorrows lyrical clue

“Nobody pray for me”

Oh and today marks the 700^th post on No Badger Required.  Thanks for sticking with us.  Its also my daughters eleventh birthday – so here is a special bonus track just for her.

Desert Island Dick 1

This Island – TV Priest (2021, Sub Pop Records, Taken from ‘Uppers’)

“I hear you are a writer”. 

I am on my way to the village shop when a lady called Judy stops me and after greeting me she says that to me, followed by.

“I’m looking for people to write something for the Parish Magazine, a sort of spin on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, will you write something?”.

Now.  Three things.

Firstly, the Parish Magazine is a monthly booklet produced by a bunch of church goers about what is going on in the village that I live in.  85% of the Parish Magazine is church related, it tells you who is responsible for putting the books away, what time Evensong starts, what Jesus would do is certain situations and a bunch of other stuff.  It is comfortable, it is terribly middle class and it is slightly proud of it.

Secondly, I suspect that my mother in law has been in the pub again.

I tell Judy that I write a small music blog and that I would hardly describe myself as a writer. 

“I know I’ve read your blog.  I went to school with one of Underworld you know”

MMM Skyscraper I love You – Underworld (1994, Junior Boys Own, Taken from ‘Dubnobasswithmyheadman’)

I’m not sure how to take that sentence.  So I do my “Oh really” look – in fact I did know this because a drunk Judy told me the same thing at a wedding about four years ago. 

I should say no, I should run away and have absolutely nothing to do with the parish magazine.  I don’t for one second agree with about 98% of the stuff that is written in it – the 2% I do agree with are mainly recipes and what the Wildlife Warden writes about dog poo.

But and here’s the third thing.  There is a small part of me – ok – a massive part of me – that has always wanted to be on the actual Desert Island Discs on Radio 4.  The chances of that happening are I would say less than 0.01%, so this might just be the next best thing.  So, I stand there outside the shop, and I nod slowly and mumble an ‘OK’. 

“Oh super” says Judy. “We’ve narrowed it down to three songs, one book, one luxury item is that ok”. 

Piece of cake I think so I nod again and then I walk into the shop and for the first time in about three years I pick up a copy of the Parish Magazine.  I turn to the Desert Island Discs section and it is written by a retired colonel and all his songs are hymns, his book is the Bible and his luxury item is a cushion. He has also written about six words to describe each one.  It’s barely writing to be honest.  He may have just thrown some magnetic Scrabble tiles onto a fridge and used that.

Regular readers of this nonsense will possibly remember that in the eighteenth part of my series ‘Nearly Perfect Albums’ I spoke about the fantastic album ‘The Chemistry of Common Life’ and in that piece I said that one of the songs that I would take to Desert Island with me would this : –

No Epiphany – Fucked Up (2008, Matador Records, Taken from ‘The Chemistry of Common Life’)

And as much as I like to think of myself as a revolutionary, and as someone who readily socks it to the man whenever he can.  I’m not really.  I have to live in this village.  If I start talking about how brilliant a song by a hardcore punk band called Fucked Up is in a Parish Magazine dedicated to championing Jesus, there will be a baying mob carrying portable gallows and pitchforks outside my house by the time the next full moon comes around.

I sigh because I may have to re-think this. 

A Month Curated by A Ten Year Old #11

Wildfire – SBTRKT (featuring Little Dragon) (2011, Young Turks Records, Taken from ‘SBTRKT’)

“why is he wearing a mask?” asks my daughter as the next song in the shuffle erm, shuffles into view, “Does he had Covid?”

The man in the mask is the DJ and producer behind the mysterious dance act SBTRKT.  A chap who is known to his parents as Aaron Jerome but prefers to remain (slightly at least) anonymous when performing and DJing – hence the use of masks – many of which are modern interpretations of ceremonial masks wore by members of the native societies around the world (if Native societies is the right word).

I relay this back to my daughter, and she looks a bit blank and we spend the next half an hour or so looking on the Internet at the different types of masks worn in various African and South American communities.  We learn about African rituals such as the Goli masquerade which is performed by the Bauole people of the Ivory Coast at funerals and other important occasions.  A single performance of this dance can last an entire day.

“Wait…A dance that lasts an entire day” she repeats, I nod and she shakes her head “Crazy people” she tuts sagely. I think about debating with her about what the Bauole people might think about some of our dances but I think better of it and tell her instead about the time her mother and I stayed up all night dancing at a club in Brighton as various bands and DJs threw big beats and tweaking acid house in our general direction.  We danced to things like this

Cowgirl – Underworld (1994, Junior Boy’s Own Records, Single)

Well I say danced, I mainly stood around tapping a foot in time to the music, whilst smoking a cigarette and trying to look unfathomably cool.  I probably failed.  I also may have shrugged a few shapes to this though

Secrets – Sunscreem (1996, Whirling Records, Taken from ‘Change Or Die’)

As the sun came up for the next morning we strolled along the beach and grabbed breakfast in a café and then fell asleep on the train home. 

The track that follows SBTRKT is by an act that I know very little about apart from the fact that Steve Lamacq always plays her music. 

“Oh, M’s (name changed) big sister listens to this, she’s really cool.  She’s an emo and she also likes someone called Nirvana”. 

M is my daughters best friend and her big sister is just about 13.  I offer to play my daughter some Nirvana but she is too busy singing along to this.

Club Cougar – Nadine Shah (2020, Infectious Records, Taken from ‘Kitchen Sink’)

I suddenly feel every one of my 47 years so I listen I go and listen to Nirvana in the lounge on CD.

Come As You Are – Nirvana (1993, Geffen Records, Taken from ‘In Utero’)

Tomorrow – Eat Lights, Become Lights

Retrospective Musical Naval Gazing – #6 (1996)

1996 was another great year for music.  It was the year where Britpop was still just about king but a whole host of new and exciting acts who prefers keyboards to guitars were having massive hits.  It was the year when even bands like Oasis invited acts like the Chemical Brothers and the Prodigy to support them.  Events like Brighton’s much missed Essential Festival saw line ups deliberately designed to appeal to an increasingly less fussy crowd.  It was a summer where indie, dance, hip hop and on occasion rock all sat comfortably together and right then music was interesting, varied and regularly exciting.

Yet despite all that it was the return of a band who many people thought would simply fade away given that one of their members disappeared without a trace, never to be seen again.  However, this was the Manic Street Preachers and they, as usual, did things their way and when they returned, at what was absolutely the right time, clean shaven, reflective and with a songbook full of incredible songs it was like we had a new band to celebrate, which in some ways we did.  They rather predictably topped my end of year top ten with song about libraries giving us power.

A Design for Life – Manic Street Preachers (1996, Sony Records, Taken from ‘Everything Must Go’)

At number two in my Top Ten was a remix of a song about being an alcoholic that originally started life as a B-Side (to the original unremixed, instrumental version) and then had its chorus of “Lager, Lager, Lager” catapulted into everyday speech thanks to its appearance in ‘Trainspotting’.  A chorus apparently dreamed up by Karl Hyde when he got frustrated at continuously losing his place in the queue at a bar.

Born Slippy Nuxx – Underworld (1996, Junior Boys Own Records, Taken from ‘Trainspotting OST’)

And for once I think I got the top two spot on. 

It wasn’t all Britpop and amyl house round my way though.  I still loved a slacker anthem or two and one of my most listened to albums of 1996 was Beck’s supreme (and spoiler, coming to a Nearly Perfect Album Series near you pretty soon) ‘Odelay’.  Something that was recognised by the fact that ‘Where’s It At?’ placed at Number 3 in my Top Ten.

Where’s It At? – Beck (1996, Geffen Records, Taken from ‘Odelay’)

The rest of the Top Ten would make a decent hour of music if you played them back to back, the Prodigy sat at four with ‘Firestarter’, the Super Furry Animals completed the Top Five with their brilliant swearing anthem ‘The Man Don’t Give a Fuck’.   Number six was ‘Trash’ by the newly exciting and pumped up Suede, and at seven was this splendid hip hop blunt from the Fugees who by the end of the year would be one of the biggest acts on the planet.

Ready Or Not – Fugees (1996, Sony Records, Taken from ‘The Score’)

At number eight were a band who should have been the biggest band on the planet by the end of 1996 but weren’t.  A band whose unique selling points were that they had two keyboardists, really bad haircuts and liked wearing jumpers that had been made by their nans.  Sadly the indie record buying public disagreed with the critics and instead of filling their collections with excellent songs about puppets, roses and hiding in woods, they all went and bought some guff by The Lemonheads and the Fun Lovin’ Criminals instead of the tremendous ‘Race’ by Tiger.

Race – Tiger (1996, Island Records, Taken from ‘We Are Puppets’)

The One Word Countdown – #19

Marmite encased in a techno beat…

Rez – Underworld (1993, Junior Boys Own, Taken from ‘1992 – 2012 Anthology’)

Points 137

There are two alternative charts for this rundown – both of which may see the light of day at the end of the series.  The first alternative chart is the ‘Average’ score chart, which looks at the number of points divided by the number of votes and then minuses 31.  If we use that chart ‘Rez’ sits 5^th in the countdown (actually with a bit of mathematical mechanics it’s probably 3^rd).

The second alternative chart is the ‘popular’ score chart.  This is simply the number of times the song was chosen by the voters.  If we use that chart, ‘Rez’ is 33^rd (and again probably a bit lower if we use a proper equation).

The difference in this is what I am calling the Marmite factor. 

Put simply ‘Rez’ appeared in less of the voters countdowns than any other song in the Top 30.  For comparison, yesterday’s track ‘Rent’ appeared in twice as many rundowns as ‘Rez’ did, but ‘Rez’ scored more points.  The reason is simple.  Nearly every person who voted for ‘Rez’ placed it in their Top Five (although no one voted it at Number One) so it scored huge points whenever it appeared whereas ‘Rent’ scored regularly but quite low on several charts.  So it would seem that the people who love ‘Rez’ really love it and those that don’t, simply don’t.

‘Rez’ first surfaced as a non album single and the original pressings were on a very limited edition pink vinyl (and if you have a copy tucked away in the cupboard under the stairs, you might want to put it somewhere a bit safer).  A few months later it was released more generally and had the future single, the more edgy and trance like ‘Cowgirl’ (and a track that very nearly made it on to this rundown in place of ‘Rez’ simply because it was one of the tracks that when DJ’ing you could stick on and the dancefloor would just go crazy for it) on the B side.

Cowgirl – Underworld (1994, Junior Boys Own, Taken from ‘Dubnobasswithmyheadman’)

Of course, Karl Hyde’s lyrical chant throughout ‘Cowgirl’ “Everything, everything…” inspired another band to plug in their keyboards and make music.

Duet – Everything Everything (2013, RCA Records, Taken from ‘Arc’)

There was one other Underworld song that was considered for this rundown – and it was seriously considered as well.

Moaner – Underworld (1997, Junior Boys Own Records, Taken from ‘Beaucoup Fish’)

Never Ending Playlist – #35

So Few Words – Archive (1996, Island Records)

‘So Few Words’ was the second single to be released by the London based trip hop and electronica act Archive.  I know very little about Archive, and this is only the song of theirs that I physically own.   It is all sorts of brilliant as well, six minutes of fat old beats, gorgeous vocals and a sneeringly excellent rap.

 Wikipedia tells me that they are still going after 25 years and have adapted their music more recently to adopt a more progressive rock and avant garde slant.   They have now released 12 albums.  I haven’t heard any of the last 11, largely because the Wikipedia told me that the music might contain progressive, avant garde rock.

Back when ‘So Few Words’ was released, Archive were essentially a four piece, containing Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths who did most of the music.  They recruited the Iranian singer Roya Arab as vocalist, and its her vocals you can hear wonderfully drifting through ‘So Few Words’.  What makes ‘So Few Words’ so brilliant is the rap by a chap called Rosko John, who I can find very little about on the Internet or indeed anywhere else, which is a shame because his rapping is marvellous.

‘So Few Words’ featured on the bands debut album, ‘Londinium’, the band split up before it was recorded, then they reformed, made the album and then split up almost straight after it was released.  Keeler and Griffiths then reformed the band in 1997, with a more melodic approach – and a different female vocalist.

‘Londinium’ was excellent and it contained some pretty cools samples as well like here, which samples Underworld, which is kind of like the gamekeepers turning poacher.

Skyscraper – Archive (1996, Island Records)

Mmm Skyscraper…..I Love You – Underworld (1993, Junior Boys Own Records)

The Never Ending Playlist – Week #5

25. Shudder/King of Snake – Underworld (1999, Junior Boys Own, Taken from ‘Beaucoup Fish’)

How are we all with snakes?  I know a few people who can’t even look at a picture of a snake without shrieking and hiding their eyes.  I remember a young lad at work showing people his holiday snaps of his time in Thailand and a woman literally yelling in horror as a picture of him with a massive snake around his neck appeared.

At a village fayre a few years ago there was a reptile show and I whilst I was sitting down and minding my own business, the owner of the reptiles stuck about four or five baby snakes shoved around my neck, like some sort of reptilian necklace.  I mean obviously they were all harmless but it still made me freeze, scared to move in case one bit me or swallowed me whole and then the whole lot went on to take over the world.  They were cold and I can still remember  them lightly constricting around my neck and shoulders. I wasn’t really comfortable but then I looked across at my daughter, who thought it was the funniest thing ever, but she also had a look of pride in her eyes. 

Anyway…Enough reptile fun…Let’s talk about ‘King of Snake’ the second single from Underworlds third long player ‘Beaucoup Fish’- which is as it happens, much more fun that having baby snakes thrown around your neck by a crap Terry Nutkins wannabe (ask your grandparents, kids).

In ‘King of Snake’, Underworld basically take a stolen bass loop (from ‘I Feel Love’ as it happens), force feeds it some incredibly strong drugs and then record what happens – the result predictably is utter bedlam.  It is a shrieking snarling beast of a record.  The vocals are as you expect from Underworld, random words cobbled together, “Game Boy!”, “Tom and Jerry!” and various other things.  Its superb.

There are a plethora of mixes of King of Snake’ out there, none are quite as good as the original but to save you the hassle I’ve picked two out – the first is the Dave Clarke Mix which will appeal to those of you who ‘love a filter’.

Dave Clarke Mix

The second one is the techno tastic Slam Mix – who,  to bring this piece full circle, must be scared of snakes because their version knocks seven shades out of the original before running off an hiding as the original comes blaring back into view.  Astonishing.

Slam Mix