808State Debate - v 2.0 - Naked in The Rain

[PeteZarustica]

Unusual as the 808state career, this is 808state Debate, for now we're discussing a non-808 track, produced by Youth and Graham Massey

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What about NAKED IN THE RAIN, Youth's footprint on eurodisco, 1990 single. How do you feel about it? I've seen criticism, I've seen people goin' nuts when this track is played...

I myself always heard it as two different tracks mixed - like a bootleg. Graham's input are so obvious to those who know his work, and SO *not* cheesy and melodic. The way it starts, with the off-tempo beats, shows me how Graham (or/and maybe Youth, who knows) wanted to input some criativity into a "made-for-radio" track.

The melody that hits @ 1:11 is a perfect demonstration of this 'bootleg feeling' I have. This snippet (along with 2:18 keyboard break) are obviously made by Graham and should fit perfectly well on a 808 track.

The biggest irony about it is the fact that it is a KLF rip off... er.... sorry ... inspiration, and that we have Jimmy Cauty remixing it. I wonder if Youth red the manual

What do you all think about it?

all the best
Pete

ps: the times were based on the 7" radio mix

1:11

[markus]

I love this track / the mixes. 01:11 of the 7" mix sounds as though it couldn't be anyone else than the great Massey My favourite moment however is @ 01:45 of said mix when that extra percussion kicks in! P.S. I love these debates PeteZ, hopefully more people will join in and Graham himself, for some extra insight.

[PeteZarustica]

One thing I've been thinking about is the vocal track on the pure trance mix.

Allow me to explain.

If you kill the bass frequencies of a male vocal track - from 0hz to... let's say 200hz maybe - and maybe subtract a few db from 200hz to 300 or 400hz, the results will be like an emulation of whispering. Emulation. We know the vocalist isn't whispering, but it feels like.

Well, the vocals from pure trance mix (cauty mix) ARE REALLY WHISPERED. Was it re-recorded specially for the mix? Or... (my guess) was it recorded in the original sessions and only used by Jimmy - besides 'so hot in here' sentence usage in the 7", 12" and youth mixes.

There's more... Why didn't Youth use the assumed Graham input in the paradise mixes - and used instead a silly and obvious siren? Was it a demo version? Or was it the way HE planned to structure the whole track?

ps: we all hope so Markus cheers

[solarex]

I love it. In general. I really can only remember the mixes on the original 12".

It is the sort of track that I did not like on a first listen. But it grew on me. And that is really how all the best music is I think.

But it was also one of those hit records that is from a new act and do not sound like any other hit records. You felt that here is a new sound. Takes you by surprise. Adamski - Killer and Seal - Crazy is two other ones.

[PeteZarustica]

But it was also one of those hit records that is from a new act and do not sound like any other hit records.

Definately.

[Rodders]

i loved the tune when it was first released and still love it now. i didn't realise graham had a hand in it until a few years later, i thought it was all youth & cauty. i guess it got lumped in with all the other girl vocal "rave" tracks of the time, but IMO it's just a great pop record, catchy, well produced, with a great chorus. i'd be interested to know exactly who did what between graham and youth.

i agree about killer too, for a track with the same bassline all the way through it, it never gets boring.

(sorry pete for not joining in the mc tunes debate, but i realised even tho i own both the CD's and the promo 12", i've never actually heard the 99 remix! cubik calderone all the way!)

[graham]

I wonder what the origenal sounds like? probably got it on a cassette somewhere or was it possably out on mr modo 1st, I had a ton of mr modo whites that youth had done round that time a lot of it quite reggea influenced. Mr Modo (adam) was going to manage us at one point,he worked for a distributers in london and used to take us down to London
which is where i met Youth,Alex Patterson and Jimmy Cauty , Jimmys house had a police car in the living room and you couldnt figure out how it got in there..Alex and youth worked out of a little cottage in battersea,Ive still got a cassette demo of fluffy clouds alex gave me.
Any how I did this mix for Youth and Adam ,1st at square one in Bury on 22 and 23 of jan 1990 by my self ,Think i re did the beat r8 ethnic percusion card all over it and added all
the Fender rhodes type key boards (which was the blue and red microwavemodule ,actualy some of the bass is that too (it must have been my new keyboard at that point as its all over evrything from that period (cubik is one).
It was then remixed again on 7th of march by me at Berwick street studios in London with Youth in attendance,basicaly the same mix with an SSL desk
Was nt it in Basic Instinct in a church disco sequence ..I have a recolection of micheal douglas dancing to it?

[nickking]

Wow - being both a big Orb and a KLF fan, that's some story - many thanks, Graham!

Again, I'm one of those people who didn't realise the 808/Massey connections until later, although I did buy it at the time due to the Orb/KLF connections (the Pure Trance remix was by Jimmy and some of the earlier white-label 12"'s featured mixes by Alex Paterson/Thrash of The Orb). I really love the track and have been listening to stuff by Youth ever since (including his most recent album which featured a collaboration between Alex and Youth as The Orb on a track called "Apple Tree In My Backyard" on Youth's Dragonfly label - very reminiscent of "Little Fluffy Clouds").

Oh, and of course, there's also the Pink Floyd connections as Dave Gilmour guested on some of the tracks playing guitar, Durga McBroom (the vocalist) sang backing vocals on several Floyd tracks, and Guy Pratt (who played bass with Pink Floyd) was also involved. Indeed, the recent collaboration between Alex, Jimmy and Guy Pratt (the Transit Kings) has brought them back together, although Jimmy seems to have left them once again...

The original 12" white-label of "Naked In The Rain" on WAU! Mr Modo is extremely difficult to find (although I have a copy) which featured the following tracks:

A1 Naked In The Rain (Paradise Mix)
A2 Naked In The Rain (New Age Mix)
B1 Naked In The Rain (Pure Trance Mix)
B2 Naked In The Rain (Drumapella Mix)



Several of the tracks are unreleased Orb remixes (when Alex and Jimmy were The Orb), and are very ambient in nature - they deserve a reissue, but that'll probably never happen?

There's also another Massey mix of Blue Pearl ("Down To You (Massey Mix)") which appeared on the b-side to the "Alive" single - another good mix.

Also, the Lounge Jays single was released on WAU! Mr Modo, wasn't it?

[markus]

Trainspotter mode on:

Wasn't it in Basic Instinct in a church disco sequence... I have a recolection of micheal douglas dancing to it?

Top scene, top track, but it was in fact the track 'Blue' by the group 'LaTour'.

Also, the Lounge Jays single was released on WAU! Mr Modo, wasn't it?

Yes!
Trainspotter mode off.

[PeteZarustica]

SENSATIONAL POSTS
thanks graham markus and nick, the real king

[markus]

Can't wait for debate v3 now!

[graham]

I I poded it in today , hadnt heard it for ages...the 808 jazz mix is the square one mix (and the instrumental) ,the extended 12 and 7 were the london mixes..now im shure micheal douglas dances somewhere to it>>

Also found an un identified white label of a mix we did but dont know what it is ,it sounds quite late 90s ,with tabla beats and Beethovens 5th on the sub bass at the very end..then the b side is the same mix played backwards...its got some industrial loops in it which is how i recognised it was us (from the Morrello loop diary)..any ideas ? (thats terrible that i cant remember but theres few clues)

[graham]

could that be locust or hooverphonic??
Just talking to my self I know ,just checking discogs ..
what is donna lewis ?I dont remember that?

[nickking]

Donna Lewis?







So, unless it's another Graham Massey...

Those scans aren't very readable - was done by my previous scanner, so it actually says:

Additional Drum Programming: Graham Massey

Post Production Pro-Tools: Graham Massey

[nickking]

I I poded it in today , hadnt heard it for ages...the 808 jazz mix is the square one mix (and the instrumental) ,the extended 12 and 7 were the london mixes..now im shure micheal douglas dances somewhere to it>>

Also found an un identified white label of a mix we did but dont know what it is ,it sounds quite late 90s ,with tabla beats and Beethovens 5th on the sub bass at the very end..then the b side is the same mix played backwards...its got some industrial loops in it which is how i recognised it was us (from the Morrello loop diary)..any ideas ? (thats terrible that i cant remember but theres few clues)

It's Compulsion and the track "Kissing Graham Massey" (also known as "Juvenille Scene Detective") - released via One Little Indian in1996. Just listened to it again, and it does indeed have industrial loops in it, as well as Beethoven's 5th at the end (which I hadn't noticed, until you pointed it out)!







The main mix appeared on a CD single of "Juvenille Scene Detective", but the backwards mix only appeared on vinyl (as the b-side to the "Kissing Graham Massey" release - as above).



(CD Single tracklisting)