World Domination Enterprises - Classic or Classic?

I don't think I've even heard a note by them since 1990, so this is based on increasingly dim recollections, mind!

My main memory of that show is being in the gents while Godflesh started up, and seeing the walls visibly shake at the collosal volume of their drum machine! Godflesh ruled.

This may have been part of their (very) short time with One little Indian records.

Anyhow, they split soon after 'honourably' pulling out of OLI records.

In this fashion, I understand he collected the whole World Dom catalogue.

I liked 'em at the time, they seemed to be doing to dub what Pussy Galore were doing to the blues.

There's a really nice review of 'Let's Play' on Head Heritage, right here:
http://www.headheritage.com/unsung/reviews/index.php?review_id=484

And as soon as I put the needle on it, my thought was "This is going to sound so badly produced and DATED."

WRONG!

It is so abundantly clear that they lived on a block closer to FUNK than Gang of Four ever trod upon. Stunned into silence was I upon hearing "Can't Live Without My Radio" and hearing "hip-hop" mentioned. And that song "Blu Money" I really used to be crazy about that one. And Ghetto Queen, too. It's not that I don't remember these songs, it's just that I'm hearing them with older ears. Just
ridiculously good, this record is.

Most things from that era really don't age even half as well. How odd in retrospect to realize that they were actually BETTER than Loop!

And I always hated the album version of "Hotsy Girl" in comparison to the 12" version but I intend to remedy that soon.

p.s. Yes.

Sentence of the year so far.

.. their version of '..Radio..' is totally awesome .. and Lead Asbestosis is an all time class-Sick. i too was wondering if the album aged

and yes .. its still damn fresh ..

Mark G! It's the 12" version of Hotsy Girl! Thanks SO MUCH! :) I'D KNOW IT ANYWHERE LIKE THE BACK OF MY HAND BUT I DON'T HAVE IT ON VINYL ANYMORE! Good lord, I've missed it so much. The sound on my VHS of the video of that version just doesn't compare.

This CD is incredible, Mark G. I even heard a Chuck Berry cover in there somewhere and my jaw just fell open in shock.

Little Richard, you mean?

Oh is that it? Haha! Well I knew it was something like that, something from my childhood along those lines. Thanks.

This band is just the fucking shit.

I'm going to have the 12" of "I Can't Live Without My Radio" if it's the last thing I do.

http://www1.gemm.com/item/WORLD--DOMINATION--ENTERPRISES/I--CAN'T--LIVE--WITHOUT--MY--RADIO/GML770797886/

Our Alice was enjoying the version of "Funky Town" that's on the Chipmonks fillum.

Right, time to dig up the CD!

Chipmunks? Chipmonks?

I dunno.

Chipmonks. That's pretty creative, dude. I love it. I ordered the 12", too!

nice interview with Keith Dobson http://thequietus.com/articles/02622-world-domination-enterprises-interview

Thanks for that.

what he said.

Yeah, that was nice to read. Dunno if all y'all found the link to order the reissue direct from Keith:

http://www.freeloverecords.co.uk/letsplaydomination.htm

Still never heard any Here & Now though. Any good?

Ah, sad news here -- Iain Baker of Jesus Jones reported earlier this morning that Steve Jameson, bassist for WDE, has passed on.

That sucks, 80's really taking a hit this week. Still consider WDE about the noisiest stuff that I actually enjoy.

Shit, rough news. His biog on discogs says the following...

Steve started in the music business at Charmdale Records in 1976, then moved on to Faulty Products in 1978. After a falling out with Miles Copeland (2) he moved on to Rough Trade working in the record shop but notably persuading The Fall to sign with the label. Played briefly with Alternative TV and appeared onstage with The Fall.
A founding member of World Domination Enterprises in 1985.

Looks like he's a listed vocalist on the last track of Vibing Up The Senile Man - never knew that before. RIP Steve.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z149/pengy1966/pengy1966%20stuff/KYPP595.jpg

I dip into World Dom every year or so and always forget how much I like them. Asbestos Lead Asbestos is all-time.

RIP Steve.

Some old Simon Reynolds pieces on World Dom here:
http://reynoldsretro.blogspot.com/2008/08/world-domination-enterprises-mini.html

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_soXI82GSn1A/SJMgxutxoiI/AAAAAAAAATU/6b70f10Vtz0/s1600/WordDomFEATURE1.jpg

Asbestos Lead Asbestos is all-time.

Right? I only heard it about ten years ago and it took my head off. Absolutely sublime post-punk. Can't say I dig them beyond that and a few other tracks.

But I adore "Vibing Up The Senile Man" and I didn't know that tidbit, either!

nice recent photo of steve...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeKlxH1j0Lv/

That recent photo is incredible. V

Very sad news.

Asbestos is all time classic, as are their cover versions of 'I can't live without my radio', and 'Funkytown'.
Wish I had had a chance to see them live.

From the location on that IG he seems to have stayed in Ladbroke Grove to the end. Lovely photo.

Like the opening to this thread, I also saw them on a bill with Loop and Godflesh (but Edinburgh and not the T&C Club).

And their cover of "Jah Jah Call You", maybe their finest moment live. I was fortunate to see them play many times. Never less than incendiary.

Like the opening to this thread, I also saw them on a bill with Loop and Godflesh (but Edinburgh and not the T&C Club).

Ha, over on my FB page Alexis Petridis saw that exact same bill, but at "a further education college in Ruislip -- one of those gigs you can hardly believe happened, especially in Ruislip." He added, "My abiding memory of them is that instead of a guitar strap, the frontman had a length of rope *nailed* into his guitar."

Bands you wouldnt have thought would be on twitter but actually they bloody well are. Sharing some nice arkive photos

username !?

all i got was 'world dom central' and that aint all that.

spoke too soon ..
seems to be a newly active account.
is this the one you meant nickb ?

I think Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine got me into this band (they shout ASBESTOS LEAD ASBESTOS during the chorus of Rubbish)

I only have a couple of 12"s, and neither of them are Asbestos Lead Asbestos, unfortunately.

I do have the 012 LP though, which has an earlier version of that song

~ just hoping CPs email thing is still valid ~

i.e. check your ilm email account sir.

This is a bit tangential, but worthwhile, a reminder of Kif Kif/Dobson's deep roots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsg8cMdYtuM

I have often thought about starting a Here & Now thread but always figured it would see almost no action.

From a cultural viewpoint I find them super interesting but I never totally clicked with the music. I wonder if there is a catch-all 70s-80s 'festival' band thread? We should be able to talk about The Oroonies and Nodens Ictus somewhere with impunity.

I like the split with ATV

hang on .. sorry for the "too drunk too google check" vibe ...
but i have a live 'here & now' live album on cd.
as far i can tell, it's the only thing they officially released.
what's the connection to WDE !?

(it was a random charity shop purchase of course !)

Keith Dobson was in Here & Now. and (Planet) Gong!

I was talking about this:

https://www.discogs.com/Alternative-TV-Here-And-Now-What-You-See-Is-What-You-Are/master/1189980

Here & Now have 23 albums listed on discogs btw!

23 !
having listened to the one cd i have i think i am good.
thank goodness he moved onto WDE.

Sorry, only a mere 19 of them are albums

I also like their song on the Folk In Hell cassette compilation, which is another link between Here & Now and the punk/post-punk world - most of the other bands on that are anarcho-punk (the Mob, Steve Lake) or DIY post-punk (Instant Automatons etc). Mark Perry's on that as well. My copy is probably unofficial, on BBP tapes, an anarcho label, the original was on Fuck Off Records but is rare as fuck.

I love the No Comment song on that, sounds like some lost Flying Nun band or something

I saw Here & Now live several times when I was a teenager. I like the records but they really were best in a live setting and their live tapes was my preferred way to listen to them.

'Give And Take' is a good album but 'Fantasy Shift' is perhaps their finest and never fails to lift my spirits. I still listen to it every now and then.

Also of massive note is their contribution to Planet Gong's 'Live Floating Anarchy 1977'. Steffe Sharpstrings forever!

Ooh! Ooh!

Two previously unreleased World Domination Enterprises tracks are set to be released as a digital single on 3rd July 2020. Further info coming down the pipe…

Wow I love What You See Is What You Are. Gonna listen through a couple of albums. I think I saw some incarnation of Here And Now at least once in der 90s.

Please do free festival bands / crusty spacerock thread someone.

"What You See Is What You Are" is all time.

i ended up watching a bit of this 1985 gig last night; great seeing how much the crowd were dancing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1TEFdM3MyQ

Sad growls....

Just heard that Keith Dobson aka kifkif, from World Dominion Enterprises and Here&Now etc, passed.

For me, my favourite band in the mid eighties onwards, easily the band I saw live the most.

I have no words so I'll repeat this from the rip thread .

Damn, another loss. What a band, still.

Oh man, loved this band. I hope someone has preserved his guitar somewhere.

Saw World Dom quite a few times in London. One memorable time (1989 I think?) they and Silverfish opened for Jesus Jones at the Astoria. Saw World Dom and Silverfish then skipped across town for a Lydia Lunch spoken word performance at the Powerhaus. Also fond memories of a Loop/World Dom/Godflesh gig about a year later. Good times.

Think I was at that loop/dom gig

WDA had the full mutoid waste stage set-up and played a blinder. Soon as they were done, the whole set was disassembled and taken out stage left.

Then Loop came on, and the singer started with "Look, I've got a really bad cold OK?" in neil voice. Didn't bother with them.

This is a worthwhile watch of your interest extends to Here & Now/Gong and the free festival scene etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsg8cMdYtuM