Lilac Time/Stephen Duffy Classic or Dud?

Stephen Duffy looked side-on better than any other pop star of his generation. I've recently been diagnosed with 'Pop-Star-Eye Syndrome'. My doctor explained that some pop stars - especially in the 1980's - developed a slight binoucular imbalance in their eyes through constantly posing for photographers. The kinds of photographs that were used for posters, that kids put on their walls -- these caused the problem. On the posters, pop stars were pouting, opening their eyes wide, and looking side-on. It was looking side-on in this affected way that caused the damage; a gradual violence. Since the age of eleven or so, I've looked side on in the mirror to copy Stephen Duffy and now my eye-muscles are as delicate as overcooked pasta.

RR: 'Tell me about the first song you've chosen.'

RW: 'It's "I Love You" by Stephen tintin Duffy. I remember seeing him sing his first hit - "Kiss Me"- on Top of the Pops when I was 14, and I immediately knew -- that is who I wanted to be and who I wanted to look like.'

RR: 'And, have you achieved that dream?'

RW:'I haven't, no. Stephen Duffy has straight brown hair, whereas mine is fair and prone to being curly. If I'd wanted to look like Robert Powell or Monty Don there would have been no problem …'

RR: 'He's right, folks.'

RW: '… a lot of work is needed with the hair dryer to achieve the desired effect. I used to wear a woolly hat in bed …'

RR: 'Really?'

RW: 'Each night I would succumb to the ritual of combing my dampened hair down, and then rolling the woolly hat snugly over my scalp. I used to sleep with my bedroom door open because I was scared of the dark; and my older sister still loves to taunt me with the story of how her and a friend, returning from the pub, used to have a hard time surpressing their giggles as they looked at me asleep in my woolly hat, trying to be Stephen tintin Duffy in my dreams.'

My personal faves? All the Lilac Time albums and the wonderful and criminally overlooked Music in Colors

BACK TO STEPHEN! 'The Ups and Downs' vs 'Because we love you' - FITE! I would choose BWLY, even though U&D has 'Wednesday Jones' and 'Icing on the Cake', these are no match for the peerless majesty of 'Sunday Supplement' and 'Julie Christie'.

TMFTML
http://intonation.blogspot.com/

His current collaborator may appal a few contributors to this thread, though - if they don't already know. Lord knows XX could do with SD's help, and SD could do with XX's cash.

I don't think he's so much embarrassed about the collaboration, as embarrassed about the way it's been reported (i.e. why is XX associating with this loser?)

And yes, it might produce some decent records.

Beastie Boys Vs. Stephen A J Duffy

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000BOG1MG.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Just heard some new tracks on his Myspace. Sounds great!
Here's an interview.
http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1252260266&channel=495713462

If anyone's interested, I'm selling my copy of Keep Going.

also, Dr Calculus is now available via usual download stores.
remastered and with extra remixes/tracks (though to be honest, the extras are classic 12" of the time, ie very little difference, just an extra drum loop here and there)
though the album itself, is as gloriously mad in 2007, as it was all those years ago.

Revive! been listening to Music In Colours and Astronauts quite a bit of late. Ahh, lovely: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ar9LCIkqOI

His new one is ok but not great - and I adored _Keep Going_. It's just missing something - a spark, clever lyrics? I can't put my finger on it. But everything else with the name Lilac Time on it is a keeper.

Keep Going is a tremendously enjoyable album; well crafted from front to back with an utter lack of shock or awe. It's measured and mature in a way that only a guy who's been kicking it for three decades can fashion. Also, I've always been a sucker for his buttery vocal delivery, it makes my ears feel good.

Huh. I wonder if that really was Nick Rhodes posting all the way back when?

given that the rest of the thread at the time was a bunch of socks arguing with itself, it seems unlikely. but "devilish results" does point towards someone with some kind of inside knowledge.

Any other fans? I'm listening to the Compendium compilation and the tracks from & Love For All, produced by Andy Partridge, just jump out at me with their odd swirly sounds or interesting sounds.

I really need more than just the first Lilac Time album.

yeah, i've never been able to find a copy of that Dr. Calculus record. Anyone want to burn me a cdr of it?

dr calculus = best thing stephen did ..

no doubt stephen hates it now ..

"I Love My Friends" is an total winner of an album, a bit like he thought, "I can outdo these Britpop shits at their own game". The CD with all the b-sides is even better with the addition of songs like "One Day One Of These Fucks Will Change Your Life".

Yep, love that album, almost certainly my most-played record of his under any of his names/bands. Didn't realize it'd been reissued with those bonus tracks; I'll have to check that out. "One Day..." isn't one of the added ones though, that's the closer on my original.

Oh right. It was reissued in 2006 with 7 bonus tracks. https://www.discogs.com/Duffy-I-Love-My-Friends/release/648547

"Keep Going" was the last great album he released, "Runout Groove" is solid if inconsistent and "No Sad Songs" was a dud.

The new(-ish) album is beautifully melancholic. Love the last song.

From where wild strawberries grew. It’s about us and every band. “That was our time in the shade / No one but the driver got paid.” I had a dysfunctional relationship with touring. I saw it more as an extension of my social life. Or just a more out and about version of my life. I never saw it as work and as many will attest I didn’t really see myself as an entertainer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSZ_Dom8yk4

nice!

I only recently found out about this album, which he did with Nick Rhodes, revisiting songs they wrote for the first iteration of Duran Duran. Definitely not what you'd expect from any of these people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M0YzzmD_BA

Really fantastic long interview with him here on Sodajerker podcast

https://spotify.link/1nc7BCi78Cb

xp just heard that for the first time last week and was pleasantly surprised to hear nice a cover of the Jacobites’ Big Store

Stephen Duffy write big store!

wrote

There's a note in the Wikipedia entry about the debut Lilac Time album that 4 tracks were remixes for the Fontana release and then further changes were made to the Mercury release. Anyone know the details, which tracks were changed?

I'm really enjoying the 2023 album linked to above. Duffy's voice is very much intact, in his mid-60s - just a bit darker, deeper and richer. Occasionally he reminds me of Mark Lanegan, with that little vibrato and the end of some notes.

Wonderful deluxe edition of "Astronauts" just landed in my mailbox. The demos and song development are interesting but the live gig is very different, much more aggressive

I read a great essay a few months ago by the guy who put that out, about running a record label and the efforts that went into this release in particular. I have a bunch of Lilac Time and Duffy albums but somehow never came across this one.

https://medium.com/three-imaginary-girls/does-it-hurt-d41a829e612d