Retrospective: Lemon Jelly's '64-'95
Welcome to Retrospective, a look back at music that you definitely need to listen to. In this first article; I'm listening to, and looking at Lemon Jelly's 2005 album '64-'95. This isn't so much a review, as it's no secret that I love this album. It's more a breakdown of the record itself and an exploration of the elements and samples that went into making it.
Who?
Lemon Jelly is an electronic dance act consisting of Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen. The duo have released a number of singles, EPs and two albums. Their first EPs were consolidated into the album Lemonjelly.ky in 2000. This was followed up in 2002 by the album Lost Horizons, and in 2005 by '64-'95. Named for the range of years that the samples fall into.
It's difficult to pigeon-hole Lemon Jelly into a specific genre, especially this album as although it definitely ticks the 'electronic dance' box, it has a little something for everyone. You could class it as ambient, downbeat, lounge, psychedelic etc and all would be applicable.
You may not have heard of the group, but you'll definitely know some of their music. It's been used on various commercials. Lemon Jelly have been on hiatus for nearly a decade now but haven't ruled out the possibility of a return.
As with all of Lemon Jelly's music, the production levels are immaculate.
What?
'64-'95 is a 10 track album although the first track is omitted from the vinyl release and replaced with a patterned print. This is just a short speech track and there's no point discussing it. There is also a secret track available only on the special edition CD (and YouTube).
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Each track name starts with the year of the sample. To reflect its darker tone than previous works; the album included a sticker on the cover warning:
Breakdown:
Track 1: As discussed above, a short speech track which isn't referred to by name on any release.
Track 2: '88 AKA Come Down on Me. The opening track heavily samples The Blue Garden by New York rockers Masters of Reality. It's an upbeat track driven by the sample's rocky guitar.
Track 3: '68 AKA Only Time. Sixties crooner John Rowles provides the vocals for this playful track. The altered and distorted effect on the vocals contrasts nicely with the playful and slightly eerie melodies.
Track 4: '93 AKA Don't Stop Now. This track took the euphoria of Atlantic Ocean's original track Waterfall, but stripped away the nightclub energy to create an atmospheric record that reminds of Lemon Jelly's earlier works.
Track 5: '95 AKA Make Things Right. The third single from the album opens with a chilled acoustic guitar melody before introducing a vocal sample from Monica's soulful Before You Walk out of My Life. The record, which combines a few laid back genres was released in 2005 as a single, with the trippy but fun B-side A Message to you From Our Chairman.
Track 6: '79 AKA The Shouty Track. Scottish punk-rockers Scars' track Horrorshow gave this song its trademark guitar riffs. It's a fun, loud track and was released as the album's second single in two variants. The first featured the awesome acoustic version of Nice Weather for Ducks (as found on Radio 1's Live Lounge) as its B-side, the second version has Baby Battle Scratch on the flip side.
Track 7: '75 AKA Stay With You. The first single released from the album in 2004. Deakin and Franglen reconstructed Gallagher and Lyle's I Wanna Stay With You and added a rolling drum beat. A good song was made better and this track stands out as one of the best on the album. The B-sides deserve special mention but more on that later.
Track 8: '76 AKA The Slow Train. The King's Singers are a vocal group whose repertoire ranges from hymns to um... covers of Simon and Garfunkel and The Beach Boys. The Slow train borrows two different samples from the King's Singers to create a fun, silly, but well constructed track. It definitely feels like you're riding a train when you hear this track.
Track 9: '90 AKA A Man Like Me. Sensitivity was Ralph Tresvant's (of New Edition) biggest solo hit. A typical early '90s soul track, Lemon Jelly have chopped it up into something that maintains the original's groove but offers a timeless beat and bass.
Track 10: '64 AKA Go. The last track on the album and the oldest sample. The original track Ringo is by Lorne Green although the vocals are performed William Shatner on this version. The Bass heavy melody harks back to tracks on Lemonjelly.ky and the atmosphere and tension builds. Shatner's vocals work well here and the darker elements lend themselves well. The track builds to a heavy driving beat which exhausts the listener and ends the album perfectly.
Which format?
For the best Lemon Jelly experience, always go vinyl. The duo, through Deakin's Airside design house always go to town on their artwork. Compared to previous works, the artwork is more minimalist but there are nice contrasting pieces. The album itself comes on 10" records, four of which are double sided. There is just a (nice) pattern on the flip side of '64 AKA go and set omits the first track.
'64-'95 can be found on Spotify in its entirety along with the singles and B-sides. Almost all the samples mentioned above can also be found on Spotify although I had to resort to YouTube for some. Finding and comparing them was half the fun, and a great way to spend a few hours.
Further Listening
As mentioned above, the single for '75 AKA Stay With You is excellent, the B-side has Rolled, originally released as single in 2003, and The Fruity Track. Rolled mixes elements of Lemon Jelly's track The Curse of Ka'Zar from Lost Horizons with Bad Company's Feel Like Making Love. If you go listen to Curse, it's about halfway through. The result is superb. The Fruity Track samples Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America. Both B-sides are excellent and make single well worth finding.
Fred Deakin Presents: The Triptych is another excellent album and is worth listening to if you enjoed the samples used. That's a whole other article though.
Lemon Jelly's previous work is worth devoting a few hours to, and don't skip the B-sides.
Who?
Lemon Jelly is an electronic dance act consisting of Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen. The duo have released a number of singles, EPs and two albums. Their first EPs were consolidated into the album Lemonjelly.ky in 2000. This was followed up in 2002 by the album Lost Horizons, and in 2005 by '64-'95. Named for the range of years that the samples fall into.
It's difficult to pigeon-hole Lemon Jelly into a specific genre, especially this album as although it definitely ticks the 'electronic dance' box, it has a little something for everyone. You could class it as ambient, downbeat, lounge, psychedelic etc and all would be applicable.
You may not have heard of the group, but you'll definitely know some of their music. It's been used on various commercials. Lemon Jelly have been on hiatus for nearly a decade now but haven't ruled out the possibility of a return.
As with all of Lemon Jelly's music, the production levels are immaculate.
What?
'64-'95 is a 10 track album although the first track is omitted from the vinyl release and replaced with a patterned print. This is just a short speech track and there's no point discussing it. There is also a secret track available only on the special edition CD (and YouTube).
Each track name starts with the year of the sample. To reflect its darker tone than previous works; the album included a sticker on the cover warning:
"This is our new album. It's not like our old album"
Breakdown:
Track 1: As discussed above, a short speech track which isn't referred to by name on any release.
Track 2: '88 AKA Come Down on Me. The opening track heavily samples The Blue Garden by New York rockers Masters of Reality. It's an upbeat track driven by the sample's rocky guitar.
Track 3: '68 AKA Only Time. Sixties crooner John Rowles provides the vocals for this playful track. The altered and distorted effect on the vocals contrasts nicely with the playful and slightly eerie melodies.
Track 4: '93 AKA Don't Stop Now. This track took the euphoria of Atlantic Ocean's original track Waterfall, but stripped away the nightclub energy to create an atmospheric record that reminds of Lemon Jelly's earlier works.
Track 5: '95 AKA Make Things Right. The third single from the album opens with a chilled acoustic guitar melody before introducing a vocal sample from Monica's soulful Before You Walk out of My Life. The record, which combines a few laid back genres was released in 2005 as a single, with the trippy but fun B-side A Message to you From Our Chairman.
Track 6: '79 AKA The Shouty Track. Scottish punk-rockers Scars' track Horrorshow gave this song its trademark guitar riffs. It's a fun, loud track and was released as the album's second single in two variants. The first featured the awesome acoustic version of Nice Weather for Ducks (as found on Radio 1's Live Lounge) as its B-side, the second version has Baby Battle Scratch on the flip side.
Track 7: '75 AKA Stay With You. The first single released from the album in 2004. Deakin and Franglen reconstructed Gallagher and Lyle's I Wanna Stay With You and added a rolling drum beat. A good song was made better and this track stands out as one of the best on the album. The B-sides deserve special mention but more on that later.
Track 8: '76 AKA The Slow Train. The King's Singers are a vocal group whose repertoire ranges from hymns to um... covers of Simon and Garfunkel and The Beach Boys. The Slow train borrows two different samples from the King's Singers to create a fun, silly, but well constructed track. It definitely feels like you're riding a train when you hear this track.
Track 9: '90 AKA A Man Like Me. Sensitivity was Ralph Tresvant's (of New Edition) biggest solo hit. A typical early '90s soul track, Lemon Jelly have chopped it up into something that maintains the original's groove but offers a timeless beat and bass.
Track 10: '64 AKA Go. The last track on the album and the oldest sample. The original track Ringo is by Lorne Green although the vocals are performed William Shatner on this version. The Bass heavy melody harks back to tracks on Lemonjelly.ky and the atmosphere and tension builds. Shatner's vocals work well here and the darker elements lend themselves well. The track builds to a heavy driving beat which exhausts the listener and ends the album perfectly.
Which format?
For the best Lemon Jelly experience, always go vinyl. The duo, through Deakin's Airside design house always go to town on their artwork. Compared to previous works, the artwork is more minimalist but there are nice contrasting pieces. The album itself comes on 10" records, four of which are double sided. There is just a (nice) pattern on the flip side of '64 AKA go and set omits the first track.
'64-'95 can be found on Spotify in its entirety along with the singles and B-sides. Almost all the samples mentioned above can also be found on Spotify although I had to resort to YouTube for some. Finding and comparing them was half the fun, and a great way to spend a few hours.
Further Listening
As mentioned above, the single for '75 AKA Stay With You is excellent, the B-side has Rolled, originally released as single in 2003, and The Fruity Track. Rolled mixes elements of Lemon Jelly's track The Curse of Ka'Zar from Lost Horizons with Bad Company's Feel Like Making Love. If you go listen to Curse, it's about halfway through. The result is superb. The Fruity Track samples Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America. Both B-sides are excellent and make single well worth finding.
Fred Deakin Presents: The Triptych is another excellent album and is worth listening to if you enjoed the samples used. That's a whole other article though.
Lemon Jelly's previous work is worth devoting a few hours to, and don't skip the B-sides.
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