SAME NAME/DIFFERENT ARTIST: BOBBY VALENTINO

Woah, this might cause some ruffles, SMM being often/usually/mostly a rap and hip-hop free zone, with the name above capable of causing resonating ripples of fear amongst our faithful readership. (Hi, Mom!) Panic not, whilst I have heard of the Bobby Valentino, mainly through search engine malarkey, I am unfamiliar with his body of work. And I am told body is the correct word. In the plural. O, go on, then....... 

I refer to the other Bobby Valentino. I dare say you may have seen him, on videos, perhaps more often than necessarily known who he is. A staple on the UK scene for 30 odd years, he has popped up on many a bands output, whenever violin is required to give some additional flavour. Thus, if you remember the the Bluebells, Style Council, Big Country and the Christians, whenever you hear fiddle, chances are it's him. He has also appeared with artists as diverse as Tom Petty and Mark Knopfler. The brother of notable arranger and member of the Art of Noise, Ann Dudley, he is probably best known for his part in the UK top 10 single, 'Young at Heart', by the Bluebells, from which he belatedly received a writing credit, having successfully convinced a judge of the integral part of his violin part. Used extensively in a VW worldwide advert, which gave an even more successful return hit, this income has probably kept him in 'tache wax and hair oil ever since.        

                                     

Yes, it is also his distinctive appearance, a Clark Gable lookalike, that has arguably as much kept him in the limelight as his playing, although, to be fair, he is no slouch, able also on guitar and mandolin, posessing a  delightful baritone croon. I have caught a fair amount of his lesser known and more full-time musical activities, being an acknowledged fan of pedal-steel maestro and maverick, B.J. Cole. Valentino and Cole have had a long running involvement together, first as members of Hank Wangford, the singing gynaecologist's band(s), secondly in their own intermittent country-rock band, Los Pistoleros, with ex-Graham Parker and the Rumour guitarist, Martin Belmont. They are an absolute hoot live, and still  gig from time to time, other commitments willing. Valentino has also made a trio of solo recordings, or perhaps the same one thrice, as many of the songs are duplicated across each of them, as well as on Pistoleros recordings. I'll forgive him for this as I am a fan. He has also been a longterm occasional member of another favourite band of mine, The Men They Couldn't Hang, featured here. In fact, I have just bought a ticket for a duo gig, Valentino with Phil 'Swill' Odgers, one of the lead singers/writers of said band.

As an afterword, perhaps buoyed by his earlier success, he took the Bobby Valentino I haven't discussed to court, enforcing the once named Bobby Williams to change his stage name to Bobby V. (I wonder what this fella would have had to say about that?)

You're in the groove, Jackson, is his best record!

1984: The Paris Match

The Style Council: The Paris Match

[purchase]

Earlier I wrote that anyone familiar with The Jam was shocked, but mostly pleased, to hear Paul Weller's new sound when he formed The Style Council. Well the featured track is the best illustration of this point that I'm aware of. With vocals by Tracey Thorn, of Everything But The Girl fame, The Paris Match is a slow, jazzy, torch song. Gone were the days of angry punk posturing, and a new era had begun.

The protagonist in the featured track is literally searching the streets and bars for her lost love, but in the end resigns herself to the loss.

I'm only sad in a natural way
And I enjoy sometimes feeling this way
The gift you gave is desire
The match that started my fire

2:42 - The Whole Point Of No Return

The Style Council: The Whole Point Of No Return

[purchase]

The Jam is one of my all-time favorite bands, so when Paul Weller moved on to his next project, The Style Council, I naturally followed. In terms of sound, The Style Council departed from The Jam to such a degree that the effect was shocking to fans at the time, but the song writing was still strong so the experiment worked, for the most part. I’ll still choose The Jam every time, but the Council has some great moments.

The featured track is from the Style Council’s first full-length album, Café Blue (originally titled My Ever Changing Moods in the US). This song is a populist tirade against the royal classes in England. There’s a Bono-like earnestness to the lyrics that, if taken too far, can ruin an otherwise good song; however, in this case I think Weller’s sincerity wins out and the song maintains its approachability.

Plus it just sounds good...