Friday! That’s all I have to say today!
If you want some new music for the weekend, here you go:
Tennis Club: I’ve recommended the Joplin, Missouri, band many times now. Well, this might not be the last time, but this time I have to say that there are 9 songs to listen and a 10″ to buy from the band’s Bandcamp. “Pink” is the name of this mini-album that boasts a bunch of great songs, most of them very short, leaving you hoping for more.
Pictured Resort: the Japanese band is back on Sailyard Records preparing to release their second album on July 3rd. The album is self-titled and will include 12 songs and will be available digitally and on vinyl. You can preview one of the tracks, “Someday”, on Soundcloud. Sounds very good!
Real Numbers: the latest by the Minneapolis band is a 7 song compilation of live performances and radio sessions, including tracks from WFMU, a cover of The Golden Dawn and a live gig at the venue Secret Service. There are some nice jangly songs here.
The Silent Boys: I’ve always being a fan of the band formed by Wallace Dietz in Virginia. They have been making quality indiepop for three decades now. Their latest release is a 9 song album titled “By the Light of the Moon”. I would totally recommend it if you like classic indiepop, jangly guitars and fine melodies!
Espíritusanto: there are two digital singles available to preview while we wait for the new album “Exfuturo” that will be released on June 14th on Jabalina Discos from Spain. The Madrid based band is back with “La Clausura” and “El Rayo que no Cesa”, two terrific and catchy popsongs!
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Dawn Chorus and the Blue Tits. You know who was behind this band? Liz Kershaw. Who? Elizabeth Marguerita Mary Kershaw from Littleborough, Lancashire, England. She, who goes by Liz, a pretty well known English radio broadcaster. Actually the third longest serving female radio DJ after Annie Nightingale and Janice Long. She celebrated 25 years as a DJ on BBC radio in 2012.
But she hasn’t only been a DJ. She has made music. And there are some great tracks she has been involved with of course.
The first Dawn Chorus & the Blue Tits release was a 7″ on Stiff Records (DAWN 1) in 1985. It had two songs, a cover of The Undertones’ classic “Teenage Kicks” on the A side and “Dream Lover” on the B side which I know as a song by Bobby Darin. The record came with a fold-out poster.
Something I do wonder about this project of hers was if all songs were covers. It may as well be. Let’s continue checking out her releases.
“I’m Going Down”, a cover of Bruce Springsteen, was her second A side. This 7″ was also released by Stiff Records (DAWN 2) in 1985. It included a B side, one that was actually written by Dawn Chorus, “What’s Wrong With Me”. Both songs were produced by Neil Ferguson who has been part of Chumbawamba, Sportchestral and The Donkeys.
The last release was came in two different formats, 7″ and 12″. Both had “When You Walk in the Room” as the A side and “Lonely Lips” on the B side. the first song being a cover of Jackie De Shannon while the 2nd I know from The Chordettes. Both songs were once again produced by Neil Ferguson.
The band appeared also in three compilations, but much much later than when they were around in the 80s. In 2006 the band contributed “I’m Going Down” to a tribute of Bruce Springsteen CD called “If I Were the Boss – The Songs of Bruce Springsteen” that Castle Music released. Then in 2016 the band contributed “Teenage Kicks” to the all-female vocalist CD boxset “Sharon Signs to Cherry Red” that RPM Records put out on CD and later, in 2017, School Daze on vinyl.
What else we know about the band? We know for example that Liz Kershaw is not the only DJ in the family, her brother Andy is also a DJ for BBC. The other two members in the band were Lindsay Forrest and Carol Vonderman who was already a TV presenter on the show Countdown until 2008. We know too that the band did a Peel Session in 1985 but only Liz Kershaw was present and not the other two girls. Why? I don’t know. Her brother Andy and backing musicians were part of the recording. For the session that was first broadcast on March 4th 1985 the band had recorded on February 24th of the same year the songs “Teenage Kicks”, “Photographs”, “Lovely Lips” and “That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine”.
Sadly I can’t find if the band played live at all. Or if there are any other recordings by the band. Of course there are many hits when it comes to Liz and Carol on the web, but not about her involvement with the band but with their more famous careers, DJ and TV presenter.
I do find something worth reading though, an article written by Liz on the Daily Mail from September 2010. Here she talks a bit how the band formed and her friendship with Carol. On it we learn that Liz stage name was Dawn Chorus, Carol’s was May Bank Holiday and Lindsay was April Showers.
Anyone remembers them?
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Listen
Dawn Chorus and the Blue Tits – What’s Wrong With Me?
