Some FEATURED ARTISTS on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt (Saturday, August 2, 8-10pm) include Val McKenna, Pere Ubu, Tubeway Army, DAF, Kim Wilde, Three O’Clock, Three Johns, Limiñanas, lots of new music as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond.
COVER ART OF THE WEEK: Tubeway Army released their first album, a self-titled record on Beggars Banquet in 1978. Fronted by Gary Numan, it represented a transition from a punkier sound to the dystopian synth wave aesthetic now associated with his music. The original release was a limited edition on blue vinyl with a blue cover and quickly sold out. The next year Beggars Banquet reissued it with the now familiar stylized illustration of Numan on the front cover. It was created by Garry Robson, a British musician, sound engineer and childhood friend of Numan.
DUSTY DIAMOND OF THE WEEK (a vintage gem from the STD vaults): The Hentchmen were a garage punk band from Detroit that released numerous albums and singles throughout the 90s and up until 2017. In 1998 they recorded some songs with Jack White just before he and Meg started the White Stripes. One of those was a cover of Richie Barrett’s 1962 R&B tune “Some Other Guy,” famously covered by the Beatles in their Cavern Club shows. The Hentchmen’s and White’s version is a rousing scorcher, up-tempo with nice vocal harmonies and tasty guitar licks. It appeared on a single on the Italy record label. Listen to it here:
Promo art from Celia and the Mutations’ 1977 “You Better Believe Me” single on United Artists. Photo by Ritva Saarikko.