For a few years I did a podcast called “Dead Bug Jumping” – it was a podcast about music…
I’d take one record from my copious collection of gramophones and I’d attempt to navigate from it to a modern(ish) song in 5 or so steps, using random tidbits of knowledge, links in style or history or themes. It was quite fun :)
Then some annoying crackers came and installed lots of unpleasant malware on the wordpress install which did the relevant magics. Now can’t (frankly) be bothered to maintain the legacy site that hosted the Dead Bug Jumping WP and this delicious vanity domain… So rather than do that below is a list of all the episodes with links to each show.
Season 1 – Or ‘The season with really crappy equipment’. These were actually recorded with with the gramophone my dad repaired for me when I was about 15, which it turned out was playing at the wrong speed. Quite substantially so. Which I didn’t realise. That gramophone was recorded by pointing a microphone at it and praying no one drove past our house (and no flights went over, which was uncommon, because it was under Heathrow’s flight path). Eventually I discovered the disaster and went back and edited each one to approximate the correct speed – so the gramophone sections in ‘Season 1’ are digitally sped up to be approximately 78 rpm. I can tell I’m selling it to you.
- Episode 1 – Marching to the Blues
For our first week, we start from that quintessential piece of gramophone history, the March, and wend our way to REM taking in the views along the way.Track 1 – El Capitan March – Sousa, played by H.M. Coldstream Guards. His Master’s Voice – B.2941
Track 2 – Alice’s Restaurant Massacree – Arlo Guthrie. Reprise Records [partial]
Track 3 – Walk of Life – Dire Straits. Vertigo Records [partial]
Track 4 – Marvin – Stephen Moore. Polydor Records [partial]
Track 5 – Everybody Hurts – REM. Warner Brothers Records [partial]
- Episode 2 – Existence is no barrier to madness
Week two, and starting from a track by the non-existent Bert Layton we head off in our quest for connections.Track 1 – The Prosperity Song by Bert Layton (Eclipse Records) c. 1930s.
Track 2 – Salt Peanuts – Dizzy Gillespie – Taken from Giants of Jazz – released by Sarabandas Srl (LPJT32) [partial]
Track 3 – Peaches – The Presidents of the United States of America [partial]
Track 4 – My Boy Lollipop – Millie Small – Taken from the Stardust repressing of the 7″ Single [partial]
Track 5 – The Prince – Madness [partial]
- Episode 3 – Poets and Drugs
This week’s bonus extra-length (6 tracks rather than the usual 5) podcast starts from a musical rendition of 1870’s poetry, and finds it’s way to a common theme for poems, and for life, love. Or drugs. Depending on your interpretation of the lyrics.Track 1: Home on the Range – The Street Singer (Decca F3921)
Track 2: Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod – Roger Whittaker (MFP50188) [partial]
Track 3: The Trick is to Keep Breathing – Garbage – Version 2 [partial]
Track 4: Disarm – Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream [partial]
Track 5: Sleep the Clock Around – Belle and Sebastian – The boy with the Arab Strap [partial]
Track 6: Special K – Placebo – Black Market Music [partial]
- Episode 4 – From Men in caves to women dealing with cavemen-attitudes
This week’s podcast is extra length, but this time because we’re starting with a fantastic piece of classical music on a 12″ gramophone. From there we head off in search of modern life… yes, really.
Track 1: Overture “The Hebrides” (Fingal’s Cave) – Mendelssohn – C.3770
Track 2: Love Missile F1-11 (Extended Version) – Sigue Sigue Sputnik [partial]
Track 3: Temple of Love (1992 rerecording) – The Sisters of Mercy (with Ofra Haza) [partial]
Track 4: Self-Esteem – Offspring [partial]
Track 5: Just a Girl – No Doubt [partial]
- Episode 5 – Dancing to pop music
This week we’re again starting from Classical Music and heading off via quintessential Americana to the very definition of Pop. Well, possibly.Track 1: Hungarian Dance in G Minor – Brahms – HMV 3-7928
Track 2: New World Symphony – Dvo?ák – played by the Hampshire Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra [partial]
Track 3: Wake Up Little Suzie – The Everly Brothers [partial]
Track 4: Downtown – Petula Clark [partial]
Track 5: Sunday Girl – Blondie [partial]
- Episode 6 – Rocking inappropriately cheerfully
This week’s show is courtesy of the Oxfam Music store in Reading. Not that they sponsored it, just that we found it this week and bought some new 78s. Starting from some 1950’s rock we head off via inappropriate styles to collaboration…Track 1: Dance the Bop – The Jodimars – CL. 14642 (Capitol Records)
Track 2: Clarabella – The Beatles – Live at the BBC [partial]
Track 3: Veronica – Elvis Costello [partial]
Track 4: Lucky Number – Rialto [partial]
Track 5: Friday Night – Lily Allen [partial]
- Episode 7 – Travelling to home
My apologies – your illustrious presenter has a cold this week (and hayfever, you can all go ‘Awww’ now), and wishes to apologise for any quality issues in this week’s show. Not only that, but we’re using new software. It’s all change here at DBJ.Anyhow, we start episode 7 with a South African group, but when all is said and done, we come back home.EDIT: This podcast features music by Michelle Shocked, who, in early 2013 surprised many of her fans (myself included) with a homophobic rant live on-stage. Whilst I still love her early music, I cannot condone her hate-speech, and feel it is only fair to warn listeners that a track by her is included in this show.Track 1: Tom Hawk – Elias and his Zig Zag Jive Flutes
Track 2: Zambezi – ‘Boring’ Bob Grover and The Piranhas [partial]
Track 3: 5am in Amsterdam – Michelle Shocked [partial]
Track 4: Roam – B-52s [partial]
Track 5: Take Me Home – Sophie Ellis-Bextor [partial]
- Episode 8 – French Optimism
This week Dead Bug Jumping kicks off with some gorgeous jazz picked up from Les Puces in Paris, and finds it’s way to the optimism of youth… It is a little larger file size wise than usual – the next one should be back to normal size once we’ve got our heads around the new software a bit more.Track 1: Sidney Bechet, Claude Litre et son orchestra – Panther Dance
Track 2: Rock c’est un Rock – Amy Anahid [partial]
Track 3: Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum [partial]
Track 4: Born of Frustration – James [partial]
Track 5: Rock and Roll or Trains – AM [partial]
- Episode 9 – Marching to destruction
This week Dead Bug Jumping kicks off with a good old fashioned bit of marching and heads towards destruction and death.Track 1: The Aldershot Tattoo – H.M. Scots
Track 2: Long Tall Sally – The Beatles[partial]
Track 3: A Kind of Magic – Queen [partial]
Track 4: Destroy Everything You Touch – Ladytron [partial]
Track 5: Pretty Little Dead Girl – Seanan McGuire [partial]
- Episode 10 – Transport, evolving…
In homage to Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, who is one of the people behind ‘TWIE’ and ‘Transport Evolved’ – and who requested the theme for Episode 10, we’re calling today’s show Transport, evolving.This show has been produced with the assistance of the wonderful folks at Little Collie, who’ve helped us up the production quality!
Track 1: Rock Island Line – Lonnie Donnegan
Track 2: The Banana Boat Song (Day-oh) – Stan Freburg [partial]
Track 3: Slow Train – Flanders and Swann [partial]
Track 4: These Boots Are Made For Walking – Nancy Sinatra [partial]
Track 5: Driving In My Car – Madness [partial]
Track 6 [Bonus]: Car Song – Elastica [partial]
Track 7 [Double Bonus!]: Little Green Cars – Gabrielle Starkey [partial]Once you’ve listened to the show, for comparison’s sake check out the Leadbelly version of the Rock Island Line mentioned, but not played – as a bonus.
- Episode 11 – The Unintentional Theme Show
This week we’ve got a bit stuck on food and drink – not on purpose I promise.Track 1: The Lost Chord – Arthur Sullivan (Sung by Derek Oldham)
Track 2: The Reluctant Cannibal – Flanders and Swann[partial]
Track 3: I Eat Cannibals – Toto Coelo [partial]
Track 4: Drink the Elixir – Salad [partial]
Track 5: Cup of Coffee – Garbage [partial]
- Episode 12 – Nina’s Explosive
So, back from the hiatus, at least for one week. Episode 12 of Dead Bug Jumping gets us back into the swing of things…Track 1: A Girl Like Nina – Paul Abraham
Track 2: The Masochism Tango – Tom Lehrer [partial]
Track 3: Lucky Number – Lene Lovich [partial]
Track 4: Whip It – Devo [partial]
Track 5: Bomb – Bush [partial]
- Episode 13 – The World Tour
Yet more of our sporadic podcast! This month’s podcast comes from Europe, kicking off with a spanish singer – based in France we tour the world and land up back where we started, sort of.Track 1: Soy De Madrid – Raquel Meller
Track 2: Bolero – Ravel [partial]
Track 3: Summertime – Paul McCartney (taken from ????? ? ????) [partial]
Track 4: Trigger Hippie – Morcheeba [partial]
Track 5: Dancing With Myself – Nouvelle Vague [partial]
Season 2 – Less crappy equipment.
For season 2 I, and I use this term very loosely, invested in a better quality deck. A Goldring-Lenco Transcription turntable. The one I’d bought was very, very tired – but a good clean and a service improved things a lot. Eventually, my lovely friend John helped me change the craptastic broken wires in the tone-arm for some new silicone insulated ones which massively improved the situation. Anyway, if you’re not sick of it after 13 episodes, here’s some more:
- Episode 0 – The return is foretold.
Okay, so it’s a minute long, and the only thing played is from the Industrial Espionage Suite (no, seriously, that’s the name of the record). But it’s to remind you all that Dead Bug Jumping is coming back.
We’re just waiting on a new cable so we can use the nice M-Audio amp, and the 78 stylus so we can use the deck (which has been strobe-tested and is running a peachy smooth 78/45/33/16 (well, I’ve no strobe disk for 16, but I’m sure it’s adequate since I don’t have any 16 rpm vinyl).In the mean time, you can hear the new studio set up, and me having my first play with the new audio app
- Episode 1 – Pop to Alt Rock
Welcome back for Season 2 of Dead Bug Jumping. Season 2 because, well, we’re now playing the gramophones at the right speed. This week we’re kicking off with some French Jazz, and as usual, seeing where that takes us…
Track 1: Alix Combelle – Bring that Bottle Pops
Track 2: Duke Ellington – Satin Doll [Partial]
Track 3: Sandie Shaw – Puppet on a String [Partial]
Track 4: The Pretenders – Night in my Veins [Partial]
Track 5: Tapping the Vein – Sugar Falls [Partial]
- Episode 2 – Mad Dogs and Pete Doherty
Yes, this month we’re back. Back properly, we hope. Barring more electrical / computer failures. Kicking off with a spot of Noel Coward we track through early electronica to indie rock.
Track 1: Noel Coward – Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Track 2: Ron Grangier & Delia Derbyshire – Doctor Who Theme [Partial]
Track 3: Sweet – Block Buster [Partial]
Track 4: Tiffany – I Saw Him Standing There [Partial]
Track 5: The Libertines – What Became of the Likely Lads [Partial]
(In the background there’s also a clip of Injun Jo – Jawbone)
- Episode 3 – Ramona destroys things
And as promised and on schedule (if sounding a little rougher than usual), here’s episode 3 of season 2! Kicking off with some American Duetists (in England!) and landing up in electronica, this week’s selection takes in some of the greats of 50s, 80s and 00s musicians.
Track 1: Layton &Johnstone – Ramona
Track 2: Sidney Bechet – Blues in Paris [partial]
Track 3: Siouxie and the Banshees – Cities in Dust [partial]
Track 4: There There – Hail to the Thief – Radiohead [partial]
Track 5: Ladytron – Destroy everything you touch [partial]
- Episode 4 – Happy fluff
Starting off in India we travel round the world, to the USA, the UK and Australia in this edition of Dead Bug Jumping. From our beginnings with an incredibly famous playback singer, we land end up bouncing along to a fluffy, bright piece of modern pop punk.
Track 1: Lata Mangeshkar – Happy Song
Track 2: Madonna – Holiday [partial]
Track 3: Ciccone – If Friday Falls Through [partial]
Track 4: Lily Allen – Friday Night [partial]
Track 5: Operator Please – Just a Song About Ping Pong [partial]
- Episode 5 – The Dolls Can’t Finish
This month’s podcast kicks off with Harry Bidgood, a man with many names… and potentially, many bands. Whilst we never make it beyond the 1980s, we have a lot of fun getting there, meeting groups who’ve accompanied meat packer’s demonstrations, and also catching up with what some of the artists are up to now.A quote in this month’s podcast uses one word which is not appropriate for all ages or audiences. It’s the only quote in the Bow Wow Wow section – roughly at 22m25s – 22m28s – so please be aware of that if you’re listening with kids (or have sensitive ears)!
Track 1: Harry Bidgood and His Broadcasters – The Doll Dance
Track 1: The String A Longs – Wheels [partial]
Track 1: Roxy Music – Do the Strand [partial]
Track 1: Bow Wow Wow – I Want Candy [partial]
Track 1: The Smiths – I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish [partial]Other tracks mentioned in the course of the show, or clips heard in the background:
The Bryan Ferry Orchestra – Don’t Stop the Dance
Ruthie.Von – Deep in the Heart of Texas
Bow Wow Wow – I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish
- Episode 6 – Helping maintain sobriety
This month’s podcast kicks off with some two Kentucky Brothers and a song they played on a show that’s still running having started in 1925… and lands up in England with a singer courted by Amy Winehouse for her group… Electronica, country and 1960s Americana…
Track 1: The Carlisles – No Help Wanted
Track 2: Lena Horne – Beale Street Blues [partial]
Track 3: En Vogue – Free Your Mind [partial]
Track 4: Little Boots – Remedy [partial]
Track 5: Paloma Faith – Stone Cold Sober [partial]
- Episode 7 – The plains of Seattle
This month we kick off with some quality Americana, before an exciting jaunt into a European cover, and…well, I’ll leave you to find out.
Track 1: Guy Mitchell – Chika Boom (from ‘Those Redheads from Seattle’)
Track 2: Nada Kneževi? – Moja Prva Ljubav (‘Runaway’) [partial]
Track 3: Abba – Take A Chance On Me [partial]
Track 4: Rautakoura – Paluu horisonttiin [partial]
Track 5: Alessi’s Ark – On The Plains [partial]
- Episode 8 – A Folk Novella
This month we’re kicking off with Israeli folk music and hopping by the way of Judaism, or at least a Jewish singer/songwriter, to eventually reach something described as an indie audiobook. Adventure and novelty in this month’s Dead Bug Jumping.
Track 1: Mayim Mayim – music composed by Emanuel Pugashov Amiran (Acoustic/Orchestral version without lyrics, sadly)
Track 2: Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum [partial]
Track 3: Space Oddity – David Bowie [partial]
Track 4: Breaking All the Rules – Peter Frampton [partial]
Track 5: 001 – Lambchop and Hollis Hampton Jones [partial]
- Episode 9 – Les Cardigans
Apologies for the quality of this month’s Dead Bug Jumping. No excuses, I left it late, so it was written, recorded and produced somewhat rapidly. No one to hide behind but the sunshine! Also, the gramophone track is in really poor condition. I’ll do better next month!This month we kick off with a classic piece of US guitar, and then fly with a musician back to the Europe.
Track 1: Les Paul – How High The Moon
Track 2: Yardbirds – For Your Love [Partial]
Track 3: Suzi Quatro – Devil Gate Drive [Partial]
Track 4: Talking Heads – Burning Down The House [Partial]
Track 5: The Cardigans – Been It [Partial]
- Episode 10 – Goodbye Drama
So this month it’s a bonus six-track episode. Why? Because the ever lovely John has fixed the record deck and we now are down to ‘rumble’ from knackered bearings.Kicking off with the flip-side of a record we covered earlier in Season 2, Noel Coward sets us on a journey linked by theatres, titles and producers. Next month we’ll be back to the usual five tracks, hopefully with less whinging about equipment (but don’t hold your breath)!
Track 1: Let’s Say Goodbye – Noel Coward
Track 2: I Believe – The Batchelors [Partial]
Track 3: I Believe – REM [Partial]
Track 4: Good – Better than Ezra [Partial]
Track 5: Slave to the Wage – Placebo [Partial]
Bonus Track: Hospital Drama – Help She Can’t Swim [Partial]
- Episode 11 – Talkin’ about Partyin’
For a special treat for you all this month, we’re starting with a rare track by the Rhythm Rascals, and ending with a phenomenal singer who, at the time, was not even out of puberty! And, for all you Transport Evolved fans, there’s a special bonus at the end…
Track 1: The Rhythm Rascals – Talkin’ it Over
Track 2: The Yardbirds – You Can’t Judge a Book by Lookin’ at the Cover [Partial]
Track 3: Etta James – I Just Want to Make Love to You [Partial]
Track 4: Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good [Partial]
Track 5: Dionne Bromfield – Two Can Have a Party [Partial]
- Episode 12 – Racing away from love
This month marks our entry into three exciting years of podcasting. We’ve dug an especially bad record out of the collection for your delectation… We’re kicking off this month with Marty Robbins.
Track 1: Marty Robbins – Knee Deep in the Blues
Track 2: Gary Newman – Cars [partial]
Track 3: Minnie and The Metros – Charlie’s Angel [partial]
Track 4: Pulp – Babies [partial]
Track 5: Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside – Addicted [partial]
- Episode 13 – Cavemen and Robots
This month’s show is a little brief, for which I apologise, but I’m trying to write a novel here (imagine me sounding terribly pretentious…oh, you don’t have to, you can listen!). Sadly the first track on this month’s show is also missing its first few seconds as the disk’s damaged.But it’s too good to skip.
Track 1: Tommy Steele – Rock With The Caveman [Partial – due to a damaged disk]
Track 2: Stan Freburg – Heartbreak Hotel [Partial]
Track 3: Screamin Jay Hawkins – Frenzy [Partial]
Track 4: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Into My Arms [Partial]
Track 5: The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part 1 [Partial]
- Episode 14 – Kissing Santa in Winter Wonderland – Christmas Special!
Well, despite the trials and tribulations of our media server dying, we’ve managed to push a show out for you all on Christmas! Have a great Christmas, and we’ll be back next year.
Track 1: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Molly Bee & the Van Alexander Orchestra
Track 2: Too Much monkey business – The Monkees [Partial]
Track 3: Bionic Santa – Chris Hill [Partial]
Track 4: Dr. Who on Holiday – Dean Gray (Party Ben & Team 9’s mashup based around American Idiot) [Partial]
Track 5: Winter Wonderland – Sleeper Agent [Partial]
Jingle Bells courtesy of CCMixter.
- Episode 15 – Bluebeard
Welcome to the 2014 season of Dead Bug Jumping, we’re kicking off this year with some Hawaiian style blues and landing up with the most traditional of instruments, the human voice.
Track 1: Wabash Blues – Roland Peachey and His Royal Hawaiians
Track 2: I Wan’na Be Like You – The Jungle Book Original Soundtrack [Clip]
Track 3: The Grammy Song – Loudon Wainwright III [Partial]
Track 4: Give Me One Reason – Tracy Chapman [Partial]
And this one… – Beardyman [Partial]
- Episode 16 – In a Child’s Breath
In our slightly delayed podcast this month we’ve got some pre-WWI Victoriana to kick off (albeit in a pretty poor state), before we head off around Europe. This month’s podcast is unfortunately slightly marred by our neighbour’s house renovation. Apologies for the background noise.
Track 1: Eleanor Jones-Hudson – In A Child’s Hand (Note: In the podcast I erroneously state this is a ‘The Gramophone Company’ disk, it’s not, it was released by ‘The Twin’)Track 2: Albert Ketèlbey – In A Chinese Temple Garden [Partial]
Track 3: Lio – Les Brunes Comptent Pas Pour Des Prunes [Partial]
Track 4: Saint Etienne – He’s on the Phone [Partial]
Track 5: Kylie Minogue – Breathe [Partial]
- Episode 17 – Don’t you rock me, I don’t know you.
Kicking off with some skiffle we head off to looping/sampling land and a kick-starter funded musician. It’s an ace show this month (although I may be biased)!
Track 1: The Bob Cort Skiffle Group – Don’t You Rock Me Daddy-o
Track 2: Duran Duran – A View To A Kill [partial]
Track 3: Soul Asylum – Runaway Train [partial]
Track 4: Within Temptation – Mother Earth [partial]
Track 5: i am kawehi – Somebody that I used to know [partial]The interview clip is taken from a FaceCulture interview. It’s fascinating – you should go listen and subscribe.
- Episode 18 – River of SmokeWell, we finally produced another show. Kicking off with an off-brand dance record and meandering across to a new release…
Track 1: Paul Jones & The Arcadians Dance Orchestra – River Stay ‘way From My Door; When You Were The Blossom Of Buttercup Lane; The Twighlight Waltz
Track 2: Django Reinhardt – Swing 42 [partial track]
Track 3: Blur – Song 2 [partial track]
Track 4: SugaBabes – Hole In The Head [partial track]
Track 5: Smoke Fairies – We’ve Seen Birds</a> [partial track]
In season 2 – The audio track behind the Matriline ‘advert’ is Poddington Bear – Biplane – from The Free Music Archive