Kris Needs is a renowned journalist and author, known for his writings on music from the 1970’s onwards. Having become editor of legendary punk-zine, ZigZag, in 1977 at the age of 23, he went on the write biographies of many stars including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer, Keith Richards, and most recently George Clinton and Suicide.
In 1992 Kris Needs and Wonder Schneider formed the band Secret Knowledge and recorded the seminal “Sugar Daddy”, and released it on Andrew Weatherall’s Sabres of Paradise label. To anyone who was clubbing back in the early 90’s that “Whoo….” from the Original Mix still sends shivers down the spine today. Once heard, this inspirational track can most certainly never be forgotten, and the rush of excitement and adulation that this classic received when John Digweed featured it on his ‘Live In… Miami’ mix album (recorded at Vagabond Nightclub in Downtown Miami during Miami Music Week 2014) set the wheels in motion for John Digweed and Nick Muir to remix the track for a summer 2016 full single release on their Bedrock label, along with two of the re-mastered original versions.
So, to mark this exciting release, who better than Kris Needs to select some of his favourite “Back To Mine” tracks, and join the dots between so many memorable musical happenings over many years…
Sun Ra – The Heliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra
Although many would later expound on the concept of space being the place, Sun Ra beat anyone else by decades, and that includes using electronic keyboards in music. This album was released in 1965 but I couldn’t track a copy down until 1969. It now stands as one of the most alien-sounding pieces of music ever committed to tape (all done in a day). Since then I’ve hunted down hundreds of albums by Sun Ra and, in 2013, turned my “back to mine” blast-offs into a compilation called A Space Odyssey: From Birmingham To The Big Apple. This whole spread could be filled with free jazz warriors such as Albert Ayler, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, whose Bitches Brew should be in here too.
The Rolling Stones – Midnight Rambler
From the 1970 live set Get Your Ya-Yas Out, this epic chain-whipping psycho-gouge into the deepest reaches of the blues was inspired by the Boston Strangler and enlivened many after-pub sessions in the 1990’s with my old mucker Scottish Jim. Having witnessed them doing it back in the day, this is one reason why I always found it hard to take anyone purporting to be “dangerous” seriously, being fortunate enough to land in Keith Richards’ orbit from the ‘80s.
Billie Holiday – Strange Fruit
If ever it becomes necessary to freeze a gathering in its tracks with one of the most brutally ravaged but time-stopping songs of all time, then Billie’s searing indictment of southern lynch mob murder ranks among the best. But I have to recommend all the beautiful doomed jazz chanteuse’s catalogue. I bought The Billie Holiday Story double album on the street in Manhattan in 1987 and played her to death as she chimed uncannily with a low stretch of my own life, which landed me in the same East Harlem hospital where Billie died. She was one of the main influences on ‘Sugar Daddy’.
Donna Summer – Love To Love You Baby
This was the other main influence on ‘Sugar Daddy’, both for the lady’s fearlessly ground-breaking vocal acrobatics and Giorgio Moroder’s epic production. Having said that, it was the epic proto-techno pulsings that Giorgio explored with Peter Belotte on 1977’s Once Upon A Time (and, of course, ‘I Feel Love’), which set the template for electronic dance music (the real deal not today’s fake supermarket soundtrack). When I interviewed Donna in the 90’s she was lovely, and even got embarrassed when I asked her to sign this album.
Suicide – Dream Baby Dream
Rather than demonstrate how Suicide had invented punk rock in downtown New York seven years earlier as a Vietnam war protest project, Suicide’s 1977 debut album unleashed a sound whose repercussions would be felt through electro, synth-pop, house, techno, industrial and anything else, though most practitioners didn’t even know it. Having first met Alan Vega and Marty Rev 38 years ago while on tour with The Clash, I spent most of last year writing what became Suicide: Dream Baby Dream; A New York Story, their official biography. I was so sad when Alan, who had suffered a massive stroke and heart attack four years ago, passed away in July. Before I used to try and convert people, now it’s simply a celebration of these unique, fearless geniuses who changed the world, even if it didn’t know it. ‘Dream Baby Dream’ is their anthem but the first two albums are essential if you’re starting out.
The Clash – White Man In Hammersmith Palais
Talking of The Clash…One of my most memorable “back to theirs” experience was with Slam, after Secret Knowledge played their Glasgow club for the first time in 1993. It turned out Stuart, Orde and Dave were major Clash fans who knew how I spent five years of my life in the front line with the band between 1976-81. As dawn broke, we played frenetic air guitar to their battered 45s of ‘Complete Control’, ‘White Riot’ and this gorgeous gem, which always brings a tear, as I watched Strummer record it. The best band of all time? Unquestionably.
Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun
From my mates at school in 1967 to dropping acid with my flatmate Youth in 1983 to the 21st century, Hendrix has always been a “Back To Mine” essential. I was lucky enough to witness him in action in 1969 and it changed everything for life. I’ve never since witnessed any other performer who actually seemed bathed in alien charisma, and seared the top of my head off with that one astronomical lunar note during ‘Purple Haze’ (Yes, I am a bit of an old fucker but glad when it means something like this!). This is his greatest solo, all the pain, turmoil and rage of the Vietnam War blasting through his supernatural fingers. Still gets me every time, even 45 years after first hearing it.
Motorhead – Bomber (Live)
Nothing like a spot of Motorhead to wake up a room of nodding stoners at six in the morning! Parallel to The Clash, I toured with Motorhead for several years as ‘research’ for a book, which never came out. They were awesome every night and the main reason I can’t listen to any other band purporting to operate in similar areas. Although I never forgave him the shrimp net episode, Lemmy was a total gent and the world a much limper place without him. This gig shows them at their most ferocious.
Funkadelic – I Call My Baby Pussycat
Before the Suicide book, I wrote one about George Clinton, another long-time carpet-abusing fave with the colossal catalogue of albums he’s released as Funkadelic, Parliament and all points in between and beyond. Over the decades, George and crew have played some of the most epic shows I’ve been fortunate enough to witness, although Harlem Apollo in 1990 probably takes the award for the funkiest blowout (he also managed to turn one interview in the 80’s into a scene from Scarface). Miraculously, while everyone around him drops, George is still at it. This track from America Eats Its Young album is simply his sleaziest grind of all time as it goes into the title track’s extended orgy.
Otis Redding – Ole Man Trouble
My two favourite male singers are Otis and Paul Robeson (who also deserves to be in here with any of his spiritual masterpieces from the 1940s). When Otis starts a ballad, he seems to reach in, grip your heart then proceeds to squeeze it as the song progresses to its inevitable heartbroken climax. I’ve played him to post-club gatherings and many more times when I’ve been the only one there.
Secret Knowledge – SugarDaddy
1. Sugar Daddy (John Digweed & Nick Muir Remix)
2. Sugar Daddy (Original 12″ 2016 Re-master)
3. Sugar Daddy (Out Of Our Brains on The 5.15 Mix 2016 Re-master)
(Bedrock) BEDDIGI86
https://soundcloud.com/bedrock_rec/sets/beddigi86-secret-knowledge-sugar-daddy-previews
