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With hundreds of Instagram Live gigs and festivals, treasured archive footage being unearthed and new self-isolation songs arriving every day, the coronavirus lockdown has been unexpectedly fruitful for music fans. One event in particular, though, has become increasingly treasured in its first few weeks in existence.
Last month, Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess has launched #timstwitterlisteningparty, a near-nightly event where bands live tweet their way through the most famous albums of their careers. We’ve had Bonehead talking through the first two Oasis albums, Dave Rowntree Blur’s ‘Parklife’, Pete Doherty on The Libertines’ ‘Up The Bracket’ – and many more.
Deliberately taking place at 10pm – this is a much, much nicer place to be than the evening news – the parties give fans an opportunity to dive back in to some of the most iconic albums ever released while ignoring the increasingly troubled outside world for an hour or so.
On top of this, the tweets have unearthed some previously unknown gems of information about records that have defined the last half-century. Here are the best things we’ve learned so far.
The recording of The Libertines’ ‘Up The Bracket’ revolved around a very particular schedule…
Pete, Carl and co’s 2002 debut album as The Libertines still stands as the height of indie-rock hedonism. Production from Clash guitarist Mick Jones amped up the gritty, rock’n’roll aura around the album , but as Pete Doherty explained during the album’s listening party earlier this week, the recording process for the album revolved around a significantly more wholesome and unexpected schedule: Jones simply had to catch up on Eastenders. The good old days, huh?
The sessions always had a strict break at 6pm so Mick Jones could watch the last night's episode of Eastenders which he religiously recorded – we had dinner and played ping pong#timstwitterlisteningparty
— Peter Doherty (@petedoherty) April 14, 2020
Liam Gallagher’s original cover idea for ‘Definitely Maybe’ was pretty tasty…
The famous sleeve for ‘Definitely Maybe’ was shot in Bonehead’s front room, but as designer Brian Cannon revealed during the album’s listening party that Liam‘s original concept for the shoot was a knife stuck into a lump of butter. See the prototype for the genius creation below.
And we're off! Before we had settled on the idea of shooting the sleeve in Bonehead’s house, Liam’s ‘concept’ for the artwork was a knife in a lump of butter – true story! #timstwitterlisteningparty pic.twitter.com/o6Udj44kvl
— Brian Cannon / Microdot (@MicrodotCreativ) March 27, 2020
The drums on New Order’s ‘Age Of Consent’ are cut and pasted from a Joy Division classic
One of the series’ most fascinating editions came when Stephen and Gillian Morris took fans through New Order‘s ‘Power Corruption and Lies’. Though Stephen has one of the most iconic drumming styles of all time – he’s been dubbed ‘the human drum machine’ for decades – and songs can be instantly identified as his, he revealed that two of his most famous works are almost carbon copies of each other.
Turns out ‘Age Of Consent’ borrows a beat from a version of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ from 1980 sessions with producer Martin Hannett. Not a bad pair of songs to get out of one drum beat…
Hooky’s bass riff on Age Of Consent is fantastic. The drums are recycled from an old song-see if you can guess which one. Clue it was one of ours.
— stephen morris (@stephenpdmorris) April 12, 2020
Pulp’s ‘Different Class’ came with some pretty wonderful promo materials
As well as being a defining album of the Britpop era, Pulp‘s ‘Different Class’ also held many wonders for fans who particularly loved collectables. As the band revealed during their listening party for the 1995 album, among the materials that came along with the album’s release were a poster of Jarvis Cocker designed by soon-to-be Gorillaz co-founder Jamie Hewlett, and a ‘mis-shapes’ sewing kit, so you could have Jarv and co on your jacket. Bands of today: bring these back.
Jamie Hewlett Common People cartoon. Promo material from French record label #timstwitterlisteningparty pic.twitter.com/JN2wvrGwzs
— Pulp (@pulp2011) April 12, 2020
I’d forgotten about this promo package with the sewing pattern. #timstwitterlisteningparty pic.twitter.com/XZCvcDDeEN
— Pulp (@pulp2011) April 12, 2020
Oasis’ ‘What’s The Story Morning Glory’ had to be a double album because it was so loud
Prolific tweeter Bonehead has taken fans through the first two Oasis albums in some of the first listening parties of the series. One delightful fact that emerged from from the party for ‘What’s The Story Morning Glory the album ended up having to be pressed on two discs of vinyl because it was mastered so loud (the louder the song, the wider the grooves in the vinyl, fact fans).
The album was mastered so loud we couldn’t fit it on a single vinyl so had to make it a double album. Geek fact.
— Paul Arthurs. (@BoneheadsPage) April 4, 2020
He also went on to reveal that, when asked to come up with a piano part for ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, he just decided to “nick” the part from John Lennon‘s ‘Imagine’. Didn’t turn out too bad in the end.
Don’t look back in anger. “Bonehead, come up with a piano part” OK, I’ll just nick Imagine. Works though. Another anthem, we were good weren’t we?
— Paul Arthurs. (@BoneheadsPage) April 4, 2020
Shame looked adorable during their first ever band practice
Shame‘s listening party, for 2018 debut album ‘Songs Of Praise’, provided a host of videos dug up from the writing and recording process for the album. As they regularly say on stage, their single ‘One Rizla’ was the first song they ever wrote as a band, and now here’s the proof – see the shockingly fresh-faced five-piece running through a scrappy version of the track at their first ever band practice.
One Rizla – enjoy an unseen clip from the depths of our band group chat of us playing one riz (with awful original intro) in our first ever practice. Sounds fucking dreadful. #timstwitterlisteningparty pic.twitter.com/TN4cHProvc
— shame (@shamebanduk) April 6, 2020
Barmaid Karla Knox was a ’90s indie cover superstar
Fans probably remember the woman from the cover of Ash‘s track ‘Goldfinger’, and most of recognise the person from on Oasis’ ‘Some Might Say’ sleeve. But it’s taken Brian Cannon, designer of a host of Oasis sleeves to reveal that they are in fact the same person. As he revealed during the ‘What’s The Story Morning Glory’ listening party, the woman is Karla Knox, the barmaid in his local pub in Wigan. Even Bonehead had no idea until now. These things are all about learning.
The girl on the cover of @ashofficial Goldfinger is also on the cover of #Oasis Some Might Say – holding the umbrella! @Tim_Burgess #timstwitterlisteningparty pic.twitter.com/PhnPUtzlhN
— Brian Cannon / Microdot (@MicrodotCreativ) April 15, 2020
Karla Knox, she was the barmaid in my local in Wigan – The Royal Oak.
— Brian Cannon / Microdot (@MicrodotCreativ) April 15, 2020
Blur’s ‘Parklife’ begins with Dave Rowntree smashing a plate after eating his dinner
It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, but the plate that smashes in the intro to Blur‘s most famous song just adds to the magic of the Phil Daniels-led masterpiece. As drummer Dave Rowntree revealed in the album’s listening party, the sound in question “is me sitting in the studio smashing the plate I’d just eaten my dinner on. I did it in one take. I’m a professional.” You’ll never be able to un-hear it now.
PARK LIFE
The smashing sound at the beginning of the track is me sitting in the studio smashing the plate I’d just eaten my dinner on. I did it in one take. I’m a professional. #timstwitterlisteningparty— David Rowntree (@DaveRowntree) March 25, 2020
Coca Cola weren’t too happy with Oasis’ ‘Shakermaker’
In his first listening party, for Oasis debut ‘Definitely Maybe’, Bonehead revealed that ‘Shakermaker’ was bizarrely linked to Coca Cola in more than one instance.
Revealing that the melody of the song was “stolen from the Coca Cola advert,” he then said that the lyrics were set to read “I’d like to buy the world a coke to keep it company” before Coca Cola’s lawyers got in touch.
Shaker maker, 12 bar blues innit. Melody stolen from the Coca Cola advert. I’ve still got the clock from the back cover of the single designed by @MicrodotCreativ
— Paul Arthurs. (@BoneheadsPage) March 27, 2020
This was our 2nd single off the album, charted at number 11. originally had the words I’d like to buy the world a coke to keep it company, but we had to take them off or else, said Coca Cola. Whatever
— Paul Arthurs. (@BoneheadsPage) March 27, 2020
The cover of The Flaming Lips’ ‘Soft Bulletin’ was lifted from a book on LSD
The listening parties have delivered host of never-seen-before images. Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne revealed during his party for ‘The Soft Bulletin’ that he “stumbled upon the cover image” for the album in a magazine that focused on drug use, sharing the original book and photo in a separate tweet. He went on to say that, to him, “the image never really evoked LSD” and he found it more “introspective” (whatever that means!).
I had stumbled upon the cover image ( of the Soft Bulletin ) in a LIFE magazine book series .. it was in a section of the hardcover book that was talking about drugs and ( for that photo) they were talking about LSD..
— Wayne Coyne (@waynecoyne) April 8, 2020
Here’s the book and the pic … #timstwitterlisteningparties pic.twitter.com/wBDaZzSSGf
— Wayne Coyne (@waynecoyne) April 8, 2020
I had seen it probably in the early 90’s.. found the book at a thrift store here in Oklahoma City.. but.. to me.. the image never really evoked LSD.. it was more “introspective”…maybe LSD in meant to be introspective.. ha.. #timstwitterlisteningparty
— Wayne Coyne (@waynecoyne) April 8, 2020
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