White Label - Stolen Voices

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Customer reviews
Press release

1...according to our Dave on Thu 21 Jul, 2011.

This is a curious one. It's an album of elaborate bootleg remixes of rare and unreleased tracks and long lost demos, by artists that I don't think I can name. One of the tracks is by some guy that was in a very popular band from Liverpool. Another track is by some guy that used to hang out with Arachnids from the Red Planet. Another track is by that woman from that soul band that were very popular in the late '60s/'70s. The list, and the beat inevitably goes on. The only elements used in the finished tracks are the original lead vocals and the original backing vocals..with occasional spatterings of piano and guitar. I'm not too sure of this record. It reminds me of a more arty Jive Bunny, one that beard scratchers everywhere can play guess the artist/title, while weeping tears of joy into their copies of WIRE. It's probably a really good idea but I'm not feeling it Reg. It's like those toys that you can get in the Far East that have names like Robert Cop (Robocop) and Superguy (Superman). Its anonymity has really fucked me off. Its slickness and high end production have made me put this one in the Fatboy Slim section and I am willing to leave it there. It's an excuse for someone to make money from artists living or dead...I'm not a fan but I reckon someone will be...comes with a black and white shot of Alfred Hitchcock's cock...

White Label’s “Stolen Voices” is a “bootleg remix” album featuring rare or unreleased tracks and long-lost demos. The only elements used in the final arrangements are the original lead and backing vocals, plus stray bits of guitar or whatever. Jean 1 is a Northern Soul reworking of 5.30 Plane by The Supremes, sung by Jean Terrell and taken from the 1972 LP The Supremes Produced And Arranged By Jimmy Webb. The version here was lifted from a scratchy seven-inch recorded onto a hissy C60. Todd features Todd Rundgren performing The Ballad (Denny And Jean). The vocal was taken from a live version of the song recorded at the Fox Theater, California, in 1971. During this version, Rundgren forgets part of the lyric. John 1 is from the 1968 Esher Beatles demos for The White Album and was originally titled Child Of Nature. Jimmy is Sycamore Trees as sung by Jimmy Scott in the final episode of Twin Peaks in 1991. Billy is a lost demo by the Associates singer Billy MacKenzie, remixed here with inspiration from the Memphis sessions of Dusty Springfield and Elvis Presley. White Label recovered the vocal from the original digital tapes. Jean 2 is a song called Don’t Say Goodbye, sung by Jean King on a Harry Nilsson publishing promo disc in 1967. Billie is a rare version of Prelude To A Kiss by Billie Holiday. David is Tired Of My Life, a 1971 David Bowie acoustic, reel-to-reel home demo of a song that didn't make it onto Hunky Dory, here restored to what we think it might have sounded like. John 2 is a cut-up of a live performance of Small Hours by John Martyn at Reading University in 1978. Dennis is Carry Me Home, an unreleased track by Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson that failed to make the cut for Holland in 1973. www.whitelabelstolenvoices.com. Tracks: Jean 1, Todd, John 1, Jimmy, Billy, Jean 2, Billie, David, John 2, Dennis.

rockinsouler said:

Not ground breaking but rather a fair mixture for crazy paving on your suburban drive just to let the locals know that your one of them on the outside but harbour your imperfective snobbery behind closed doors.Better off rummaging at car bootsales with your gucci wellies and your 4x4s.

So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!