This is Irregular Records' current catalogue, distributed by Proper Music Distribution. Many items are available from www.nightcafe.co.uk, and many of Robb Johnson's CDs are also available from www.ethicalwares.com.
IRR025: THE NIGHT CAFÉ - ROBB
JOHNSON
13 songs, solo voice &
acoustic guitar, from the long dark night-café of the soul…
(1995)
IRR026: HELL’S KITCHEN - ROBB
JOHNSON ROOTS BAND
13 songs aided & abetted by
Steafan Hannigan, Maggie Holland, Fiona Larcombe, Terry Mann & Rory
McLeod, & produced by Steafan Hannigan. (1996)
IRR027: OVERNIGHT - ROBB JOHNSON
14 songs, solo voice &
acoustic guitar, a re-recording of most of the songs from the original
‘91 “Overnight” album recorded with Pip Collings, (Irr 011-not so
much deleted as run out of, & long overdue for reissue) but with
additional songs – unreleased, unrecorded or from demos cassettes-
also included. (1996)
IRR029: INVISIBLE PEOPLE - ROBB
JOHNSON
13 songs, some solo & some
seriously noisy, with longtime electric RJB rhythm section Huggy
Harewood & Paul Mullineux plus rootsbanders Larcombe & Mann.
(1997)
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IRR032: YEAH YEAH
YEAH - THE ROBB JOHNSON BAND
17 songs recorded between 91
& 98, chronicling the “commercially suicidal” life ’n’ times
of the electric band, including
“The Bells Of Freedom” & “We Hate The Tories”. (1998)
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IRR033:
NE ME QUITTE PAS / BREL SONGS BY… [deleted]
18 new recordings of Jacques
Brel songs by a diverse spectrum of artistes, from sixties legends to
ex-punks, from folk stalwarts to modernist chansonniers, & then
some, all showing that 20 years after his death, Brel’s songs are as
magnificent as ever. (1998)
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IRR035:
GETTING THERE
-
MAGGIE HOLLAND
14
songs, including original songs by Maggie (including “A Place Called
England” which June Tabor
is already performing), as well as songs by Bruce Cockburn, Bob Dylan,
Dick Gaughan, Robb Johnson, Ralph McTell & Al Stewart. Guest
musicians on the album include violinist Fiona Larcombe,
multi-instrumentalist Terry Mann, &
Oysterband guitarist Alan Prosser. (1999)
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IRR036:
THE BIG WHEEL
-
ROBB JOHNSON
14
songs, acoustic guitar-based, about everything from Cirio’s in
Brussels to Paradise Street in Liverpool, from Hillsborough to the
mother of god rehoused in Hounslow, from songs for a new baby to songs
for the barricades, including the anthemic “Be Reasonable”,
&“Au Depart”, covered by Barb Jungr on her album BARE,. All
enhanced by excellent contributions from Philip Hoessen (accordion),
Leon Rosselson (2nd guitar), Miranda Sykes (double bass)
& Saskia Tomkins (violin & cello). (1999)
IRR038: WATER OF EUROPE - DES DE
MOOR
15
songs covering an impressively wide field, from political cabaret to
art-songs. Along the way are the live favourite waltz-time 'Avocado',
chilling rock ballad 'Joey's Dreams' and 'Last Orders Please', a
cheerful salsa piece about death, and songs by Brel ('My Father Said',
an original translation & a
beautiful arrangement featuring musical saw),
Brecht/Eisler ('To those born after' in Des's own translation)
& maverick Chicago folk-soul singer Terry Callier ('Ordinary Joe').
(1999)
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IRR039:
BARE - BARB JUNGR
12 songs, ranging from Brel
& Piaf to Drury & Ray Davies, & including some fine original
material too. A devastatingly beautiful performance by Barb &
pianist Russell Churney. Utterly essential. (1999)
IRRO40: SKIN DEEP
-
BOKA HALAT
6
tracks - 2 master drummers from West Africa are joined by UK resident
players from Indian, Caribbean and English traditions in this mix of
ancient musics. English traditional dance tunes combine with World music
beats & jazzy improvisations in an acoustic, percussion-driven,
highly listenable and danceable fusion. Vocals are provided by English,
Gambian and Indian voices. (1999)
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IRR041: YOU’RE ALL WEIRD
-
THE
ASTRONAUTS
14
tracks, plus, from cult band ”The Astronauts”, creative vehicle for
songwriter Mark
Wilkins, who continue to defy simple-minded categorizations,
plundering & merging folk, punk, techno, rap & rock at will,
soundtracking Mark’s eloquent, inventive & witty lyrics,
& intense, dramatic vocals. (1999)
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IRR042: MARGARET THATCHER: MY PART IN
HER DOWNFALL -
ROBB
JOHNSON
A
new recording of 20 of Johnson’s older songs, including “The Herald
Of Free Enterprise”, “Rosa’s Lovely Daughters”, “Captain
Swing”, “Boxing Day”, & the agit-prop kiddies singalong “The
Animals Song” (the original single was nearly an NME Single Of The
Week!) for which he first became well-known, or notorious, depending on
your political point of view. (2000)
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IRR043:
21st
CENTURY BLUES
-
ROBB JOHNSON WITH MIRANDA SYKES & SASKIA TOMKINS
15
tracks by “one of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary songwriters,
working with two of Britain’s finest acoustic musicians”. The 14
original songs deal with a diverse range of subjects, from the death of
a biker friend, to the general state of the planet, taking in murder,
old age, childhood, anarchists, & the Balkan wars along the way,
plus a rare cover version,
Johnson’s translation of “Voir Un Ami Pleurer” from the last
recordings of Jacques Brel. (2001)
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IRR044:
ARTICLE 14 - VARIOUS ARTISTS [deleted]
18 tracks, many exclusive to this CD, by a cheerfully diverse range of musicians currently living & working on this island. Money from the sale of the album goes to The Medical Foundation For The Care Of Victims Of Torture in support of the work they do on behalf of Asylum Seekers. Brilliant music & 2 fingers to the Daily Express.
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IRR045: THE TRIUMPH OF HOPE OVER EXPERIENCE - ROBB JOHNSON
The
album features songs set in Soho, Broadstairs, Brighton
(“London-On-Sea”), Paris, Brentford Football ground, & songs
dealing with weddings, paternity, General Pinochet & the delights
of supporting Chumbawamba
in Whitehaven. With
contributions from cabaret diva Barb Jungr, pianist Russell Churney, Quimantu’s
Mauricio Venegas, drummer Paul Mullineux, & with RJ3
members Miranda Sykes on bass & vocals & Saskia Tomkins on
violin it is also one of the most ambitious & exciting albums
musically that Robb has recorded.
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IRR046:
NINE TIMES TWO - VARIOUS ARTISTS
[deleted]
A collection of contemporary English chanson performed by Harvey Andrews, Pete Atkin, Alan Clayson, Philip Jeays, Robb Johnson, Barb Jungr, Des de Moor, Leon Rosselson and Kath Tait.
IRR047: MAXIMUM RESPECT - ROBB JOHNSON
IRR048: CLOCKWORK MUSIC - ROBB JOHNSON
Robb Johnson’s most recent album, recorded with the fabulous RJ3 musicians, Miranda Sykes on double bass & Saskia Tomkins on violin, viola & cello. Although the album consists of songs written by Robb whilst touring in Germany over the last 3 years , the songs themselves deal with the usual diverse range of subjects & emotions associated with Johnson’s writing, but they’re also characterised with the developing complexity & maturity of style to be found in his recent English Chanson work.
IRR049: SCARLET STORIES - CAROLINE NIN [deleted]
Caroline Nin’s electric performance
of kabaret & chanson classics recorded live at the Adelaide Cabaret
Festival is a brilliant, dark, seductive collection of the very best
songs associated with the cabaret tradition. The album includes a
venomous version of Brecht’s “Pirate Jenny”, a bravura version of
“Mein Herr” & a powerful interpretation of Brel’s “Amsterdam”, & an
original song by Marc Almond specially written for Caroline,
“The One & Only You”.
IRR050: CIRCLE OF LIGHT - MAGGIE HOLLAND
The fifth solo album from Maggie, with her usual appreciation of a good
song, whether trad, self-written, American, English or whatever. This is
a far cry from the current crop of wimpy, “sensitive”
singer-songwriters.
Simple arrangements allow the words to take centre stage, a hallmark of
Maggie’s performance, and themes of time, loss and that old English
radical tradition recur throughout the album.
Maggie’s multi-tracked vocals (and hasn’t her Hampshire accent become stronger during her years of residence in Scotland ?) accompanied by picked guitar, delicately frailed banjo and acoustic bass are beautifully accented by the contributions of Malcolm Ross (slide guitar and lap-steel, ex-Josef K, Fire Engines, Orange Juice etc, etc) and Wendy Weatherby (cello, much in demand musician and solo artist; Lester Simpson, Carol Laula, The Pearlfishers etc, etc). Anyone familiar with Maggie’s history will not need to be told that the musicianship is first class.
IRR051: DARKNESS AND DISGRACE - DES DE MOOR and RUSSELL CHURNEY
Des De Moor’s recording of his much-acclaimed musical cabaret show
“Darkness & Disgrace”, a rediscovering of the songs of David Bowie,
performed by Des with Russell Churney on piano & guest vocals from the
show’s director Barb Jungr. The show was a real delight, witty,
affectionate & intelligent, & was praised by critics, Bowie’s fanclub, and
by David Bowie himself.
IRR052: DON'T LOOK DOWN - MIRANDA SYKES
On Don’t Look Down Miranda has chosen a fine selection of
material representing the best of the ongoing folk tradition.
Miranda’s performance is augmented by tasteful contributions
from producer John Harris, & Imogen O’Rourke, Richard
Garbett & Olly Knight. However this is a very assured
debut album that showcases Miranda’s beautiful voice &
musicianship. It acknowledges her Lincolnshire roots &
her family tradition of involvement in folk music, but it
also reflects her position as a young artiste with a growing
national reputation.
IRR053: ON THE BOULEVARD DES HOMMES - MONIQUE
Monique has chosen 12 songs, sung in French & English, written by men that explore the ideas of masculinity, using classic French & contemporary chanson, & with elements of jazz & world music. There are songs by Aznavour, Gainsbourg, Trenet & Nougaro, plus "Comme D'Habitude", the French chanson that provided the melody for "My Way", two songs from Corsica, as well as two original songs, "African Sun", a noirish tale of deceit & betrayal, & the title track, specially written for the album by contemporary English chansonnier, Robb Johnson.
IRR054: TONY BLAIR: MY PART IN HIS DOWNFALL - ROBB JOHNSON
This is a double album & contains 29 songs, written since 1997 in response to the Blair regime, & all its attendant farces & farragoes, presenting a dissenting view of cool Britannia, the Jubilee, & more wars than any other Prime Minister has presided over.
There's 1 CD of 18 acoustic tracks, & 1 CD of 11 electric tracks. They range in tone from angry to humorous, & deal with subjects as diverse as the death of Princess Di, the changes to the Licensing Laws, September 11th, the war against Iraq & the "state visit" of Dubya. There's a new version of the National Anthem, & a guest appearance from Leon Rosselson, on the song co-written about decommissioning Trident.
IRR055: ORDINARY HEROES - GEORGE PAPAVGERIS
The first album for Irregular by UNLaBELLED founding member George Papavgeris is a marvellous collection of songs that shows just why Roy Bailey, Johnny Collins, Vin Garbutt, Andy Irvine, to name but a few, & anybody who can more or less carry a tune in a bucket on the home counties folk scene is singing a George Papavgeris song these days.
IRR056: FAST LANE ROOGALATOR - FAST LANE ROOGALATOR
An album of seriously fine songs by the late, great John B Spencer, recorded by a seriously fine rootsy rock band fronted by his sons Tom & Syd Spencer. Featuring contributions from top musos Bobby Valentino on violin, Jamie Matthews on harmonica & Graeme Taylor on various guitars, this is indeed a quality CD.
IRR058: MIRANDA SYKES BAND
The MSB album follows on the success of her highly acclaimed solo album "Don't Look Down", released last year on Irregular. This time, she has assembled a stellar group of musicians to provide the setting for her immaculate vocal talents.
CG59: CAROL GRIMES - MOTHER
This is an extraordinary album, beautifully arranged & performed, that defies genres & categories, effortlessly employing a diversity of musical elements - jazz, folk-blues, English chanson - to accompany Carol’s perfect interpretations of songs by Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Sandy Denny, John Lennon, Randy Newman, Fran Landesman, Shane McGowan, Ron Sexsmith, Joni Mitchell. The album also includes two new songs jointly written by Carol & album producer Ian Shaw.