The Joy of More Hogwash is the second release in 12 months from former Sparks, Jet & Radio Stars composer/bassist Martin Gordon. The first (The Baboon in the Basement) marked his return to the pop melee after a long period spent working for other musicians (Kylie Minogue, George Michael, Boy George, Blur, Primal Scream, Robert Palmer, Sezen Aksu, Rolling Stones... the list is interminable). Baboon was declared 'the release of the year', 'an absolute triumph', and its creator a 'pop genius' and 'one of the top ten producers in the world'. With The Joy of More Hogwash, and using the same line-up as Baboon, Martin Gordon continues to peruse the pop-cultural world (and the other, bigger one) and all it's foibles.

The Joy of More Hogwash is pop music for grown-up people, This isn't, in Gordon's view, a contradiction in terms, even though pop currently seems to cater exclusively for pre-teens with reading disorders. But anyway….

Scientists say that carbon is the building block of the universe but, as Frank Zappa pointed out, it's probably stupidity, as there's much more of it about. Gordon delves gleefully into this bottomless topic on The Joy of More Hogwash with 12 new compositions. The 'smart-pop meister' (Tangents magazine) deals with such issues as misogyny, idiots, Nigerian banking fraud, falling in love with aliens, falling in love with sheep, more idiots, science versus art, being beaten with twigs, casting TV shows and other contemporary detritus. There's also a Beatles song and possibly the ultimate version of 'Love Power' from the Mel Brooks film The Producers, karmically recorded in the very studio in Berlin from which Nazi propagandist Josef Goebbels made his nasty little broadcasts.

Gordon did not appear with his former band Sparks for their performance of Kimono My House at the Royal Festival Hall (Meltdown, June 2004) due to a long-standing appointment with his hairdresser on that very evening. Good grooming is of critical importance in these tawdry times.

TRACK LIST

1. Oh No What Shall We Do (Daddy Lost His Head In A Coup):

About the Nigerian internet banking scam and Gordon's lengthy correspondence with the ex-wife of the deposed President of Urundi (or was it Baranda? Neither party seemed really sure…). Anyway, he didn't get the money.

2. Plug 'n' Play:

About the difficulties (for some) of coming to terms with modern technology - if she won't plug, then he won't play. Fair enough, really…

3. Fuss Me:

Perhaps 'rummage through my underwear' is not quite the pre-teen slogan that it first appears to be… Clearly a fuss was completely out of the question...

4. Land of Nod:

About the wonderful world in which we live, where everything is perfect all of the time. Oh no, that must be ANOTHER world….

5. Love Power:

The song with which Lorenzo St Dubois (Dick Shawn, to you and I) wins the lead role in Mel Brooks' cod musical Springtime For Hitler in his film The Producers.

6. She Still Thinks (That We're in Love):

Well, some people are just SO gullible, aren't they? Any means to an end…

7. The Joy of More Hogwash:

Every record should have a title track. And this one is no exception. Let's face it, there's so much hogwash around that a little more won't make much of a difference.

8. Everybody Is Very Nice:

Dreadful dinner parties with meaningless blah-blah-blah are another of Gordon's current preoccupations; darling, is that a cat on your head?

9. Every Little Thing:

The mop-top favourite, from Lennon & McCartney's chauvinist period.

10. Cheap Trick:

An homage to one of Gordon's favourite bands (namely the group Sheep Trick,, formed spontaneously by a group of young Welsh farmers after an especially lonely weekend tending their flocks in the damp countryside).

11. Round and Round We Go:

About getting the blokes in white coats to keep their fingers out of art…As for C P Snow - thanks but no thanks.

12. It's Elementary:

Justifying the not-unreasonable strategy of writing one's girlfriend off as a deductible tax expense.

13. Her Daddy Was A Dalek (Her Mummy Was A Non-Stick Frying Pan):

About the perils of becoming romantically involved with aliens; "I met a girl from Sirius B who was seriously in love with me". Some people have all the luck.

14. Stop The World (I Want To Get Off):

A thinly-disguised rant about…well, everything that Gordon currently objects to (it's quite a long list); unemployed actors on telly selling diets that help you lose weight while you sleep, to name but one example.

WHO ARE THEY AND FOR WHY THEY DO THIS?

PELLE ALMGREN sings a bit

Hogwashed!

So it’s been a year since the last time, darlings. And what a year, the year of the Baboon! There've been sooo many fantastic scribblings praising the "pop-tastic" songs of Martin Gordon, the "witty and intelligent" lyrics of Martin Gordon, the "adventurous and timeless" production of Martin Gordon, the "very musical arrangements" of Martin Gordon, the "fluid" bloody bass playing of Martin bloody Gordon.

And moi? "Despite the vocalist sounding as if he has sustained a serious injury to at least one of his testicles, I like it a lot." Pah! Now THERE'S a load of old hogwash, if you ask me. You try it, Sir.

For the recording of Hogwash I asked for drugs - I got caffeine tablets. I asked for cold, crisp champagne - I got cider from the Ruhr district. I asked to see more of Berlin than the airport and the studio - I was handed a map to the supermarket and a grocery list. I begged for mercy and not having to sing more than three lead vocals plus 24 harmonies a day - I had to sing two leads plus 48 harmonies a day. I thought it would be nice to finally meet Chris Townson - he didn't think so.

So there you go. The Joy of More Hogwash? Duh! I did this for my fans only and I want to thank both of them for supporting me through this ordeal. See you next time!

Pelle Almgren May 2004

CHRIS TOWNSON hits a drum or two

I fell into the music business accidentally, after living artfully on the streets of London for a year on leaving boarding school and public care in 1965. Started 'playing' drums in a local band only after being told they already had a guitarist. The band evolved into the now legendary proto-punk, musically challenged but stunningly attractive John's Children. Many of my musical influences were generated at this time by fellow Track recording artists the Who and Jimi Hendrix, and in particular Ginger Baker of Cream, who would offer advice and support in the acquisition of drums and cymbals, (and how to hit them) on shopping forays in Shaftesbury Avenue. He would also supply me with backstage passes to Cream's London gigs, to see how it was done! Amidst the dying embers of Johns Children, I realised a dream and played a short tour with the Who in place of the injured Moon. As if this were not enough, I was also privileged to sit in with Hendrix for the occasional jam session at the notorious Speakeasy Club in London.

After a time of introspection in a college circuit blues band, I emerged in 1972 in the so-called 'Glam Stomp' Jook. Together with Trevor White, Ian Hampton and Ralf Kimmett, I spent the next few years desperately seeking a hit record and being managerially bounced between RCA and Mickie Most's RAK in the attempt. With the unsavoury osmosis of half of Jook to Sparks in 1974, I met up with Martin Gordon, fellow ex-'Johns Child' Andy Ellison, Davey O List and other sundry musicians at a loose end and Jet left the production line. Wonderfully enjoyable outside the studio and a personal nightmare within it, Jet proved to be the band that convinced me that perhaps my talents and future success lay outside the music industry. Despite contributing to the embryonic Radio Stars and occasional session work, I tore up my union card (well..more or less) and left the business.

In the spring of 1992, I was dragged kicking and screaming to play a Johns Children Reunion gig in Germany. This 'one-off' spawned such interest that the therapeutic thrashing of drum kits now happens on a regular basis. This extends to material from Radio Stars, Jet and to a lesser degree Jook and Sparks. More recently still it extended to Martin and his Baboon, a thoroughly enjoyable experience which laid to rest some of the ghosts of the 'Jet' album. Despite being forced to look up again during the recent Berlin recording sessions, I did manage to hit the right cymbals at the ride time, at least so far as Herr Hogmeister and Martin the engineer were concerned, and everything turned out very nicely again.

Now a social worker, I have 'squared the circle' and am the manager of a residential project supporting young people making the difficult transition from public care to independence. I will not be giving up the day job!

ANDY REIMER strums a spot of guitar

Self-taught on guitar, beginning in the jazz world; taught guitar at the Munich School of Guitars, played in various bands including that of Zappa keyboardist Andre Lewis and the Egyptian orchestra run by Nasser Kilada. Albums include two with Ramesh Weeratunga and one co-written with Natural. Can regularly be seen breathing new life into terrible old Seventies tunes with Disco Inferno in seedier Berlin bars. Currently still writing music for his first short film.

PRESS QUOTES

This is what the media about his first solo CD, THE BABOON IN THE BASEMENT, released in 2003:

"The Baboon In The Basement" is Gordon's first solo album and, quite frankly, may be the best thing I've heard so far this year. It's his huge talent as writer, arranger, producer, bassist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and programmer which provide the slab on which "The Baboon In The Basement" is built. At the end of the day, there's a lot to be said for a guy like Martin Gordon and his vision of a world filled with spirited campfire songs which mix pop goo with glam swirl (shaken, not stirred), not the least of which may include the word 'genius'." Clarke F Paull / THE I-94 BAR

"Hands-down the most entertaining album I've heard yet this year... an absolutely brilliant melange of pop and glam-rock songs, with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, arrangements to rival Rundgren or 10cc, and a band of top-notch players. Almost everything is immediately accessible, and improves dramatically with repeated spins. Highly recommended." Kent Benjamin / POP CULTURE PRESS

"All that Important Stuff is good and all, but sometimes you need some junk food, and this is like junk food except it's probably twice as smart as any other record coming out this year. So listen to it and love it and smile and play some air guitar while you're at it. Because this really is one of the best albums of the year." Matt Cibula / POP MATTERS

"Baboon In The Basement is as good as anything he's ever done - crackling pop cast firmly in what long-term listeners will instantly recognize as the classic Gordon mould. Big, brash and boisterous, it’s emboldened with enough hooks to arm an entire fleet of fishing vessels - his characteristically wry wired lyrics are nailed to more sparkling melodies than one album has a right to, awash with crunchy choruses and pointed hooks. It's an absolute triumph." Dave Thompson / GOLDMINE

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Bassist/songwriter/record producer/Berlin-resident MARTIN GORDON recently played bass with Turkish icon SEZEN AKSU on her European tour, after co-producing her latest CD in her Istanbul home, and was bassist on the occasional outings of proto-punks JOHN'S CHILDREN in their reformed 90s version. Those with still-functioning short term memory may recall his earlier work with KYLIE MINOGUE, GEORGE MICHAEL, BOY GEORGE, BLUR and PRIMAL SCREAM and his session work with the ROLLING STONES. Those with longer memories who have eaten enough carrots may recall his even earlier band RADIO STARS; those with even longer memories (consumption of beetroot) might have distant recollections of his band JET. And those whose memories stretch right back to the beginning of time (total abstinence and 14 hours of sleep per night) may dimly be aware that he was a founder member of SPARKS.

EXPANDED BIOGRAPHY

Martin Gordon began his career with eccentric Californian pop band Sparks, after they ditched their fellow countrymen and moved to London to acquire some musical muscle and a little Englishness. Their treacherous move paid off handsomely with the monster success of the album 'Kimono My House' and singles 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us' and 'Amateur Hour'. Martin played bass, provided most of the arrangements and was dismissed shortly thereafter for obstreperousness. No matter - he picked himself up, dusted himself off and, forming the band Jet, 'climbed aboard the sparkly bandwagon of glam-rock just before the wheels fell off and deposited the occupants in the cosmic ditch'. Less doctrinaire observers today describe Jet as the seminal oompah-glam supergroup; Jet's sole LP is today available on CD and has been hoisted into the musical firmament as 'a near-perfect slice of fun (All Music Guide).

Following a disagreement with the record company of the time (over Martin's proposal to record all the songs on the second LP as a single continuous piece of music, admittedly not the most sensible idea), Jet were shown the door. Pausing at the threshold for the briefest of moments to change their name to Radio Stars, they found a home at Chiswick Records and instant acclaim along with it.

Two years of intense touring, two albums and a few hits took their inevitable toll, various parties fell out and Radio Stars did not survive the departure of their songwriter and producer. Embarking for Paris, he worked as house producer with Barclay Records, and sat in with the Rolling Stones on a few occasions when their bassist was otherwise engaged.

Upon his return to the UK, he hit upon the considerably more lucrative concept of working for other people. Among those who used Martin's services as keyboard player, programmer, producer, co-writer, arranger and washer-up are Kylie Minogue, George Michael, Boy George, Blur, Primal Scream, Robert Palmer, S'Express, Kim Appleby, East 17. Vanessa-Mae... the list is interminable. In the early Nineties, Martin was invited to Bombay to work with Boy George, a plate of blancmange and assorted queens on a project recorded in the music studios of Bollywood, and found himself working with such stellar figures as Asha Bhosle and Sultan Khan. Bombay opened his eyes and ears to a wider musical world, and he and his career took a turn towards 'world music'.

Since that time, he has worked with a dazzling array of talented musicians from around the globe (not least his own world/pop project Mira). He is also a sought-after producer, including the marvellous Tiger Lillies (Bad Blood & Blasphemy) in his production discography. Another high point was a stint with Turkey's iconic Sezen Aksu, with whom he recorded the 'Sarki Soylemek Lazim' CD in Istanbul in 2002; he later played bass on her European tour in 2003. The tour brought back memories of the delights of the pop circus and he resolved to throw his hat back in the ring. He provided bass for the 90s revival of semi-legendary proto-punks John's Children, until they recently embarked upon the inevitable, slow walk back to the pavilion. His first solo CD The Baboon in the Basement was released to wide acclaim in 2003.