Alex Chilton meets Joe Meek

Thanks to Lindsay Hutton for directing me to this (also check his June 11th post for a report of the Chilton tribute show in Glasgow). In the late 90s Alex spent some time in Glasgow hanging out and cutting tunes with Francis MacDonald of Shoeshine Records, Teenage Fanclub, and numerous other projects. This recording comes from that period.



There are two Joe Meek covers here; 'Telstar' and 'Have I The Right', UK Number Ones for The Tornados and The Honeycombs respectively. For me this completes a interesting little circle. In 2008 with Big Star at Shepherds Bush Empire Alex talked about his respect for 20th Century British composers; he'd just played 'Till The End Of The Day' so we were expecting to hear about Ray Davies and Pete Townshend. But no, he meant Gerard Finzi, Frank Bridge and Percy Grainger, and then he got the band to play a bit of Elgar which he'd rehearsed up with them that day. From Enigma Variations, in a style very reminiscent of Joe Meek; got me thinking Chris And The Students -'Sweet Lass Of Richmond Hill'.