Asia Major

Friend of The Wolfmen Daler Mehndi, has been bigging up the band in his blog Bollywood Bhangra King Daler Mehndi .

We may not be familiar with Daler's name or work here in the west, but in his home territory, Daler is a larger-than-life legend. A giant icon of popular music with multi-platinum album sales and a string of music awards to his name. Imagine an Elvis Presley/ Michael Jackson hybrid given a Bollywood a go-go make over and you're close to the towering scale of his stature and following.

Internationally Daler’s Hindi-Pop compositions draw a dedicated global audience, and have him regularly touring across the continents including Canada, the US and UK. Self composition, mixing and matching musical and cultural references are facets of Daler’s unique style, but his snappy fashion and eye catching oufits have also earned him Elle magazine’s "Most Stylish Person in Music" trophy

A dazzling example of Daler’s boundary-breaking, chart-topping, cross-pollinated pop is Two Eyes, a storming power house of Indie-Punk meets Hindi-Pop and a Mehndi-meets-The-Wolfmen collaboration,which, spent Four weeks at number one on the BBC Asian Network Chart. But don't just take our word for how hot Two Eyes is...

BBC Radio 1's Bobby Friction: “The greatest crossover song ever to have come out of India.”

Music Week: “The most infectious Asian crossover single since Punjabi MC’s Beware
of the Boys.”

Big Cheese: “The shape of punk to come?”

The Guardian: "Things this single could soundtrack: Delhi street gangs squaring up
and backflipping across futuristic rooftops in cyberpunk parkour; camel-riding
insurgents outrunning fighter jets, missiles and Airwolf in a desertscape; 1977 punk
rockers bogling, breakdancing and krumping in Bollywood; afterburners igniting.
Daler Mehndi is one of India's biggest musicians, the Wolfmen were once Adam's Ants,
and this fierce bhangra-rock crossover rules. Fire up!"

If you haven’t heard it yet – taste test below. But be warned it is fast, furious and fiery.

You can catch Daler's thoughts on working with The Wolfmen here - see a gallery of the get-together here

And check out the official Daler Mehndi website

Jackie and Jonesy

Have you heard the news? Steve 'Sex Pistol' Jones has a limited edition show on BBC 6 Music. 'A Month of Sundays with Steve Jones', which, airs between 3:30 - 5:30 on Sundays.

And guess who's made this week's show? The Wolfmen of course! Yes, Jonesy has playlisted Jackie, Is It My Birthday for a spin this coming sunday.

Whatever you're doing this weekend tune in here and tell your friends..

And if you're any sort of a Pistols fan you must see this...

Play In A Day The Steve Jones Way

The Wolfmen's Halloween Jukebox...

And the final Fright Night favourite from The Wolfmen's Jukebox is put in place as Chris Constantinou fires up Shotgun Elvis..and Graveyard

The Wolfmen's Halloween Jukebox...

Next to step out of the shadows is Wolf-drummer Daniel Strittmatter who brings us Es geht eine Träne auf Reisen . The title translates as A Tear Goes Travelling in English, although Daniel advises it's probably best not translate the rest of the song's lyrics..Why? Let's ask Daniel..

It is a great song but lyrics are nothing for faint English politically correct baffoons. It is about how the love of a man for a young boy ended in him being killed by a priest on Halloween night - the priest then took the boy himself.

Es geht eine Träne auf Reisen-Adamo

The Wolfmen's Halloween Jukebox...

So as the shadow of Halloween draws closer, The Wolfmen have picked a few fright-night favourites from their very own jukebox just for you..


First up punching the buttons is percussionist Preston Heyman, going straight for the jugular with a crypt-kicking classic The Monster Mash..

So You Wanna Hear Some New Tunes?

Friends of The Wolfmen The Dandy Warhols have embeded the Courtney Taylor-Taylor mix of a minty new Wolf-tune Wham Bam JFK on the DW website. 'The record is fantastic' - is the official verdict from Courtney himself - but click on the link to hear this galloping piece of pop-rock 'n' roll for yourself

WAM BAM JFK - Courtney Taylor-Taylor mix

And if you haven't grabbed a listen of Cat Green Eyes yet - set to be the second single, preceeding Married To The Eiffel Tower's release - check out the recent podcast Podrophenia from Piley and Mondo - where Chris makes an appearance at 29:45 introducing 'Cat'

Podrophenia - Rock 'n' Roll Animals

Jackie Is It My Birthday - Released On Vinyl And CD Today!

Possibly, in recent weeks, you've heard Jackie, Is It My Birthday? during repeat plays on a cross-section of BBC Radio formats : regional shows, 6 Music or perhaps Radio 2 - where last Saturday Dermot O Leary (also of Big Brother and X Factor fame) give Jackie a good plugging, describing the combined line up Chris Constantinou, Sinead O'Connor, Marco Pirroni and Courtney Taylor-Taylor as "a dream team" and "the Harlem Globe Trotters of the music scene"..

Now, from today Jackie is yours to have and to hold as the single is released on hard-copy formats - vinyl and CD, both are available from Cargo Records..

Jackie, Is It My Birthday? - CD single

Jackie, Is It My Birthday? - 7" single

Or a digital download is available via iTunes..

And while your clicking around and about on the net, and if you're a Facebooker - why not come on over and join the The Wolfmen's offical Facebook page simpy click on the Wolf-widget at the top right of this page..

Plectrum Analyzer

There's a triple-whammy of Wolfmen goodies grabbable over at our favourite new webzine (and bi-monthly magazine) Plectrum - The Cultural Pick

Plectrum is both a website and hard-copy magazine keeping a contemporary eye on all areas of the arts - fashion, film, music, books and performance. A kaleidoscopic mix where Beatle Boots and Biba, Nigel Weymouth and The Wolfmen appear on the pop-culture playlist. So what was Plectrum's take on Jackie ?

'Surreal, transcendent, glamorous pop'

Is just one line from possibly the review of the year. It's a must-read and is viewable right here.

And, as a Bocca bonus, check out Plectrum's Guy Sangster Adams in-depth interview with Wolf-meisters Marco and Chris. A pitch perfect contextulisation, threading together and time-lining Ants history, Wolfmen formation and current collaborators and projects.

You can dig in here, and watch the video interview via the Plectrum Broadcast Player

I Am A DJ, I Am What I play *

Radio plays for new and vintage Wolfmen tunes continue appear on domestic and worldwide radio shows.

On the UK's most listened to station - BBC Radio 2, Jackie, Is It My Birthday? has been hand-picked by presenter Alex Lester for his inclusion in his exclusive Lester's Library collection.

While back in the USSA Little Steven's Underground Garage show have been hitting Needle in The Camel's Eye with a run of heavy rotation and officially labelling Needles one of The Coolest Songs In The World

* It's a pop quiz - which Bowie song is this line lifted from?

Wolf Wide Web

Glowing web-whispers, internet interest and reviews for Jackie, is It My Birthday? continue to reverbarate around the interweb's hottest music sites.

Ataricoolkids 'The MTV of Blogs' - pitches in with a piece here

While Altsounds.com Describes Jackie as 'a spine- tingling duet' and 'the biggest, grittiest ballad you'll hear this year' along with some comments from Courtney Taylor-Taylor on The Wolfmen's output and influence - you can check the full feature here

And have you ever wondered why the name The Wolfmen was chosen (or what the alternatives were)? How about strange venues? What would they ask themselves in an interview? All this and more is revealed over at The Devil Has The Best Tuna

Fiends Reunited

When The Wolfman met The Banshee.

Almost 33 years to the day that Siouxsie and Marco played the 100 Club Punk Festival together (September 20th 1976) debuting the earliest incarnation of Siouxsie and The Banshees - a line-up that also included Sid Vicous on drums - Siouxsie and Marco were reunited at London Fashion Week..

There's A New Sensation

It's no secret that The Wolfmen are lifelong fans of the uber-cool, endlessly influential Roxy Music - see here for Marco's Roxy related tale (he's even got a Phil Manzanera style Firebird stashed in the collection you know).

Typically Roxy rarely get the credit they deserve for their huge musical impact and influence - which stretches from proto-punks to eighties icons and Eno's work with Bowie and U2. But the balance is tipped in the correct direction with release of Take Refuge In Pleasure: The Songs of Roxy Music Revisited

Take Refuge In Pleasure collects together a catwalk quality set of cover versions from a rocking role call of acts and artists giving classic Roxy material a bespoke makeover and re-tailoring tunes to fit as slinkily as an Antony Price suit. Strutting and striding amongst the remake remodels you'll find The Wolfmen's heavy-level take of Eno's Needles In The Camel's Eye.

Brought to you by Burning Sky Records Take Refuge In Pleasure comes in two versions. The single disc release - or the 3-disc, strictly limited Deluxe & Delightful Edition!

You can get your well manicured hands on both versions here

Don Letts Digs The Wolfmen

Old punks don't die - they just get cooler. Take John Cale, the New York Dolls or Don Letts, legendary author, film-maker, musician, DJ and now resident of BBC Six Music with his own Saturday night shindig - Culture Clash Radio

Let's make this clear Don Letts has pedigree. Originally, resident DJ at the infamous hangout 'The Roxy' where he turned punky young raggamuffins onto reggae and roots rockers. The former writing partner of Mick Jones in Big Audio Dynamite - knows how to turn a tune and maintains a refined ear for what rocks, rolls and rumbles.

So what made Don's most recent Culture Clash crate-digging playlist? A previously unheard cut from The Wolfmen titled July 20, a track taken from the upcoming album Married To The Eiffel Tower.

Believe us - July 20 is a scorcher of a summer sounding rock-pop nugget. Like the Velvet Underground bootleg remixed with the Beach Boys to make a space age sci-fi surf tune.

Turn on, tune in and bliss out here - July 20 is at 23:39

Is Jackie The Ghost of Christmas Future ?

And yet another sighting/airing of the The Wolfmen and Jackie, Is It My Birthday? on BBC six music - this time on the Chris Hawkins Show - Chris touched on a subject that's been batting about at Wolfmen Central for a while now

Should 'Jackie' be released as a Christmas single?

All the codes and conventions would seem to be in place: the arpeggios chiming like church bells, Sinead's saintly vocals - the swirling snow flurry of the backwards riffing, and lyrical references to angels

For a refresher have a listen here

And then decide what do you think - would Jackie make a Christmas cracker of a single? The vote button's on the side bar - let us know by registering your vote..

Jackie's Got Six Appeal

Jackie, Is It My Birthday? has been spun up on BBC 6 music again, this time on girl-about-the-arts Lauren Laverne's Saturday show. So what does the lovely Lauren think of Jackie? She "loves it" apparently - describing Jackie as "amazing", "cracking" and also seems heavily impressed with rocking roll call featured on the single - Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Sinéad O'Connor, and of course Marco and Chris.

But don't just take our word for it - tune in here at 53.24 to experience the full feature..

You can grab Jackie, Is It My Birthday? via iTunes by clicking on the pic below...

With The Radio On

New music from The Wolfmen continues to pick up plays from all around the airwaves.

Further to the new single Jackie Is It My Birthday? being playlisted on the Bob Fisher (BBC Tees), Gary Crowly (BBC London) and Gideon Coe (BBC 6 Music) shows. The soon-to-be released second single Cat Green Eyes made an appearance during David Quantick's recent spell filling in for Liz Kershaw on (BBC 6 Music) - during an interview with Marco and Chris on BBC 6 Music..

Whereas Jackie is an almost other-worldy duet - Cat Green Eyes is a slinking, walloping wall of sound that swishes, stomps and stamps like a champ, heavy with the hooks and harmonies of top quality pop. Imagine Slade going toe-to-toe with The Supremes in whirling swirl of feedback and flutes and you're getting close. Cat Green Eyes should be scheduled for an October release (production and remixing allowing) - however speed your way to the BBC iPlayer, and a preview play is available here until this coming Saturday - You'll find the interview starting at 1 hour 37 mins.

Six & Drums & Rock & Roll

With another radio appearance on the way this weekend, the new single available for digital download and the physical edition due in September - it really is all going on in the world of The Wolfmen.

This coming Saturday (29th August) Marco and Chris will be David Quantick's guests on BBC 6 Music between 12:00 and 14:00 as he fills in for Liz Kershaw. You can listen live, or listen again via the BBC iPlayer.

If you haven't downloaded Jackie, is it My Birthday yet - the duet between Chris and Sinéad O'Connor - it's available from The Wolfmen's iTunes store (along with a previously unreleased track). And the vinyl countdown has begun, as the hard-copy - Vinyl and CD formats - ship to the shops in September..

The new album Married To The Eiffel Tower is being written and in production right now. With Steve Musters (PJ Harvey, Tom Vek) producing and post-production and remixing from Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols and Jacob Portrait (Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age ...)

Jackie, is it My Birthday? - Download Today

You've had a peep at the cover art here, and a preview of the tune here.

Now, from today, the digital edition of Jackie, is it My Birthday (featuring Sinéad O'Connor) is downloadable via the iTunes store.

Backed with a Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Jacob Portrait remix of another new tune Plastic Charm - why not get on over and grab a copy right here....

Jackie, is it My Birthday

Breaking News - The Wolfmen Live On Air Tonight

News just in: The Wolfmen are appearing live on BBC Tees Bob Fischer Show tonight for some tunes and some chat. The programme airs at 8:30 GMT. Subjects up for discussion are likely to include..

New Single Jackie Is It My Birthday - available for download here from 24th August and The Wolfmen's online Shop from September.

And who's been doing exlusive remixes for the new album due soon.

Tune in and listen live here..

BBC Tees

8:30 - Make a date

Make A Date With Jackie This Weekend

So watcha doing this weekend Wolf-Cubs? How about hoofing yourselves over to David Quantick's show on BBC 6 Music this coming Sunday?

Why - because he'll be spinning the world premiere of The Wolfmen's new single Jackie Is It My Birthday? a duet between the Wolfies and Sinéad O'Connor , mixed by Courtney Taylor-Taylor from The Dandy Warhols. How's that for a heavy-hitting line-up?

If you can't make a date for Sunday, simply catch the show again (and again and again) via BBC 'iPlayer'

In Other News..

Forthcoming attractions you can expect to see being logged in the blog include: interviews with Wolfmen producer Steve Musters. Shots from a new photo session and soon to be released album info...

Make A Date

Nmgyal Lhamo friend and collaborator of The Wolfmen has a couple of upcoming live dates to pencil in your Rock Date Diaries

You can catch Namgyal at the UK Sunrise Celebration Festival, in south Somerset - 'Sunrise' starts today and runs until the 31st May

Followed by an appearance at the Inauguration of Tibet Night at The Melkweg Amsterdam. An evening of events attended by the Dalai Lama , and taking place on the 5th June

Namgyal's album, due out at the tail end of this year, features co-writes with The Wolfmen on three tracks.. including the award nominated Paradise Lost

Wolfmen International

Just in case you may have missed them, some very postive ravings and wolf-whispers have working their way around the web..

Bobby Friction (pictured stage left above) has been keeping George Lamb's seat warm on the 6 Music breakfast Show this week, and spinning 'Thieves and Liars' (a Daler Mehndi & the Wolfmen collab').

Bobby has previous form in bigging up the Wolfies on his shows...
" The Wolfmen have got pedigree, a full-on pedigree. I’ve been playing them on Radio 1 but – you know what? – f*** pedigree, they’re an amazing band and they’re going to take you somewhere else musically..."

While the good people at American Label Burning Sky Records have been spreading the Word of The Wolf

UK superband The Wolfmen’s amazing cover of Brian Eno’s 1973 glam classic “Needles In The Camel’s Eye” is going to appear on our upcoming release Take Refuge In Pleasure: The Songs of Roxy Music Revisited as one of our “Roxy Progeny Revisited” Bonus Tracks. It is a fabulous cover of a fabulous song.

The Wolfmen have also created a stellar video to go with the song - Identifying the references you may recognize is fun in and of itself, and the whole effect is really rather staggering. You have to check it out!



And if you happen to be one of our inter-continental readers based in South America Modernity Killed Every Night is now available in your corner of the 'globo'

Spots Before Your Ears

Have you checked out the wonderful world of Spotify yet? The super-speedy online jukebox?

If you have - did you know The Wolfmen are on there?

If you haven't - what are you waiting for, get on over and get listening!

www.spotify.com

Re-make/Re-visit

If you're a Bocca browser you'll probably know by now that Roxy Music (and related artists) are regulars on The Wolfmen's personal playlists. But you may be surprised to learn that The Wolfies will be contributing to a Roxy Music covers project compiled by the good people of Burning Sky Records titled

Take Refuge In Pleasure: The Songs of Roxy Music Revisited

A release that will be available as an 'edition of two'. A fifteen track one-disc release or 3-disc Special “Deluxe & Delightful” Limited Edition box set.

What's the tracklisting and who's on the guest list you ask? Well all is revealed tonight as the running order for the one disc'er is announced, and The Wolfies tune added to the player right here at the official ...

Songs of Roxy Music Revisited - myspace page

And while you're on the buzz-about, why not check out friend of the Bocca-blog Elektra Luxx who's been whispering lovely things about The Wolfmen for some while now..

A Basketful Of Goodies

If you were quick enough last Christmas, you may just have managed to catch the strictly limited freebie download of Nothing To Say To You - hidden Easter Egg style on The Wolfmens website.

So as another seasonal celebration rolls around, we thought it may be an appropriate time offer up a fistful of tasty treats - perhaps other alt.mixes of 'Nothing' - like....

Nothing To Say To You (Chris Hughes Mix)



Nothing To Say To You (U2 Version)



Nothing To Say To You (Alan Moulder Mix)



Nothing To Say To You (Alt Musters Mix)

London Brawling

The UK press are forecasting scenes of Anarchy in the UK, street fighting men, fist-flying riots, skull-cracking and Banker-breaking in the City of London today - typically all this huff 'n' puff is over-hype , but should it kick off today - The Wolfmen have the perfect soundtrack to kick out the jams.....

Snapping At The Wolfmen

Some exclusive new shots of The Wolfmen at work were taken by Mark B recently while the band were warming up for the Sinead sessions. We thought you may enjoy the first peep at a fistful here...

Through A Glass Darkly

Remember a couple of weeks back we gave you an early doors tip off about The Wolfmen's cover of a long lost Velvet's track..

Well - here for you ears and eyes are a couple of work-in-progress clips of 'I'm Not A Young Man Anymore' being recorded at the Wolf's Lair.

It comes in two flavours.....



Or

The World of The Wolfmen - Triple Bill

Brace yourselves wolfies and wolfettes, for a trip into the inner sanctum of ...

The World of The Wolfmen

Wolfman Dan is your guide on this trip around The Lair of the Lupos..

Chris's bass - cover star of the new single, which can also be spotted in this vintage video at 0:13



Waking That Bass...



In his biography Tony Visconti raves about Marco's guitars - these are just a handful of the deliciously vintage goodies from within the legendary Marco Collection..

SOCs & Drums & Rock and Roll

This week sees The Wolfmen locked in their lair - holed up, heads down and working on one full albums worth of new tunes - tunes that won't be appearing on the upcoming Eiffel release.

Right now, some Wolfman muscle is being added to a new recording for a mystery artist, an established international performer you will know, and one who has three albums worth of previous form with one of The Wolfmen

It's all a bit hush-hush at the mo' - but any guesses who it might be???

On a similar motif, here's another example of beauty and the beasts by way of The Wolfmen's soundtracking of this Kate Moss Ad'....

The inspiration behind 'Buzz Me Kate'

Wak This Space

One month from today 23rd March - sees the release of The Wolfmen's walloping new single Wak This Bass. It's the first release of 2009, and the favoured place to get your paws on the good stuff is....

The Wolfmen's online shop...

Wak This Bass is available as a Digital Download, CD single or 7" vinyl. Double A-sided with Cecilie, all formats are backed with two new tunes Lola and Room 103 (a track packed with a chorus catchier than bird flu). You may possibly have caught a sneaky peek of 103, during it's early doors appearance soundtracking this Heineken Ad'...



But the question is do The Wolfmen have anyone in mind, that needs a 'Wakking' ?

Chris...
The lyrics were inspired by some bullish bossy type who was driving me f***ing mad !! Ha ha ha - I love the vibe of this one - and it's so good to play live. The harp solo - was inspired by'Groovin' With Mr. Bloe' . We recorded this live at Raezor and Steve Musters mixed it, with some great drumming by swizzy.

And if you haven't heard Wak That Bass - you can taste test a minute and a bit below..

Wolf-Fact:The cover of Wak is lifted from the April 1980 edition of New Statesmen, starring Wolfman Chris

The Wolfmen's Jukebox Presents....Dirty Dancing

Well wolf-cubs continuing this week's steamy theme - here's a funky number from the Wolfmen's boom-box, as Drummer Daniel tells us when (and where) he caught his first dose of the disco fever...to get the full flavour of this juicy tale it's best to be familiar Daniel's accent...

I mean just listen to the first few bars; I do not know how they got this groove down, absolutely fabulous players on that track - I am not going to go into all the technical or personnel details of the recording (see this instead), but I will tell you my experiences with this track.The drum playing is some of the very best you will ever hear, the finest,purest disco drumming.

The first time I heard it I was just coming back from confession and I passed a record shop as this was blasting out.My hips started to move in marriage-simulating movements, backwards and forwards. I felt that beat in my young groin and temptation rose and it rose.I got so excited that the girl behind the record shop counter noticed. There was this barely 13 year old boy standing there and his trousers, probably for the first time of many times to come in public, started to become tighter and tighter.

She asked me in with a slight movement of her eyes.I am not joking, but she took me then and there, behind the counter and for the first time I knew what the priest meant all these years when saying: "Do it, then repent!"

Ever since that time whenever I hear this track I am thinking of my Catholic upbringing and I thank fate for throwing me into Catholic surroundings to spend my childhood in. Because nowhere is sin more welcomed than there, for repenting is soooo good.

Often I must contain myself when hearing this track in public because since the taboo has been lifted even men, usually men with beards and hairy chests, start dancing with me in the streets often causing havoc to the traffic.

Just the other day on our way to the studio I played Marco this track and he started to wiggle his feet and very smoothly moved around in the car seat, so called car-seat-dancing.

Listen to it and let it take you there....

Hot Dogging

There's a line spoken by Eno on his debut album - 'Oh cheeky, cheeky - oh naughty, sneaky' - that could almost be a thumbnail summary for one steamy scene appearing in a new brand new, Brit-flick - 'Dogging:A Love Story' - that's hitting UK cinemas this spring

So why are we previewing this romping 'n' rolling snippet of cinematic action on the Bocca Blog? Because Director Simon Ellis, has chosen to soundtrack this moment of 'in car entertainment' with The Wolfmen's cover of Eno's 'Needles In The Camel's Eye'

But, be warned sensitive bloggers and browsers, it is slightly lively, so best be discreet when having a peep or two...

The Wolfmen's Jukebox Presents....Rex Rated

Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld) 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977

It's another wolf-pack pick as Chris Constantinou writes a white swan...

October 1970 - I was 13 years old and living in Plymouth. I think I'd grown out of my Skin-Suede-Smoothie Period (which was just a passing phase for me) and had been listening to Tyrannosaurus Rex - in fact my first girlfriend was called 'Debora' (check this out) :-)

Tyrannosaurus Rex became T.Rex , teamed up with Tony Visconti and released Ride A White Swan - which I still think sounds amazing ! We worked with Visconti in '85, at his Good Earth Studios, when he produced Adam's 'Vive Le Rock ' album. I remember asking him about 'Ride A White Swan' - I'm sure he said that he'd played bass on it, and even showed me the bass he'd used.

July 20th 1971 - My 14th birthday, and I went to see T.Rrex play at the ABC Theatre Plymouth. A real disappointment - I'd expected them to sound like the records, but it was really rough, and they were quite obviously out of their heads with guitars out of tune and strings breaking etc... If I saw that same performance now, I'd probably love it. I like bands doing things differently for gigs, and you can't really reproduce classic recordings live. why should you want to anyway? Look at Lou reed live for an example of that - especially on tracks like Walk On The Wild Side ....

I love the arrangement of Ride A White Swan, the sound of the recording, the fact there's no drums , the small string section, with a string arrangement (scored by Visconti) that works so well - and all recorded on an 8 track machine.

Ride A White Swan - A Side



Summertime Blues - B Side



A few Swan facts you may, or may not know ..

Ride a White Swan was recorded July 1st 1970, and entered the Top 40 on October 31.

11 weeks later, it reached a peak position of No.2

A novelty record 'Grandad' by Dad's Army's, Clive Dunn stopped it from reaching No. 1

Naomi Campbell covered it in 1995

Naomi Campbell - Ride A White Swan

The Velvets Meet The Wolfmen Uptown

Marco's "Velvet Underground tribute band" set-up

Thursday and Friday of last week saw The wolfmen recording their version of one of the Velvet Underground's most obscure songs, 'I'm Not A Young Man Anymore',which was never officially recorded, and only appears on various bootlegs from the late 60s. It gave everyone an excuse to wear black Levi jackets and wraparound shades - and for Marco to stand in front of a 60s Fender amp with a Gretsch Country Gentleman and do loads of feedback for three hours. Just like Uncle Lou used to back in the day.

The surviving members of the Velvet underground are said to be "deeply honored" and can't believe that, their favorite band of all time, The Wolfmen are covering one of their little ditties, and are expecting to make trillions of dollars in publishing royalties off this one track. (We made that last bit up actually)

The Wolfmen's Jukebox Presents....Re-Riff/Re-Model

It's another hand-picked-classic from The Wolfmen's boom-box, as Marco owns up to some light-fingered pop lifting

Eagle-eared Wolfmen fans (and Chris) should be able to spot this week's bit of thievery - it's Bryan Ferry's '75 cover of The Everly Brother's 'The Price of Love'.

The great Chris Spedding's guitar riff somehow ended up on 'Jackie Says' (dunno how that happened on my life constable - honest!). The Spanish trumpet and twangy guitar intro also influenced the Start of Adam Ants 'Friend or Foe' - another caper I had nothing to do with - swear on my life etc etc... The Everly's version was produced by Chet Atkins, who also added a swampy version of the riff to their track.

The Ferry version, features Chris Spedding, Roxy Music's Eddie Jobson and Roxy Drummer Paul Thompson. It appears on the 'Let's Stick Together' E.P, which also has two other songs on it, the names of which I've forgotten as I never liked them. Chis Spedding's another hero of mine. I had the same SEX shop hi-heeled boots as him, and his guitar playing sounds like a black Cuban heeled, elastic-sided winkle-picker - if you could plug one into an amp that is - which you can't.I know, coz Iv'e tried.

If Yves Saint Laurent and Link Wray had ever formed a band together, they might sound something like this...

Lux Interior - Rock In Peace

"Life is short, filled of stuff - don't know what for, I ain't had enough"
The Cramps 'New Kind Of Kick'

Marco and The Wolfmen are saddened to hear about the death of Cramps frontman - Lux Interior.

Lux, 62, died today from an existing heart condition . The world will be a darker place without his rocking horrorshow of psychobilly Iggy, vamping like a champ to a B Movie beat of the Burlesque. Another legend lost.

The Cramps - The Way I Walk



And if you haven't seen it yet, you really should catch 'The Cramps Live at Napa State Mental Hospital' - it's like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest goes Garage a Go-Go.



You've Got Good Taste

Radio Wolfmen

It's all sounding wolfishly good over at NME Radio...

As well as Cecilie being the subject of some heavy rotation on the NME's Skins Radio (a tie in with the super-trendy C4 programme), this coming Thursday (5th of Feb) sees The Wolfmen appearing on Neil Cole's show (from 11:30 am UK time) for a live interview, which you can catch by redirecting your dials right here...

But for now, let's have another listen to the tune that's getting all the good reports - well, an alt.non-album-version, mixed by Steve Musters and taken from the Limited Edition EP..

Cecilie



Or perhaps a peep at the Hills/Richards Edit of the video

A Weekend Warm Up With.......Marco

The title 'Here Come The Warm Jets' is taken from an activity happening on the sleeve
Clue: it was also the inspiration behind another Eno title - 'Golden Hours'

We're starting something a bit diff' on the Bocca blog today, where one of The Wolfies handpicks a favourite uptempo thumper for the weekend, so punching the jukebox buttons today is - Wolfman Marco....

In the first of an irregular series of 'Trax That Made The Wolfmen What They Are Today' I have chosen the original version of 'Needle In The Camel's Eye' by Brian Eno - coz if you haven't heard it then you really should..

It's the opening track of Eno's 1973 album 'Here Come The Warm Jets', his first solo album after he found himself to be one Brian too many in Roxy Music, and had to leave. It's a Glam Rocking song with Velvet Underground guitar by Eno and Roxy guitarist Phil Manzernera, with a chord sequence that could have come from the 'Banana' album. Most people think I got my twangy guitar sound from Duane Eddy and Jet Harris, but this is the track it's really cribbed from.

When we covered this for The Wolfmen's first E.P I didn't change one note of Phil Manzernera's twangy Les Paul solo. I learnt it when I was 13, and it's one of the only guitar solos I ever bothered to work out in my bedroom with the traditional schoolboy beginners axe, the out of tune nylon strung acoustic.

In the days before becoming one of the worlds most overpaid producers Eno was full of quirky art school production ideas, on Needles the drums are double tracked and panned left and right, if you listen you can hear Paul Thompson go out of time with himself. Brian Eno later helped give the world Oblique Strategies, New Age music, and The Joshua Tree. He played oboe in the Portsmouth Sinfonia and for some reason appeared on the panel of 'Question Time', but this song comes from a time when he was just called Eno and wore purple eye shadow. its the best track from his best album and we present it here, for your pleasure.

Eno - Needles In The Camel's Eye

Sit On My Facebook

Are you a Facebooker of any sort? If you are, then why not jump on over and join The Wolfmen's official Facebook Group - If you've got any Wolfmen (or related) live photos, collectables or cuttings, heard any tunes played on Radio, TV, seen any internet whispers or perhaps just have a couple of questions - then the Facebook Group is the perfect place to post them..

If you're not a Facebooker, then why not join up and jump in now - you never know who you'll meet there...

Cecilie Makes The A-List

They are a sharp-eyed, keen-eared crowd over at the NME - the same NME as name checked in the Pistol's 'Anarchy In The UK' - with a pedigree of scouting and touting happening acts and hot tunes.

Top news then, that The Wolfmen's Cecilie has been A-listed for this week's NME Radio playlist.. you can tune in, check it out and lend an ear right here.

And click here to get your paws on a copy of the single (or via iTunes if you prefer)

So what is 'Cecile's' story?

Chris Constantinou

This is obviously a love song! and I got a chance to play flute on it too which was fun. We were trying to get the feel of 'Crosstown Traffic' on the chorus riff so I used a kazoo along with some distorted high vox doubling the guitar riff. Groove-wise we were trying to get 'Crosstown Traffic' and 'Fool's Gold' ... probably came out nothing like that, but I really like this song a lot.

If you haven't seen the Stephen Pook edited video have a peep below....



The Making of Cecilie Video