TEENAGE FANCLUB AND REM PAY TRIBUTE TO BIG STAR

Teenage Fanclub and R.E.M's MIKE MILLS are contributing to a new Big Star tribute album, 'Big Star Small World'...

Teenage Fanclub, and R.E.M‘s bassist MIKE MILLS, are among artists contributing to a Big Star tribute album, ‘Big Star Small World’, released on May 17 on Ignition Records.

The album will include Teenage Fanclub’s version of ‘Jesus Christ’, as well as Wilco (‘Thirteen’), Matthew Sweet with Mike Mills and Jody Stephens (‘The Ballad Of El Goodo’), Juliana Hatfield (‘Don’t Lie To Me’), The Afghan Whigs (‘Nighttime’) and The Gin Blossoms (‘Back Of A Car’).

Teenage Fanclub’s singer Norman Blake spoke to NME.com about their version of ‘Jesus Christ’, which appeared as a B-side to ‘Ain’t That Enough’ last year: “We recorded it a couple of years ago, when Jody Stephens (Big Star’s drummer) rang us up and asked us if we wanted to do it. Then we decided we’d like to put it out on one of the singles. These compilation albums tend to take a long time to put together.”

Advertisement

The band have always been vocal about their love of Big Star, having played several gigs with Chilton and previously recording a version of Chilton’s ‘Free Again’.

Meanwhile, Blake says the Fanclub were preparing to record material for their next album, the follow-up to last year’s Top 5 ‘Songs From Northern Britain’. He says the band wanted to record the new album differently to their last few LPs.

“We’ve always been in the studio for a seven-week stretch, because we don’t tend to finish songs until we get in the studio. This time we’re planning to be in a studio for three or four days, do three or four songs at a time, and try and do that five times in a two-month period. That way we won’t lose our concentration.”

Blake says the band are in “really good spirits”, and plan to set up their own demoing and rehearsal space in Glasgow. Apart from preparing for the festival dates, Blake says they also plan to visit Norway. “We’re huge there at the moment,” said Blake. “‘I Don’t Want Control Of You’ got to Number Seven, so they really seem to like us.”

You May Also Like

Advertisement

TRENDING

Advertisement

More Stories