Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Fun With Downloads: Pigtails and Power Chords

From 1979, on Stiff Records (motto: The World's Most Flexible Label), here's Angie (with Pete Townshend, for heaven's sake) and the quite amazing "Peppermint Lump."


You can download it HERE.

This single totally baffled me at the time, but thanks to the miracle of the Google, here's a little background info from Angie's management updating the story to 1998.

Artist: Angie (real name: Angela Porter)
Formerly a pupil at the Corona stage school who appeared on numerous British TV programs, Angie Porter is no stranger to the singing game. As a child she worked with legendary producer Trevor Horn, providing backing vocals for The Buggles number one hit, ''Video Killed The Radio Star." Aged eleven, she teamed up with The Who's Pete Townshend and released a single, ''Peppermint Lump'', on the seminal Stiff label. It was Radio One''s Record Of The Week. Stiff's press release at the time read: " A blatant attempt to corner the market of pre-teen and post-punk singles buyers".

Another Google search revealed she's still at it -- here's her My Space page. Her voice hasn't changed all that much.

Anyway, it's still not completely clear who who wrote the record, but it's amazing, and Townshend's arrangement is pretty much my favorite thing he did in his solo career up to that point.

Two postscripts: As always, if the clip authorization has expired by the time you get there, e-mail me and I'll shoot you the mp3.

Also, ixnay on the pedophilia jokes about this one. For what it's worth, I think Townshend probably got a bad rap about that.

IMHO.

9 comments:

TMink said...

Steve, I agree with you about Pete. A LOT, too much of my work is with kids that have been abused. But from the way he dealt with it, I believed Pete. God knows I wanted to. But his life has been an open pamphlet over the years, and I think he would own up to it.

But Tommy is the work of someone who is sadly very aware of child abuse issues.

It made me happy to see that I am not the only one who believes Pete. Thanks.

Trey

steve simels said...

Trey -- that sums up my feelings to a tee. He's one of the most painfully honest guys who ever wore shoe leather -- if he was a child abuser people would have already known it.

TMink said...

I remember when it hit me that Pete knew a little too well what he was talking about. I was driving and rocking out to Uncle Ernie, then Fiddle About. "Whoa, Pete was fucking abused" I remember thinking. It hurt a bit. And it took some of the joy out of Tommy for me too, but I felt more respect and had more feelings for Pete.

What a weird thing to write, but there it is. Usually the work stands for itself with me, and Pete's certainly does! But that peek into his pain was really powerful and strangely endearing.

Trey

steve simels said...

One of the reasons I absolutely loathed the Broadway version of Tommy was that they changed the ending so that the kid forgives Uncle Ernie.

It's like, hey, pedophiles need love too.

Anonymous said...

I also felt Townshend was being truthful. The way the press is in modern times, if there was any truth to Pete being a pedophile it would have come out at the time.

Peppermint Lump was always my favorite WHO single that never was a Who single. A brilliant piece of rock & roll.

Question: What is being sung in the chorus? It doesn't sound like Peppermint Lump to me. Just what is being sung?

R)TP(lumber)

Anonymous said...

It sounds like ,"now don't you worry be happy ,peppermint lump" to me ? Of course,played backwards it encourages animal sacrifice in the name of Screaming Lord Sutch...but then,what doesn't ?

Charlie Bermant said...

Well, uh, Fiddle About and Cousin Kevin were Entwistle songs......

Anonymous said...

Looks like the download limit of 10 was reached...any way to post again?

www.forgotten-ny.com

Someone Said said...

I know it's been a year later. Anyway you can shoot me a link or mp3?

ed
tgytwr@gmail.com