A Head Full of Wishes

A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.

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Categories: substack

Substack
A Head Full of Wishes newsletter #55

I guess the big news this week, at least for folk in parts of North America or the people who can get there is that Luna will be back on the road in the autumn - tickets for most of the shows are on sale now… or soon.

Luna - coming your way!
Luna - coming your way!

My record collection [353] The Pastels - Illuminati (CD)

Illuminati is an album of remixes of tracks from The Pastels 1997 album Illumination that Dean guested on. The remixes are by the likes of Stereolab, My Bloody Valentine, John McEntire, and other such folk in the band’s orbit.

The Pastels - Illuninati (CD)
The Pastels - Illuninati (CD)

Given that, as mentioned in the two previous posts about Illumination, I’m uncertain of where Dean turns up on the album, I can’t even be sure whether his contributons have survived the remix process!

Most are OK, some are just annoying and there are some gems in there but I’d have to say it’s not essential. I prefer remixes to add, whereas a lot seem to take away too much.

The Stereolab remix of One Wild Moment however is so gloriously Stereolab that makes it probably my favourite track on the album:

The Pastels - One Wild Moment (Stereolab remix) (play on YouTube)

The Future Pilot AKA remix of Rough Riders is another favourite (but maybe because it’s one of my fave tracks on Illumination).

But… I did make liberal use of the skip button.

  • Catalogue Number: AHFOW 10/150
  • Artist: The Pastels
  • Title: Illuminati
  • Format: CD
  • Bought on Discogs for £2.99 a few years back as a collection filler.

Previously in my record collection:

My record collection [354] Luna - Lunafied (2xLP)’

I have previously written about the CDR Lunafied that Dean sent me back in 2006 that actually stemmed from a desire to see the album’s artwork on a proper release. That finally happened in 2016 with this absolutely gorgeous double LP from Run Out Groove records.

Luna - Lunafied (front and back)
Luna - Lunafied (front and back)

I wrote about the sleeve in a Substack post a few months back so forgive me re-posting that here:

The cover of Lunafied is by artist and photographer Abelardo Morell and is one of a series of astoundingly beautiful photos taken by turning various rooms into a camera obscura.

When Lunafied came out digitally in 2006 I wrote to Dean about the sleeve:

4th July 2006 00:43
From: Andy Aldridge <andy@grange85.co.uk>
 
Hi Dean,  

I love the "sleeve" of the Lunafied album - particularly as I've been sucked into the pinhole-camera thing of late* so camera-obscura's are very exciting - I keep wanting to turn our bedroom into a camera obscura but Hazel rightly points out that the row of Victorian terraced houses on the opposite side of the road isn't quite the Empire State Building!

Does Lunafied exist as a "real" CD (maybe as a promo???) I'd love to own a proper CD with that sleeve! (sorry for the unsubtle attempted scrounge there!).

Any news on the Beggars covers album?

Have a nice summer,

-=Andy=-

4th July 2006 14:52  
From: Dean Wareham
            
Hi Andy,

the lunafied image is by Abelardo Morell, but perhaps you knew that already. His photos are great.

http://www.abelardomorell.net/

But there is no CD with that image, not even a promo. Rhino wanted it to be exclusive to the iTunes store. They have said that they might get around to releasing it on CD one day, but frankly I don't think it's going to happen. I can burn you a disc of Lunafied (from the master that was prepared).

Dean

Thirteen years on we finally got a Lunafied double album with Abelardo Morell’s beautiful Camera Obscura; The Empire State Building in Bedroom, 1994 that was used on the front, and the also beautiful Camera Obscura: Late Afternoon View of the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, 2014 and Camera Obscura: Early Morning View of the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, 2014.

On his website Abelardo explains how he makes these astonishing pictures (and cleared up how the inside and rear pictures are the right way up).

I made my first picture using camera obscura techniques in my darkened living room in 1991. In setting up a room to make this kind of photograph, I cover all windows with black plastic in order to achieve total darkness. Then, I cut a small hole in the material I use to cover the windows. This opening allows an inverted image of the view outside to flood onto the back walls of the room. Typically then I focused my large-format camera on the incoming image on the wall then make a camera exposure on film. In the beginning, exposures took from five to ten hours.

Over time, this project has taken me from my living room to all sorts of interiors around the world. One of the satisfactions I get from making this imagery comes from my seeing the weird and yet natural marriage of the inside and outside.

Several years ago, in order to push the visual potential of this process, I began to use color film and positioned a lens over the hole in the window plastic in order to add to the overall sharpness and brightness of the incoming image. Now, I often use a prism to make the projection come in right side up. I have also been able to shorten my exposures considerably thanks to digital technology, which in turn makes it possible to capture more momentary light. I love the increased sense of reality that the outdoor has in these new works. The marriage of the outside and the inside is now made up of more equal partners.

Abelardo Morell - Camera Obscura

Luna - Lunfied (inside)
Luna - Lunfied (inside)

As well as the cover, the release itself was brilliant. The two previous releases of Lunafied were both incomplete but this release managed to include everything.

  • Catalogue Number: 12/061
  • Artist: Luna
  • Title: Lunafied
  • Format: 2xLP
  • Bought from Run Out Groove for $34.98 + postage

Previously in my record collection:

This week in AHFoW history

23rd May 2014 - Dean Wareham in London

The night that started with me in a bakery drinking coffee with people I hardly knew but would soon be good friencds, and ended with me squeezed in the back of a car with the members of Luna:

Back out and the van was loaded, with people this time, and I found myself sat between Dean and Roger, the drummer, for the drive from Islington to Bayswater, where the band was deposited, and then on to Hanwell where Joe and Alex dropped me, and a guitar (and a rug!) off at home.

Photos and words: Dean Wareham in London, 23 May 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHh8T2R_vdg

27th May 1987 - Galaxie 500’s birthday (… maybe)

Maybe there’s an argument that the point at which you stand in a room together and play, even if there’s nobody watching, is the point a band is born. On the 27th May 1987 Dean, Damon, and Naomi had their first rehearsal:

We had our first rehearsal on May 27, 1987. Our plan was to work up some cover songs and perform in Washington Square Park. Naomi suggested “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” Peter, Paul, and Mary had the big hit but my favourite version is by Marlene Dietrich, backed by Burt Bacharach and his band. We also worked out “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash, the Temptations “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)”, and Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heavens Door”. Every band takes a crack at this Dylan tune. It’s easy to play and lends itself to stretching out - and Axl Rose had not yet ruined it for the rest of us.

Dean Wareham - Black Postcards: A Rock & Roll Romance (Penguin, 2008)

https://aheadfullofwishes.substack.com/p/from-the-archive-galaxie-500s-birthdays

28th May 2003 - Damon & Naomi in London

I believe this is the date of the only time I missed a Damon & Naomi London show (not counting Magic Hour) - they played at the Bush Hall which was then one of the closest venues to where I lived… I was in Scotland. A few days earlier they had played in Scotland… I was at home.

28th May 2011 - Dean & Britta at Primavera in Barcelona

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GquuwFlE5cw

That’ll do for this week - the weather is warming up over here. Next Tuesday I’m on a day trip to London (a three hour train trip each way) so there may or may not be a post on Tuesday.

If you fancy writing something for AHFoW please do get in touch.