This month 40 years ago Nitzer Ebb released their debut 12” single ‘Isn’t It Funny How Your Body Works’ (January 1985) on their own label Power Of Voice Communications. The 12” contained 4 tracks and was recorded in September 1984.

Although they released their first demo tape, Basic Pain Procedure, already in 1983 it would still be two years until they met producer Phil Harding, who produced their first 12” ’Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works?’ and helped them set up Power Of Voice Communications.

Isn’t It Funny How Your Body Works (12")

1. Isn’t It Funny How Your Body Works 3:49
2. The Way You Live 3:55
3. Crane 2:43
4. Cold War 3:45

Below is some rare live footage of Nitzer Ebb performing the song 'Crane' from this release in the early 1980s. It was filmed at "The Hermit Club" in Brentwood Essex. Apparently the fight was caused by someone off camera to the left, disconnecting Bon's microphone.

Below that there's another rare, but sadly only 44 second lasting, snippet of the band perfoming 'Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works?'

Today 33 years ago the British EBM and Industrialists Nitzer Ebb released the single Godhead. This single was taken from their fourth and previously released album EbbHead (Mute Records, September 1991) which was co-produced by Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode) and Flood.

Enjoy the Godhead video below!

Godhead
Hey now, what's this
The place I'm living's a fucking disgrace
Don't talk 'bout that
Get on your knees and pray that you're safe

But what to believe in
It's all so deceivin'
How about something else
The times ain't changing
It's what I been cravin'

How about something else
Where's this I'm at
There's more excitement
At a laundromat
Who's he, mmm looks good
He ain't a god
Well he fucking well should (be)

Now wait a minute, look at that
He's a god without a doubt
Can't you see it in his eyes
Got all of you to despise

And so they came
And they called him Godhead
Cried out his name
And the life that he led

DISCOGS

On this day 42 years ago Suicide released its self titled debut studio album. It was released on 28 December 1977 by Red Star Records and was produced by Craig Leon and Marty Thau. The album was recorded in only four days at Ultima Sound Studios in New York and featured Martin Rev's minimalist electronics and harsh, repetitive rhythms, paired with Alan Vega's rock and roll-inspired vocals and depictions of urban life. Suicide entered the studio with much of their songs already written and rehearsed from having spent the previous five years playing shows.

Suicide was the first group to sign to Marty Thau's Red Star record label. After hearing a demo tape from Suicide, he asked if he could see Suicide perform live which led to them being signed to Red Star.

Upon its initial release, Suicide was granted positive reception from the UK press, but received mixed reviews in the United States where it failed to chart. However, the album would soon be regarded as a milestone in electronic and rock music. In 2013, Pitchfork magazine named it one of the greatest albums of the 1970s and Rolling Stone magazine placed it on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album is listed as one of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Musically, Suicide has been described as synth-punk, electronic rock and synth-pop, while also being labeled electronic and minimalistic.

Suicide (Original album track listing)

Side one:

1. Ghost Rider 2:34
2. Rocket U.S.A. 4:16
3. Cheree" 3:42
4. Johnny 2:11
5. Girl 4:05

Side two

1. Frankie Teardrop 10:26
2. Che 4:53

DISCOGS

While Daemonia Nymphe work on their forthcoming album, they take a short break to present their experimental project "Witches' Lullaby: Whispers from the North, South and East". This project follows the special EP released in 2021, in which they collaborated with vocal artists Hatis Noit (Japan), Priscilla Hernandez (Spain), Victoria Couper (UK/Portugal) and Rey Yusuf (UK/Turkey) to create a multi-collective soundscape based on the melody of the song of the same name, originally written for the soundtrack of the play Macbeth (in 2016 for the National Theatre of Northern Greece). They finally complete the initial sound exploration in this second project, with German Joran Elane, Palestinian Enas-Al-Said, British India Blue, British/Portuguese Victoria Couper and British/Turkish Reyhan Yusuf presenting their new takes. Additional artists who lend their voices in the project are Evi Stergiou (of Daemonia Nymphe), Louisa John Krol (Australia) and Stevie Toddler (England). In this composition of improvisations and sound environments of different descents, each artist brings their own linguistic and cultural influences, but also their particular musical identity. A project that invites the listener on a journey of introspection and inner exploration.

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John Simon Ritchie, a name which will mean very little to people, bring little thought or judgement, however, his stage name or rather nickname does in Sid Vicious.
Immediately there is a violent thought, there are the thoughts of suicide, murder and perhaps a one of pity.
Some of these thoughts, especially the one of him committing a murder may not be fully true, but there is the violence, yes, there was a violent persona especially in his image, his self harm on stage and if you believe Nick Kent the way Sid could swing a bicycle chain.
But that is one view if you see the footage of the Sex Pistols playing a gig in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England on Christmas Day 1977 you get a totally different view.

In that year over 30,000 firefighters went on strike across England over unfair pay claims and conditions of work, although they were still answering emergency calls, the army was called in to handle everything else.
That Christmas the children of the firefighters were suffering as a result and so we have the most unlikely of events triggering and one which was going against the grain of the populist idea created by the press of the day.

The Sex Pistols played for the children of the striking firemen on that Christmas Day, now you start to come away with a very different image and idea.
Whereas the survivor footage shows, Sid Vicious dancing and laughing with children and having food fights, all good fun and all natural for a young twenty-year old man.
Seems very implausible that the anti-establishment, anarchists of rage the Sex Pistols could play the part of Santa Claus ,but they did.

What is more significant was, this occasion was the last time The Sex Pistols played in the UK with Sid Vicious, within three-weeks the band had imploded on the first leg of their tour of the United States.

Stories of good nature are not usually associated with Sid Vicious or the Sex Pistols, if there are such stories similar to this they have been buried underneath by the tabloid jewels of hate, but very soon you realise that they were victims of their own image, where the part they were playing took over the person they were and this is very true for young John Simon Ritchie.

Photo © Ray Stevenson