30 Years Of Weatherall, a personal choice

on 6 Apr 2020
I compiled this in April 2020 ahead of what would have been AWs 67th birthday. Rather than focussing on his remixes I went for the original productions. I've had to have artistic license a couple of years but generally one track per year from 1990 through to 2020. Compiled by Martin of the Flightpath Estate, RIP Andrew and thanks for the music x

To celebrate what would have been Andrews birthday after his passing I wanted to put something together. I went down the 1 track per year route, digging a bit deeper and sticking to the original and productions rather than the well heard remixes.
Martin Brannagan (Flightpath Estate/the weatherdrive)
@thelinosquares

1990 Bocca Juniors - Raise (Piano Hoe Down)
Andy's first original track duties were with what would now be classed as a super group Bocca Juniors. Raise with its 5 versions are all great but i've gone for the Piano Hoe Down. yeehaa

1991 Primal Scream - Higher Than The Sun (A Dub Symphony In Two Parts)
Bocca Juniors released another single in 1991 but I've had to go for something from Screamadelica. Andy is all over the fabric of this album and it's as much his as the Primals and belongs in his own canon rather than just being as producer. Higher Than The Sun is the pinnacle of an absolute classic

1992 Primal Scream - Screamadelica
Not much that can be called AW own records in '92 but continuing with the Primals theme the epic Screamadelica from the Dixie Narco EP counts. to me anyway

1993 Sabres Of Paradise - Smokebelch I
Sabres Of Paradise is born properly and Sabresonic and Sabresonic II are released in '93. Smokebelch is an absolute classic and needs playing far more often than the Beatless mix. so here it is

1994 Sabres Of Paradise - Flight Path Estate
Following up Sabresonic with Haunted Dancehall is a huge achievement. There is no low point on this album but I have to go with Flightpath Estate because its the name we took for our website in the 90s and the facebook group now

1995 Planet 4 Folk Quartet - Message To Crommie
AW transitions from working with the Sabres to working with people called Dave, namely Harrow and Hedger, closing the year with someone called Keith (Tenniswood). One Harrow collaboration in the fantastic Message To Crommie by Planet 4 Folk Quartet, only available on the charity Help album gets included here.

1996 Deanne Day - Hardly Breathe
Nigh on impossible to pick one track for this year with Bloodsugar, Deanne Day and loads of Two Lone Swordsmen to pick from. But that's the rules so i've gone for classic deep house with Dave Harrow and Deanne Day's Hardly Breathe. but I can't believe i've had to miss everything off Swimming Not Skimming and the Fifth and Tenth missions

1997 Lino Square - Blue Pole Dancer
Swordsmen aliases begin in 97 with the emergence of Lino Squares and Rudo Solo. Lino Squares edges it for me with Blue Pole Dancer which sounds like it literally had the kitchen sink involved and a casio keyboard. And again i've had to ignore the main Swordsmen output so no room for anything off Stockwell Steppas

1998 Two Lone Swordsmen - Black Commandments 2.
Finally I can include some Two Lone Swordsmen but to choose from Stay Down or A Bag Of Blue Sparks, completely contrasting styles. I err towards the electro and Black Commandments 2, and is that the guvs haunted vocal sample in here?

1999 Two Lone Swordsmen - Brother Foster Through The Phones
Only 10 years into his career and i'm exhausted by this foolish challenge. Klunk got their only outing this year but the brash techno cannot be put ahead of anything on A Virus With Shoes which is the closest to hiphop 2ls got. Brother Foster through the phones after the intial weirdness really has a head nod effect.

2000 Two Lone Swordsmen - Neuflex.
Swordsmen in deep electro territory this year on remixes and productions. Tiny Reminders is a fantastic electro classic generally forgotten about when discussing AWs works. Too many highlights but i've gone with Neuflex for the bouncy electro

2001 Rude Solo - Tight.
Rotters Golf Club launches to a barrage of 2ls aliases - Aramchek, Klart, Rude Solo, The Hold etc etc. Some of it seems a bit rushed out but there's some great stuff here too. Rude Solo haven't featured yet so they come in here with Tight, a glitched up track only found on a compilation which perfectly describes the sound - Clicks & Cuts

2002 Andrew Weatherall & Keith Tenniswood - The Night I Was A Booby Prize.
original tracks scatter through 2002 on multiple aliases - Aramcheck, Basic Units, Hidden Library, Klart, Black Balloons. There's even a seriously rare whole album of otherwise unreleased 2ls tracks put out on a Japanese clothing promo CD and my choice, The Night I Was A Booby Prize is great mellow electronica

2003 Radioactive Man - Fed-Ex to Munchen.
An incredibly quiet year as 2ls were going through a cocoon into rockabilly territory and AW was tuning his vocals
Have to cheat on the orignals side with a track credited to 2ls cohost Keith Tenniswood in his Radioactive Man alias. But if you look at the credits to Fed-Ex to Munchen AW gets a de-trancing" credit. so to me and stretching the rules that's as good as being a 2ls track!

2004 Two Lone Swordsmen - Sex Beat.
The new sound of 2ls emerges with full band and the guv on vocals. A cover of the Gun Clubs Sex Beat launches this sound and is hard to beat
Bocca Juniors - Raise (Piano Hoe Down)

Primal Scream - Higher Than The Sun (A Dub Symphony In Two Parts)

Primal Scream - Screamadelica

Sabres Of Paradise - Smokebelch I

Sabres Of Paradise - Flight Path Estate

Planet 4 Folk Quartet - Message To Crommie

Deanne Day - Hardly Breathe

Lino Square - Blue Pole Dancer

Two Lone Swordsmen - Black Commandments 2.

Two Lone Swordsmen - Brother Foster Through The Phones

Two Lone Swordsmen - Neuflex.

Rude Solo - Tight.

Andrew Weatherall & Keith Tenniswood - The Night I Was A Booby Prize.

Radioactive Man - Fed-Ex to Munchen.

Two Lone Swordsmen - Sex Beat.

last edit: 6 Jul 2023