Placebo Anyway Blog : 1/1/16

Sunday, January 31, 2016

BRUISE PRISTINE - Placebo's first single was released on 2ND FEBRUARY 1995.

The first ever release from PLACEBO on Fierce Panda Records.

This 7" single is very rare and is a split single with the band SOUP.

Split 7" Vinyl W/ PLACEBO / SOUP

Soup - MeltdownFORMAT:7" vinyl The UK 45-rpm 7" single - a classic format if ever there was one. Since its creation in the early 1950s it has lent itself to all manner of musical tastes and styles. Far more durable than the 78-rpm shellac discs it replaced, and with greatly enhanced sound quality, it has become an iconic format of popular music culture.

Each decade has seen an evolution in the way the humble black plastic 7" disc has been used; from the 50s and 60s issues with their jukebox/multi-stack friendly push-out centres, to the 70s solid-centre creations and the gradual introduction in the UK of eye-catching picture covers, to the 80s excess of coloured vinyls and limited edition packaging in all its glory.

Their gradual slide in popularity during the late 90s has now taken an upward turn in the 2000s, with hip Indie artists choosing to return to this classic format and many labels again issuing exclusive limited editions aimed specifically at collectors.

7" Vinyl

A. Bruise Pristine (PLACEBO)

B. M.E.L.T.D.O.W.N. (SOUP)

In studio record of this release "Bruise Pristine / M.E.L.T.D.O.W.N." attended those artists:

Paul Tippler (Recorded By), Stuart Smith (Recorded By)

Visit us on Placebo Anyway

Nancy Boy - Placebo - Placebo20 - 20/01/97

- Nancy Boy Anniversary - 20/01/97

The song "Nancy Boy" by our favourite band Placebo was released on 20 January 1997, as the fourth single from their debut album self-titled album, released on Hut Records.

As with their first single "Come Home", the single edit is a re-recorded version, noticeably different from the album version.
"Nancy Boy" differs from previous songs' themes about drugs, sex, gender confusion and bisexuality.
"Nancy Boy" became their breakthrough single, peaking at number four in the UK Singles Chart a month after the singles release.
While Placebo originally charted at number forty upon its release, after the release of "Nancy Boy" the album re-entered the UK Albums Chart at number five in February, staying on chart for thirteen weeks.

About the lyrics:

"Nancy Boy" revolves around the themes of drugs, sex and bisexuality.
In 1997, Brian Molko reportedly said, "Sonically, we tried to capture a kind of drug-induced sexual rush".
The line "Eyeholes in a paper bag/greatest lay I ever had" is saying that the character in the song is ugly, but is trying to reach some sort of beauty, as Brian said "I guess it’s saying you can be ugly and be an amazing lay; it doesn’t really matter." The song also criticizes people who think it's "fashionable to be gay", meaning people who think it's cool because there is other people who they know who are gay.
Brian Molko noted that "In the song, I’m questioning people’s reasons for sleeping with people of the same sex. In the same way that heroin is very hip today, being bisexual seems to be very chic."

Release:
"Nancy Boy" was released in the UK on 20 January 1997 through Hut/Elevator Music, from their debut album Placebo.
The single became an unexpected success, going straight to number four in the UK Singles Chart upon its release.
The band were booked to perform the track on Top of the Pops, performing on it on 31 January 1997.
On 18 May 1997, the band performed "Nancy Boy" and "Teenage Angst" on Jools Holland.
Placebo had originally charted at number forty in the UK Albums Chart upon release, but, with the success of "Nancy Boy", the album then re-entered the charts in February at number five, and went gold in May.

Track listings:

CD1
"Nancy Boy" (radio edit) - 3:18
"Slackerbitch" - 3:25
"Bigmouth Strikes Again" - 3:56
"Hug Bubble" (Brad Wood mix) - 6:18

CD2
"Nancy Boy" (Sex mix) - 3:32
"Eyesight to the Blind" - 3:00
"Swallow" (Desiner/U-Sheen mix) - 5:59
"Miss Moneypenny" - 2:50

7"
"Nancy Boy" (Sex mix) - 3:32
"Slackerbitch" - 3:25

Nancy Boy is also a nickname/slur for effeminate homosexual men and the name of an early 1990s band led by Donovan Leitch

Information Wikipedia.

Visit us on Facebook Placebo Anyway

Every Me Every You - Placebo - Placebo20 21/01/99

"Every You Every Me" was released as the third single from Placebo's second album, 'Without You I'm Nothing', on 21 January 1999.
It was released as a 2-CD set and on cassette (Who has still this cassette?!), but promotional copies on 12" vinyl exist (and this vinyl, who has it?!).

The single managed to chart at number forty-six in Australia, ninety-nine in Germany and eleven in the UK Singles Chart. The song was featured on the 'Cruel Intentions' soundtrack.
There are two versions of the video, both filmed live at London's Brixton Academy; one includes clips from the movie Cruel Intentions.

PLACEBO - Every You Every Me

PLACEBO - Every You Every Me [CRUEL INTENTIONS]

It was voted from a poll of 500,000 votes to be ranked number 83 on the list of the Hottest 100 of All Time in July 2009, conducted by Australian radio station Triple J.
Croatian metal band 'Ashes You Leave' covered "Every You Every Me" on their 2009 album Songs of the Lost.

Ashes You Leave - Every You Every Me (cover Placebo)

Along with the rest of the album (apart from "Pure Morning"), "Every You Every Me" was recorded in early 1998 at Real World Studios with Steve Osborne.
When asked who it was about, Molko replied with "Who's it about? I'm not really too sure just yet. I think it's about a lot of people. Probably anybody... everybody who's had the displeasure of sleeping with me."
About his choice to include it in the 'Cruel Intentions' soundtrack, Molko said that he "studied drama, I know the original (Dangerous Liaisons) and we watched it on the tour bus when they wanted to use our song.
I said: 'If he doesn't die in the end, if it's a happy ending, we don't do it.' It's quite perverted and manipulative, so the theme of the song fits in quite well."

Track listing

CD 1 and cassette
Every You Every Me (single mix) - 3:35
Nancy Boy (Blue Amazon mix) - 11:29
Every You Every Me (Infected by the Scourge of the Earth mix) - 3:57

CD 2
Every You Every Me (album version) - 3:34
Every You Every Me (Sneaker Pimps version) - 5:08
Every You Every Me (Brothers in Rhythm Glam Club mix) - 9:54

Other remix:
Placebo - Every Me, Every You (Lexy & K-Paul Remix)

The song was also used in EA Sports F1 2000.

The official promo video for 'Every You Every Me' released 21.01.1999
Taken from the album 'Without You I'm Nothing ' available on iTunes
BUY ALBUM : http://www.itunes.com/placebo
www.placeboworld.co.uk/music/singles/every-you-every-me

Placebo - 'Sleeping With Ghosts' limited edition 2016

On the 19th February, the reissue of 'Sleeping With Ghosts' will be available on limited edition blue vinyl & standard heavy weight vinyl, from the official Placebo music store.

http://hyperurl.co/SWG_VINYL

On the same day, 'Sleeping With Ghosts. B-Sides' will be available on streaming platforms worldwide.

Visit us on Facebook

Placebo Anyway

Photo credits: Placebo

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Placebo Interview - Georgian LGBT Publication - May 2015

Georgian LGBT Publication, "May 17", interviews Placebo, British Rock Band.

Tbilisi, Georgia. July 6, 2015.

Host: Irakli Vacharadze

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

The Day David Bowie Whispered A Harmony Into My Ear

The Day David Bowie Whispered A Harmony Into My Ear

By Stefan Olsdal

11.01.2016

It all started in 1996 between Bowie and Placebo, before our group's first album was released. He was on tour in Italy and had just listened to one of our demos. He had never listened to our music before nor had he seen us perform. Despite that, he asked us to open for him. At the time, we played for audiences of 300 people. The day that we joined David Bowie in Italy, we found ourselves in front of 7,000 spectators. Shocked, we had to learn very quickly how to perform in front of an audience of this size.

It was terrifying. I was 20 years old at the time. We had one more beer before going on stage. David came to reassure us.

When we started our career as performers, we were convinced that our work wasn't worth much, but David gave us confidence in ourselves. It was because of him that we felt capable of composing beautiful things. That day, he told us something that I'll never forget: "Never be lazy, go the extra mile as an artist, don't be afraid to challenge yourself."

We would regularly have dinner together, and we also spent a ridiculous amount of time backstage when he asked us to open for him. And then, twice, we went up on stage with him. At this precise moment we were in the clouds, deluded by adrenaline, as powerful as a drug. We felt that something crazy was happening, something magical. We were standing on the same stage as a magician, an exceptional artist, an extraordinary human being.

I have many memories of David Bowie. Like the one when our album Without You I'm Nothing was being released, he called us up and said: "I want to sing a song on this album. I have to do it."

We said "Okay, of course" and suggested turning it into a duet between Brian Molko and David Bowie.

I've very sad. I was closer to him than I was with some members of my own family. It's a terrible day. I feel like I've lost a loved one. He was a great artist and gave our young group a chance. He gave his time and he gave it to each of us individually. David Bowie was one of those people who is profoundly attentive to others, who takes the time to listen. For all these reasons, I am terribly sad.

David Bowie was a seducer. When he spoke to you, he had a piercing gaze, he flirted with you. The day that we got together to listen to him record a song from our album Without You I'm Nothing, no one knew which song he had chosen and what's more, no one had practiced with him. I was freaking out a bit. I told myself "holy shit, let's hope he's good, because if the song is rubbish, we could never tell him."

We were in the studio and there, Bowie told us that he was going to sing the album's eponymous song. He started to whisper the harmony into my ear. My feet became suspended from the ground. I realized that he was going to cause an explosion.

Something broke inside me this morning. Six months ago I was talking to Brian about the avant-garde jazz flavor that David was giving to his latest album Blackstar. We agreed that after almost 70 years, this man was still doing new and surprising things. Up until the end of his life, he was adamant about not allowing himself to be led along the road already taken. Instead, he focused all his energy on the question of what he was capable of creating next.

He loved telling stories, he had tons of them. His story isn't finished.

Placebo shared with HuffPost and published on its YouTube channel an unedited video dating from 1999, where you can watch the British rock group jamming with David Bowie on the song "Without You I'm Nothing."

Le jour où David Bowie a susurré une harmonie à mon oreille:

This post first appeared on HuffPost France. It has been translated into English and edited for clarity.

Placebo rinde homenaje a David Bowie publicando un vídeo inédito de 'Without You I'm Nothing' on HuffPostSpain

Follow Stefan Olsdal on Twitter: www.twitter.com/stefanolsdal

Placebo & David Bowie - Without You I'm Nothing - Special

Let us listen to the single, live, backstage & remixes:

Without you I'm nothing (Placebo)

Without You I’m Nothing (Placebo and David Bowie, single)

Without You I’m Nothing (Placebo and David Bowie, Backstage Placebo ft. David Bowie 'Irving Plaza, New York 29.03.99)

Without You I’m Nothing (Placebo and Bowie, “live” video)

Without You I’m Nothing (Placebo and Bowie, Flexirol Mix.)

Without You I’m Nothing (Placebo and Bowie, UNKLE remix)

Letter to David Bowie by Brian Molko - Placebo

“Dearest David

Wherever you are now, I miss you. Not only do I miss you but my heart is broken. You were my idol, then you became my mentor and my friend. I learnt so much from you, just by being in your presence, the conversations we had and, of course, watching you perform. You always had time for me. My band and I were tiny when we first met. Nonetheless , you took us under your wing. You believed in us and gifted us with so many fantastic opportunities. Without you, your tutelage and your wisdom, I don’t think I would be where I am today, as an artist but also as a person. For that I will be eternally grateful.

Float around the ether, David. Bounce gracefully off planets light-years away as you become one with the Universe, as you dive into the Great Unknown.

My sincere and heartfelt condolences to Iman, Lexi and Duncan, whose hearts I know are far more broken than mine. As for me, I will treasure every memory of every moment we spent together.

Dear David, beautiful man and force of nature, you are immortal. You live beyond the veil of the big sleep. Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo.

Namaste"

Brian Molko

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you know at the end we find these words which our team membre bbv tried to translate vía Google.

These is the meaning she found:

So what does 'Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo' really mean?
Sacred words often have multiple meanings, and that is certainly the case for the Adi Mantra. It is a mantra that both protects us and connects us to the highest source of wisdom. There are many ways to translate it, but one is, “I bow to the All-That-Is. I bow to the Divine Wisdom within myself.”

Sources: Placebo World

Monday, January 11, 2016

David Bowie 1947 - 2016

The singer-songwriter and producer excelled at glam rock, art rock, soul, hard rock, dance pop, punk and electronica during an eclectic 40-plus-year career, also a good friend with Placebo has gone for ever.

David Bowie has died after a battle with cancer, his rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 69.

Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing (Ft. David Bowie)

"David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief," read a statement posted on the artist's official social media accounts.

The stars look very different today

The influential singer-songwriter and producer excelled at glam rock, art rock, soul, hard rock, dance pop, punk and electronica during his eclectic 40-plus-year career. He just released his 25th album, Blackstar, Jan. 8, which was his birthday.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Placebo20 - Time Out "Wembley", November 2004

One thing you count on is that there will always be goths.
Politicans, leg-warmers and Fall line-ups come and go, but there will always be goths on Carnaby Street. Which is just as well, because it means that Placebo will always have a market for their wobbly angst rock.

'Placebo is music for outsiders, by outsiders', said anaemic-looking frontman Brian Molko a couple of years back. 'Our gigs are like convetions of outcasts, which is cool'.

Cool? Really? Well, if ou cast your mind back to 1996, there was a time when Placebo were pretty cool. Grunge and Britpop had died, and bands like The Seahorses ruled a pitiful 'indie' chart.
Placebo. though, touted guitar rock that smacked of battery acid, dampness and rust. And wee Brian, with stubble 'n' slap and enthusiastic bisexuality, was a damn sight more interesting than the likes of Cast.

In the year of Travis and Stereophonics, at least somebody was conducting interviews wearing a maroon smoking jacket and knocking back Bloody Marys.
In the eight years since releasing their storming 'Nancy Boy' single, Placebo have sold 5 million albums worldwide. A quick listen to the band's new singles comp will tell you that their style hasn't changed massively: the energic, tinny drumming, tangles of guitar and over-wrought lyrics.
But that bledn of manky, miserable and highly sexed ("I'm unclean, a libertine!" cries Molko) - that's not goint to lose its appeal for a fair while yet.
Just ask the kids at Wembley.

By Sophie Harris Time Out - 3-10 November 2004

Monday, January 4, 2016

Interview with Robert Schultzberg - Former Placebo Drummer

Robert Schultzberg is known to music fans as the original drummer for the 1994 line up of Placebo. In their short time together the original formation recorded a hugely successful demo attracting the attention of influential musicians and labels alike. The trio then went on to record Placebo's self-titled debut album. However the stars were not aligned for Schultzberg and Placebo, which saw them part ways in late 1996.

Nevertheless, life does not end after Placebo; the music will always go on. Read our exclusive Q&A with Rob to hear his thoughts on being a part of such a rapidly ascending band and find out what he is up to with his current band, Steakhouse.

What are some of the positives you have taken away from being in a band such as Placebo? Is there a favourite gig or a moment that you can recall?
The best part is having been able to touch people through that first record. It’s a privilege to have been able to do that.

Placebo’s rise was nothing short of surreal. Over a very short period of time we were doing shows with the Foo Fighters (first incarnation), The Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Echo and the Bunnymen (under the name Electrafixion at the time), amongst others, so it was pretty nuts. We were catapulted into the limelight.

The best time in the band was playing a number of shows with David Bowie. Having him as a fan was an incredible honor as he took us on tour having only heard our demo tape, before we even had an album out. I can’t specifically recall a favourite gig as we were pretty much on fire most times we played, though for sheer awe factor, I guess playing those Bowie arena shows was it.

How soon after Placebo did you return to music and in what capacity?
Pretty much immediately afterwards, playing drums in many bands, though none that had any lasting impact! I also got into making my own music shortly after Placebo and still do that today. No plans for any releases as such, but you never know, that could change.

Is Steakhouse the first fully-fledged band you've played with since?
No, since Placebo I've been in loads of other bands, some as session work, some with friends. I was in a band from 2001 to early 2004 with Paul Epworth (of Adele/Florence and the Machine production fame) called Lomax (I think you can hear tracks on youtube as the album is hard to find). We were a post punk band and had a lot of fun and put out a record through 93 Feet East, a popular East London club/venue at the time. His career as a producer took off around 2004 so the band pretty much fizzled out.

When did you make the move from the United Kingdom to the United States and what prompted you to do so?
I moved out here in January 2011 with my girlfriend (now wife) who is from San Francisco. She had to move from London back to the States as her work visa expired, so I decided to move with her. An easy choice after 16 years in London.

Would you be interested in performing in Europe again?
For sure.

You re-entered the Placebo-world when you were asked to write a small insert for the 10th anniversary release of the band’s debut album - at this point in time, or any other, was there a curiosity to listen to the newer Placebo tracks? If so, did you recognise any tunes that originated from those early Placebo days?
I’ve heard many Placebo songs over the years. The only songs that I recognized from my time in the band were “Allergic” (to Thoughts of Mother Earth) which we used to jam towards the end of my time in the band, though in its embryonic stages, without lyrics. Also, I remember Brian used to often play the opening chords of “Without you I’m Nothing”, so that song was germinating whilst I was still in the band, though became fully fledged after my departure.

Not every fledgling band can get an endorsement from David Bowie. What role do you think the internet & social media has to play with smaller bands today?
The internet and social media are obviously crucial for bands to get noticed these days. I don’t even know how the industry works anymore as it’s changed pretty radically with the advent of music becoming a free commodity. I think you’re expected to do a lot of the legwork as a new band. If you’re able to do a whole load of profile building yourself, there’s a chance a label will be willing to invest some money and help front costs for touring and recording but they’re far more reluctant to help develop acts as they once were. The internet, however, allows you to do things on your own terms and reach your audience directly.

For those who are unfamiliar with your current band, Steakhouse, tell us a little bit about them and what you do...
Steakhouse is a five piece band from San Francisco. We make a sound that has been loosely described as a “country Joy Division”. People can go here to get an indication of what we’re doing: steakhouserock.com. The demos up on the site are Mark’s, the singer’s. We are putting the finishing touches to our first recordings as a band at the moment and should have stuff to listen to in the next couple of months. I met the other guys in the band through an ad on Craigslist (a listings website) back in October 2011. A couple of people have come and gone in that time, with the current line-up having been around for about the past six months.

Could I ask Placebo fans to please “like” us at facebook.com/steakhouserock as this will help us get better shows etc. Thanks!

To finish off, could you tell us some of your favourite bands & tracks right now...
There’s not much new stuff that I find super exiting though have to give a shout out to Marnie Stern who makes a wildly eclectic, beautiful psychedelic noise. Check her out here. She has a new album out at the moment.