It hit me as I was putting the posting together for The Cost Of Living EP that I’d never given any space on this blog to the work of Jimi Goodwin who contributed the very fine essay to the booklet for the box set.
Potted history.
Jimi Goodwin is the bassist, vocalist and guitarist for Doves whose other two members are twin brothers are Jez and Andy Williams.
They had been school friends but it wasn’t until 1989 that they formed a dance band called Sub Sub, enjoying the patronage of Bernard Sumner from New Order and eventually a huge chart hit in 1993 with Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use).
Three years later, the band’s Manchester studio caught fire and burned down, leading them to abandon their previous style and start afresh with an alt-rock anthemic sound under the name Doves. They started off on Casino Records, which was owned and run by Rob Gretton (manager of New Order) on which they released three EPs in 1998 and 1999. After Gretton’s sad and untimely death, they shifted to Heavenly Records and enjoyed a fair amount of commercial success with nine Top 40 singles and four Top 20 albums (including two which reached #1) between 2000 and 2009.
I don’t actually have all that much from Doves in the collection but thought by now they would have been nominated for an ICA by a discerning reader. In the absence of such, here’s some fine songs on which Jimi Goodwin has played and/or sang, in chronological order of release:-
mp3 : Sub Sub – Ain’t No Love, Ain’t No Use
mp3 : Sub Sub (feat Bernard Sumner) – This Time I’m Not Wrong
mp3 : Doves – The Cedar Room
mp3 : Doves – Pounding
mp3 : Doves – Black And White Town
Enjoy
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Doves are a magic band. Saw them completely mesmerize a crowd at T in the Park six or seven years ago. I was totally hungover and wiped out from two days of bliss at T but they revived me splendidly.(my mate sais he had never seen a person go from wiped out to euphoria in such a short space of time!!!!). Followed that a few months later by seeing them at the picture house in Edinburgh, equally epic. Such good vibes from a truly epic band. Check out goodwins solo l.p. too. Stunning. Ah, where have all the good bands gone……
I bought the Cedar EP from Doves in 98 just on the basis that it was Sub Sub in a new guise. I value that EP as one of the best things I bought in the 90’s.
When Lost Souls came out, Rise, which I already new for 2 years, still ended up being my favorite song of 2000 (Shack’s Oscar was a VERY close second.)
Doves fully embrace what can be great and magical about Rock + Roll without overindulgent pretense. They have a gift for songs that stay with you – Rise, Catch The Sun, Snowden, Black and White Town.
The second Doves album is my fave of the lot, some wonderful tunes on that (Words, Caught By The River, Here Comes The Fear, etc). Jimi’s solo record is worth a listen too, though it’s a little patchy in places. And Mike, there are still loads of good bands out there. Keep looking, don’t give up (If you haven’t discovered Savages yet, make sure you do so!)
Solo album last year with the brilliantly titled Didsbury Girls
Have never heard the track with Barney – It links to Ain’t no love? 😦
Sorry Neil
Sorted now….
Cheers JC