Cinerama slipped out an album in April 2001. It contained no new material and simply brought together the two Peel Sessions from 98 and 99 along with the tracks specialy recorded at Peel Acres and for the DJs 60th birthday party in August 1999. It wasn’t however, seen by fans as a cash-in as there was a demand for the acoustic and live versions in particular as they were quite distinct from the studio recordings.
At the same time, a further single was lifted from the previous year’s LP Disco Valente. This time, it was issued on vinyl which was a first for Scopitones, although there was also a CD single too. But it all came with a twist.
Here’s the CD single:-
mp3 : Cinerama – Superman
mp3 : Cinerama – Starry Eyed
mp3 : Cinerama – Yesterday Once More
The release of Superman rectified what had been a bit of an oversight as it had proven to be the most popular track on the album. But it was really just the vehicle for testing the water with what was the most TWP thing in terms of guitars that Cinerama had done so far. Starry Eyed did hark back to an earlier era (and little did we know prove to be a staging post on the way to TWP coming back into being).
The other track was another brave stab at a cover. David Gedge has never been afraid to cite influences which the indie cognoscenti would turn their noses up at throughout his career. In this instance, he took on and delivered one of the biggest hit singles that had been written and recorded by The Carpenters.
There were more surprises for those who bought the 7″:-
mp3 : Cinerama – Superman (version en Espanol)
mp3 : Cinerama – Dura, Rapida Y Hermosa
The sleevenotes were completely in Spanish which I take it was a nod to the fact that the Madrid-based Elefant Records had issued a single back in 1999 when the band had been unable to do so in the UK due to issues with labels.
The a-side is completely in Spanish….I’ll leave it others to determine if its a decent delivery or not. But it sounds a tad forced to me to get the lyrics to fit the tune.
The b-side is a hybrid…..opening with a live partly-stumbled through recording of Hard, Fast and Beautiful from a gig at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City in October 2000, before seamlessly becoming the Spanish language version.
File under obtuse.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Brilliant. Couldn’t have put it better myself. I love all things Gedge but I grew weary of the “foreign” translations a long time ago. Still, he’s earned the right to do what he likes and you can’t win them all. Fantastic blog by the way. Keep on keeping on.
please – enough from this band – the blogs getting tedious now
The first Cinerama tune I actually bought. I’d lost my way with Gedge after the Weddoes broke up, but for some reason this was the track that reeled me back in.
Oh, and congratulations JC – in the so-called Anonymous, you’ve got your first troll!
Not a troll – a daily visitor expressing an opinion that’s all – free country and all that
Forgive me, but slagging off someone’s blog in a comment posted as ‘Anonymous’ is a pretty trolly thing to do. You may not like the band – and you’re free to say so – but saying the blog’s getting tedious based on one weekly series that you personally are not fond of is a pretty poor argument. I’m not a fan of everything I see here, but I have never seen fit to write an unwarranted criticism like yours. I just move on and come back the next day.
I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m the one that’s out of order. Sorry JC, but I think Anon is being unfair and unkind. Everyone else thinks you do a great job here. I couldn’t let this pass without sticking up for you. I won’t prolong this any further.
I have followed this blog for many years, even in its other guise and I have praised JC numerous time for his excellent choice of music – why wouldn’t I? ….where were you then?…was I a troll then? ….think you should leave any answers to my post to the blog owner not some keyboard warrior on a high horse fighting someone elses battles …”Anon is being unfair and unkind”…mommy the bad man was unkind…blub blub blub…sigh…
And in steps the blog ‘owner’…..although I hate that word. I genuinely see this place as belonging to everyone which is why I’m so keen to seek out and accept guest contributions.
Picking things up in the order they came.
The first anon comment does read like a bit of trolling; the series is designed, as they all are, to run its natural course, and so the use of ‘tedious’ did seem strange given that it wouldn’t lead to further scheduled posts being pulled. But I also thought if, read on its own, it could be a bit tongue-in-cheek given I do dish out some what I hope is good-natured humour. Indeed, it could well be A Billy Joel fan expressing their dislike for Cinerama.
I’m not surprised Robster came back in the way he did. He’s been a very public fan and contributor here for an incredibly long time and his first contribution was, I think, meant in a light-hearted sort of way while his second contribution was a very well put and succinct comment the use of ‘tedious’. I am delighted he stood up for the blog when I wasn’t around. He’s a great blogger himself and it can be a bit deflating when you’ve spent ages putting something together with what you think is a coherent argument only for it to be received with the internet equivalent of a cat-call.
Moving on to Anon’s last comment. I’m sorry to say does look on the first and indeed subsequent readings like a further bit of trolling given the aggressive tone and name-calling – keyboard warrior indeed!!!.
Now I can’t say for sure if Anon has commented before. After all, there have be over 4,700 comments left here over the years with a few hundred of these being left by ‘anonymous’, although a number then put initials or a name at the end (e.g SC and Son of the Rock) and I can work out who has said what.
But I wouldn’t dream of calling anyone a liar and so I do accept that today’s anon contributor does come in regularly and has been positive in the past. And they are more than free to say they don’t like Cinerama and to ask for the posts on the band to be stopped.
Fair enough. You’re in for a disappointment though with more singles to feature….and who knows, maybe an ICA for good measure at some point in time!!!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve a few more postings to put together as June is going to be a busy month at work and I need to use what’s left of this bank holiday to put things together.
Last night I posted something rather unkind about Coldplay on a public forum. I called Chris Martin a titbag. The abuse I got from anonymous people was pretty relentless. One threatened to kill me because I said something unkind. You can have any opinion you like but it’s just nice to leave a name behind to show it’s not a troll or a twat.
Swc.
So, for my last post on this and let me follow your method JC by replying to each section if I may:
1- the post was neither meant as malicious or troll like but some decided to put their “white knight” hats on and berate me through sycophantic comments for simply expressing an opinion, albeit in an anonymous mode.
(explained since I cannot now log onto one of the social media sites you recommend below JC) Internet bullying is abhorrent but standing up for yourself is a basic human right.
2- As stated previously I have been a visitor over many years to this blog – Mon-Fri @ breakfast time (GMT) between the hours of 8:30am and 9:30am, posting previously with my name until that was no longer possible due to IT restrictions. I have made many comments over the years to thank you for your choice of music and for opening me up to some new music. Perhaps I would have been treated differently if I left gushing comments and had a moniker that you recognised and not to have suffered as a mere anon?…
3 – I’m shocked that you should express that my reply was aggressive – surely we are allowed to stand up for oneself JC?- imagine if I had called someone a “titbag” then I’m sure I would have deserved the grief that would rightly come my way – yet instead I have been likened to a “troll or a twat” for simply expressing an opinion which didn’t gel itself to their insular mindset.
4 – Yes I found the aforementioned post from Cinerama was overkill as I also felt the James series was….phew glad I didn’t say anything at that time. :-). But that was just my opinion and I expressed it. As blog owner (yup) I’m sure you will post more of bands you love and wish to promote and I salute your perseverance in doing this blog and long may it continue but sadly for me without one avid Mon-Fri visitor.
Good luck with your blog in the future JC – I’m sure it will continue to entertain many.
Anon I think you’ve gone but if you haven’t you missed my point. It may have been badly put on my behalf. I wasn’t liking you to a twat or a troll. Its easier for people to think you are if they think you are hiding behind an anonymous tag. I was kind of saying criticism is fine but trolling isn’t. I slagged off Coldplay and some anonymous people got aggressive with me and in a way I was a troll to them. Fuck it. It’s only music.
To suggest that a blog, with well over 1,000 posts featuring an extensive list of bands as listed on the right hand side, is ‘tedious’ on the basis of six postings is, on the surface, trolling. And yes, I’d have said as much to anyone else who left such a comment in their own name.
Apologies that the exchange of comments left such a bitter taste in your mouth that you won’t be coming back.
So anon was Chris Martin !