Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Nico Gray Celebrates Art d’Ecco

10:00 – Station ID

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
   [WMM’s adopted Theme Song – We are proud members of the church of Fosse]

2. Reitzell/Beggs — “Intro Versaille”
   from: From: Marie Antoinette (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Verve Forecast / 2006

3. Joni Mitchell — “A Bird That Whistles”
   from: Chalk Mark In A Rainstorm / Geffen Records / January 1, 1988
   [Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm is the 13th studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1988. It was her third for Geffen Records. The album features various duets with guest artists such as Peter Gabriel on “My Secret Place”, Willie Nelson on “Cool Water”, Don Henley on “Snakes and Ladders”, Billy Idol and Tom Petty on the track “Dancin’ Clown”. Henley also performs backing vocals on “Lakota”, and Wendy and Lisa perform backing vocals on “The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Lay Down Your Arms)”. // In early 1986, Mitchell and Larry Klein visited Peter Gabriel’s Ashcombe House recording studio near Bath, England. Since Gabriel had mostly finished his album So by that time, he offered Mitchell and Klein the use of his studio if they wanted to record. They did, and the result was the track “My Secret Place” which was a duet between Mitchell and Gabriel. Mitchell told Musician magazine about this song: “It’s a love beginning song. The song’s about the threshold of intimacy. It’s a shared thing so I wanted it to be like the Song of Solomon, where you can’t tell what gender it is. It’s the uniting spirit of two people at the beginning of a relationship”. // In February 1987, Mitchell saw Billy Idol performing his hit version of the William Bell R&B ballad, “To Be a Lover” on the Grammy Awards show. She felt he captured the original spirit of rock’n’roll along with a new spark of energy, and would be perfect for a cameo on her song “Dancin’ Clown”. Idol came over to Mitchell’s studio one evening a few days after the Grammys and recorded his part, complete with yelps and howls. Mitchell told Macleans magazine about this pairing up: “It was for the contrast he provided. It’s a great little cameo for him, and he brings real life to the part.” Later, Tom Petty recorded his cameo on the same song. // About Chalk Mark, Mitchell told interviewer Kristine McKenna: “I’ve discovered that with your focus no longer on finding a mate, you get a heightened sense of community, and I’ve become a bit more political – not too political though”. // Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm was released in March 1988, and the song “Snakes and Ladders” (featuring Don Henley) was issued as a pre-release single to radio stations in January 1988.]

4. Cosmo Sheldrake — “Cuckoo Song”
   from: Wake Up Calls / Tardigrade Records / September 18, 2020
   [Cosmo Sheldrake was born December 16, 1989. He is an English musician, composer, and producer. He is the son of parapsychologist Rupert Sheldrake and voice teacher Jill Purce, and the brother of biologist Merlin Sheldrake. He released his first single, “The Moss”/”Solar”, in 2014 and followed it up with the Pelicans We EP in 2015. He is associated with Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit, Mr Jukes, Sam Lee, The Gentle Mystics, Bernie Krause, and Matthew Herbert. // Described as a “musical visionary” by The Telegraph, Sheldrake has been releasing music since 2014. // His debut single, “The Moss”, was released on 25 March 2014, followed by a debut EP, Pelicans We, on 6 April 2015, and a debut album, The Much Much How How and I, on 6 April 2018. // Much of Sheldrake’s work is concerned with improvisation, nonsense, and the sonorous environment. He has provided music for film and theatre, including the score for a series of Samuel Beckett plays at the Young Vic in London. Sheldrake also performs solo and with several bands including Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit and the Gentle Mystics. His song “Come Along” was featured in an advertisement for Apple’s iPhone XR in the US and UK. The song subsequently charted at number 39 on the US Digital Songs chart dated 26 January 2019.]

5. Love and Rockets — “An American Dream”
   from: Express / Beggars Banquet Records / September 15, 1986
   [Express is the second studio album by English alternative rock band Love and Rockets. It was released on 15 September 1986 on Beggars Banquet Records. An even greater departure from the band members’ previous work as Bauhaus, the album’s fusion of underground rock with pop stylings can be seen as an early example of alternative rock music, a genre that reached mainstream popularity in the early 1990s.”Kundalini Express” was featured in the 1986 Italian horror film Demons 2 and appeared on an episode of the T.V. show Miami Vice.]

10:13 – Nico (& Mark) Live Intro

Nico: THE GREAT AFRICAN AMERICAN POET, SOCIAL ACTIVIST, NOVELIST AND PLAYWRIGHT LANGSTON HUGHES WROTE “HOLD FAST TO DREAMS, FOR IF DREAMS DIE- LIFE IS A BROKEN-WINGED BIRD THAT CANNOT FLY.”
WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY MIDDAY MEDLEY. YOU JUST HEARD THE SONG “AN AMERICAN DREAM” FROM THE ENGLISH BAND LOVE AND ROCKETS FROM THEIR 1986 LP EXPRESS. WE OPENED THE SHOW WITH “A BIRD THAT WHISTLES” FROM THE PROLIFIC CANADIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER JONI MITCHELL FROM HER 13TH STUDIO ALBUM IN 1988 “CHALK MARK IN A RAIN STORM” AND WE FOLLOWED THAT WITH “CUCKOO SONG” BY BRITISH MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER COSMO SHELDRAKE FROM HIS 2020 ALBUM ‘WAKE UP CALLS.”

MY NAME IS NICO GRAY AND I’M YOUR GUEST PRODUCER FOR TODAY’S SHOW ALONG WITH YOUR HOST, MARK MANNING.

MARK: Wednesday MidDay Medley welcomes back to the show, Nico Gray, as “Guest Producer.” Nico is a writer, performance artist, and has worked as an actor with KC Rep, Gorilla Theatre, 8th St. Cafe Theatre, Actor’s Craft, and Big Bang Buffet. He appeared in HBO’s Truman and you can see him as a drunken sailor smoking a cigarette stumbling down the hallways of Union Station in the Robert Altman film Kansas City. He starred alongside Jason Sedakis in the short film “Where’s Phil” written and directed by local film maker John McGraff. Nico has worked for Theatre League, The Midland Theatre and is currently a marketing & advertising consultant with Union Station and the Marketing Director for Fringe Festival KC. For WMM Nico Gray has co-hosted several of fund drive shows, Glam Rock show, Bowie Tribute Shows, and our 700th show. Today is his 11th appearance as Guest Producer.

Nico: TODAY WE CELEBRATE, DISCOVER, ENGAGE, AND DIVE DEEP INTO THE MUSIC AND INNOVATIVE MIND OF CANADIAN INDIE-GLAM ROCKER, SINGER-SONGWRITER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST, ART D’ECCO. I RECENTLY SPOKE WITH THE HUMBLE ARTIST AND I’LL SHARE SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ALONG WITH TRACKS FROM HIS LATEST ALBUM “IN STANDARD DEFINITION.” RELEASED IN APRIL, HIS SPELLBINDING 2018 LP TRESPASSER, AND WE’LL BE SPINNING SOME VINYL TRACKS FROM HIS SOLO DEBUT LP FROM 2016 “DAY FEVERS”,

GRAB YOUR PLATFORM SHOES, YOUR LIPSTICK, ROUGE, EYE SHADOW, FEATHER BOA, AND WANDERING EAR- IN JUST A FEW MINUTES WE’LL TAKE A CANDID GLIMPSE INTO THE WORLD OF ART D’ECCO’S MUSICAL MIND.

WE’LL START BY PLAYING THE TITLE TRACK TO HIS LATEST ALBUM IN STANDARD DEFINITION AND THE INSTRUMENTAL INTRO “CHANNEL 7 (PILOT SEASON).”

BUT FIRST AS AUTUNM HAS ARRIVED, LET US WELCOME OCTOBER AND THE NEW YEAR IT BRINGS. FROM THEIR 2ND STUDIO RECORDED ALBUM RELEASED 30 YEARS AGO THIS OCTOBER, THIS IS U2 AND THE TITLE TRACK “OCTOBER.”

10:16

6. U2 – “October”
   from: October / Island Records / October 12,1981
   [October is the second studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 12 October 1981 by Island Records, and was produced by Steve Lillywhite. The album was lyrically inspired by the memberships of Bono, the Edge, and Larry Mullen Jr. in a Christian group called the “Shalom Fellowship”, and consequently it contains spiritual and religious themes. Their involvement with Shalom Fellowship led them to question the relationship between the Christian faith and the “rock and roll” lifestyle, and threatened to break up the band. // After completing the third leg of the Boy Tour in February 1981, U2 began to write new material for October, entering the recording studio in July 1981. Just as they did for their 1980 debut Boy the band recorded at Windmill Lane Studios with Lillywhite producing. The recording sessions were complicated by Bono’s loss of a briefcase containing in-progress lyrics for the new songs, forcing a hurried, improvisational approach to completing the album on time. // October was preceded by the lead single “Fire” in July 1981, while its second single “Gloria” coincided with its release. The album received mixed reviews and limited radio play. In 2008, a remastered edition of October was released.]

7. David Bowie — “Sound and Vision 2013”
   from: Sound and Vision 2013 – Single / Parophone UK / October 3, 2013
   [A stripped-down remix was created by Sonjay Prabhakar in 2013 for a Sony commercial. Titled “Sound and Vision 2013”, it was solely included on a CD-R promo. An extended version of the remix was released later the same year. // “Sound and Vision” is a song by English musician David Bowie. It was released in January 1977 on side one of his 11th studio album Low. RCA Records later chose it as the first single from the album. Co-produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, the song was recorded at the Château d’Hérouville in Hérouville in September 1976, continuing at Hansa Studios in West Berlin from October to November. The song began as a simple G major chord progression, which Bowie gave to the backing musicians, writing and recording his vocals later on. It features backing vocals from Brian Eno and Visconti’s then-wife Mary Hopkin. // Regarded by biographers as the closest to a “conventional pop song” on Low, “Sound and Vision” is oddly structured. It begins as an instrumental, with elements building throughout its runtime; Bowie’s vocals don’t appear for over a minute and a half into the song. The song’s lyrics are dark and introspective, reflecting Bowie’s mental state after years of drug addiction. They further continue the lyrical themes of other tracks on Low’s first side. The lyrics provide a stark contrast to the music itself, which is more joyous and upbeat. Like other Low tracks, the song’s drum sound was achieved through the use of Visconti’s Eventide H910 Harmonizer. // Released as a single on 11 February 1977, “Sound and Vision” was a commercial success, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart, aided by its appearance in BBC television commercials. It nevertheless signaled Bowie’s commercial downturn until 1983 in the US, where it peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100. Music critics and biographers have regarded “Sound and Vision” as one of Bowie’s greatest songs. Bowie performed the song only once on his 1978 Isolar II world tour, but performed it frequently on later tours. Remixes of the song have been created in subsequent decades and it has appeared on numerous compilation albums.]

8. Art d’Ecco – “Channel 7 (Pilot Season)”
   from: In Standard Definition / Paper Bag Records Records / April 23, 2021
   [Art d’Ecco is based in British Columbia, “There’s more than a little David Bowie in both the sonic and fashion leanings of Art d’Ecco, a performer who fluidly crosses musical and gender lines, creating highly memorable tracks — and sporting an unforgettable look. Often labelled “neo glam,” the music boasts hints of everything from ’50s pop to psychedelics, from Velvet Underground-era art rock to Grimes-inspired electronics.” – CBC Music Art d’Ecco released the album Trespasser on Paper Bag Records on October 12, 2018. When d’Ecco moved into his grandmother’s cottage on one of the islands, he hadn’t planned on creating a new project. But, as it often does, circumstance charted his course. His grandmother, living with Alzheimer’s, suffered a related phenomenon called ‘sundowning,’ which triggers increased agitation and anxiety around sunset. “The only way to calm this lady down was to sit down at the piano,” says d’Ecco. He would play “Bohemian Rhapsody,” passing it off as Beethoven. After she was relocated, d’Ecco remained in the empty house where he had played as a child. Draped in memory, he gravitated toward the piano, spending the long, lonesome, quiet nights on the bench before the instrument. This is where Art d’Ecco was created. He relocated to a new cottage, built a studio and barricaded himself with copies of Deerhunter’s Cryptograms, Bowie’s Low, and choice krautrock records. In this solitude, d’Ecco would chase tones for hours. The result is a richly-realized confluence of the ferocious spark of those trailblazers and a distinct sadness, with d’Ecco as mad scientist, stitching together these delicious fragments and animating them.]

9. Art d’Ecco – “In Standard Definition”
   from: In Standard Definition / Paper Bag Records Records / April 23, 2021

10:25 – Underwriting

10. Art d’Ecco – “Never Tell”
    from: Trespasser / Paper Bag Records Records / October 12, 2018
    [“From beneath dark bobbed hair and charismatic maquillaged eyes, Art d’Ecco conveys the look of a person born out of time. But Art, it seems, has found his niche – a modernity, a beguiling look and a musical style that reflect his obsessions. On stage the character of Art d’Ecco takes a stance and steps into a theatrical role with total conviction.” – Princess Julia]

10:30 – Nico Live Read

THAT’S THE FIRST TRACK FOUND ON THE 2018 ALBUM “TRESPASSER” THAT WAS “NEVER TELL”.

BUT TODAY THE INDIE SINGER-SONGWRITER ART D’ECCO DOES TELL. WE’RE CELEBRATING HIS MUSIC AND THE MAN BEHIND IT ALL.

KKFI 90.1 FM KANSAS CITY COMMUNITY RADIO COMPLIES WITH THE DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT – BUT IN THE CASE OF THIS SHOW WE’VE RECEIVED SPECIAL WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE ARTIST AND RECORD COMPANY TO PLAY MORE THAN 4 SONGS IN THIS TWO-HOUR PROGRAM.

A NOTE FROM ART D’ECCO (MARCH 21, 2016 GULF ISLANDS, BRITISH COLUMBIA) FROM HIS 1ST RECORDING LP “DAY FEVERS”

IN 2013 I TURNED MY BACK ON THE CITY THAT RAISED ME. I WAS FINISHED WITH MUSIC – TIRED OF THE CRUSHING LOWS, THE ENDLESS DISAPPOINTMENTS, AND THE COMPOUNDING FAILURES THAT FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONLESS SOULS WHO LONG FOR ITS ACCEPTANCE.

THE GREENER PASTURES I FLED TO WERE INDEED MUCH GREENER – AND ONLY ACCESSIBLE BY BOAT. IT WAS IN THIS NEW HOME – OVERLOOKING AN ORCHARD SURROUNDED BY FORESTED LAKES AND CANADIAN WILDLIFE; THAT I FOUND THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS THAT CLUTTERED MY BUSY MIND: “WHO IS ART D’ECCO? WHERE DOES HE BELONG?

10:31

11. Art d’Ecco – “Sunrise” (Vinyl)
    from: Day Fevers / Your Face Records / 2016 [No longer Available]
    [When d’Ecco moved into his grandmother’s cottage on one of the islands, he hadn’t planned on creating a new project. But, as it often does, circumstance charted his course. His grandmother, living with Alzheimer’s, suffered a related phenomenon called ‘sundowning,’ which triggers increased agitation and anxiety around sunset. “The only way to calm this lady down was to sit down at the piano,” says d’Ecco. He would play “Bohemian Rhapsody,” passing it off as Beethoven. After she was relocated, d’Ecco remained in the empty house where he had played as a child. Draped in memory, he gravitated toward the piano, spending the long, lonesome, quiet nights on the bench before the instrument. This is where Art d’Ecco was created. He relocated to a new cottage, built a studio and barricaded himself with copies of Deerhunter’s Cryptograms, Bowie’s Low, and choice krautrock records. In this solitude, d’Ecco would chase tones for hours. The result is a richly-realized confluence of the ferocious spark of those trailblazers and a distinct sadness, with d’Ecco as mad scientist, stitching together these delicious fragments and animating them.]

10:32 – Nico Live Read

THAT WAS “SUNRISE” THE FIRST TRACK ON ART D’ECCOS SOLO DEBUT LP CALLED “DAY FEVERS” RELEASED IN 2016.

BORN IN OTTOWA, CANADA THE SAME YEAR THAT DAVID BOWIE’S “LET’S DANCE” WAS NUMBER ONE ON A WORLDWIDE STAGE, ART D’ECCO IN HIS EARLY YEARS WOULD BOUNCE BACK BETWEEN OTTAWA, CANADA AND IOWA, USA, THEN BACK TO OTTOWA AND EVENTUALLY LAND IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. AS A CHILD HIS PROPENSITY FOR MUSIC, ESPECIALLY THE PIANO WOULD TAKE HIM TO STUDY UNDER ONE OF CANADA’S GREATEST JAZZ MUSICIANS, (THE ECCENTRIC GEORGE ESSELHOFF). I ASKED HIM ABOUT HIS EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF MUSIC AND HIS CHILDHOOD DAYS ON THE PIANO.

10:33

12. Art d’Ecco Interview – “Early life of Music learning to play Piano & Guitar”

17. Art d’Ecco – “Joy”
    from: Trespasser / Paper Bag Records Records / October 12, 2018
    [“From beneath dark bobbed hair and charismatic maquillaged eyes, Art d’Ecco conveys the look of a person born out of time. But Art, it seems, has found his niche – a modernity, a beguiling look and a musical style that reflect his obsessions. On stage the character of Art d’Ecco takes a stance and steps into a theatrical role with total conviction.” – Princess Julia]

10:40 – Nico Live Read

THE SONG TITLED ‘JOY’ FROM 2018’S TRESPASSER.

FROM THE AGES OF 16 – 20 ART D’ECCO HAD TRADED ONE OBSESSION, PLAYING CLASSICAL PIANO FOR ANOTHER, DIVING DEEP INTO LEARNING TO PLAY THE GUITAR. EAGER TO FORM A BAND AS HE WAS FINE-TUNING HIS OWN MUSICAL TASTES, HE DECIDED IN 2003, AT THE AGE OF 20 TO MOVE TO VANCOUVER IN HOPES OF FINDING LIKE-MINDED MUSICIANS. HE SAYS VANCOUVER AT THE TIME IN THE EARLY AUTS FELT LIKE A MICRO CARBON COPY OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE MUSIC SCENE IN NEW YORK CITY AND SIMILAR CITIES. BUT AS JOHN LENNON WROTE IN HIS SONG “BEAUTIFUL BOY (DARLING BOY)” , “LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU WHEN YOU’RE BUSY MAKING OTHER PLANS.” BY THE YEAR 2012, ART FELT THAT A SIGNIFICANT PART OF HIS 20’S WERE WASTED, PARTYING TO MUCH, -HE FELT ANXIETY, AND WAS BURNT OUT FROM THE MUSIC SCENE IN VANCOUVER- A BROKEN-WINGED BIRD THAT COULD NOT FLY.

BUT A CHANGE WOULD SOON BE ON THE HORIZON. A LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH HIS FATHER LED HIM TO RELOCATE FROM VANCOUVER TO THE SERENE AND BREATHTAKING SURROUNDINGS OF THE GULF ISLANDS TO ASSIST WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER’S FAILING HEALTH SUFFERING FROM ALZHEIMER’S. THIS MOVE WOULD BE THE CATALYST FOR REVAMPING HIS MUSICAL DREAMS AND EVENTUALLY IT WOULD PROPEL AND INFLUENCE HIS FIRST TWO ALBUM RECORDINGS, DAY FEVERS AND TRESPASSER. HERE, ART TALKS ABOUT HIS RELOCATION AND THAT PERIOD IN HIS LIFE:

10:42

14. Art d’Ecco Interview – “Gulf Islands Day Fever”

15. Art d’Ecco – “I’ll Never Give You Up” (Vinyl)
    from: Day Fevers / Your Face Records / 2016
    [Based in British Columbia, “There’s more than a little David Bowie in both the sonic and fashion leanings of Art d’Ecco, a performer who fluidly crosses musical and gender lines, creating highly memorable tracks — and sporting an unforgettable look. Often labelled “neo glam,” the music boasts hints of everything from ’50s pop to psychedelics, from Velvet Underground-era art rock to Grimes-inspired electronics.” – CBC Music Art d’Ecco released the album Trespasser on Paper Bag Records on October 12, 2018.]

16. Art d’Ecco – “Trespasser”
    from: Trespasser / Paper Bag Records Records / October 12, 2018

10:50 – Mark talks with Nico about Art d’Ecco

10:58

17. Art d’Ecco – “Station ID”

10:58 – Nico Live Read

THAT WAS THE TITLE TRACK TO ART D’ECCO’S 2ND STUDIO LP “TRESPASSER” RELEASED IN OCTOBER 2018.

THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY FOR THE SECOND HOUR OF WEDNESDAY MIDDAY MEDLEY. MY NAME IS NICO GRAY AND I’M YOUR GUEST PRODUCER AND WE’RE PROFILING THE TALENT OF ONE OF CANADA’S RISING STARS- INDIE NEO-GLAM ROCK ARTIST – ART D’ECCO.

HIS DEBUT RECORD DAY FEVERS WAS RELEASED IN THE SUMMER OF 2016 AND A TOUR WOULD SOON FOLLOW. WHILE IN VICTORIA BEFORE THEIR SECOND SHOW OF THE TOUR, AFTER FINISHING A SOUND CHECK AND BEFORE STEPPING ONTO STAGE HE MATERIALIZED BEFORE HIS BAND MATES WEARING A COSTUME AND A HUMAN HAIR BOB-CUT WIG THAT HE’D PURCHASED EARLIER AT A WIG SHOP IN A MALL. HIS BAND MATES JAWS DROPPED WITH MOUTHS’ WIDE-OPEN, ASKING, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING??” A REACTION HE WAS LOOKING FOR AND THE GENESIS OF THE GLAM ROCKER LOOK LOCKED INTO PLACE AS SEEN ON HIS SECOND ALBUM COVER, TRESPASSER. RETURNING FROM THE TOUR AND STILL LIVING IN THE GULF ISLANDS, ISOLATION, LONELINESS, SELF-DOUBT AND REFLECTION WOULD PECK ON THE DOOR OF RELEASE. WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT TIME IN 2017, A YEAR AFTER DAY FEVERS WAS RELEASED AND THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WOULD BECOME HIS SONIC SUPER STAR ALBUM “TRESPASSER.”

11:00

18. Art d’Ecco Interview – “Gulf Islands The Hunted”

19. Art d’Ecco – “The Hunted”
    from: Trespasser / Paper Bag Records Records / October 12, 2018

11:09 – Nico Live Read

THERE ARE TEN TRACKS ON TRESPASSER, THAT IS TRACK #10, THE HUNTED. RELEASED IN OCTOBER 2018.

LADY’S MISUNDERSTOOD- SHY AND DEMURE
HE LET THE ENGINE RUN – SHE’S WIDOWED FOR GOOD
THESE EMPTY HALLS WE SHARED FOR YEARS –
IT’S TOUGH TO HEAR YOU CRYING THROUGH THE WALLS.

HOLLOWED-OUT ROCKING CHAIR SCRATCHING THE WOOD
QUIETLY SITTING THERE – SHE’S WAITING HER TURN
THESE EMPTY HALLS WE SHARED FOR YEARS
NIGHT TIME WITHDRAWAL – I’VE BEEN HERE THRU IT ALL.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE LYRICS FROM “LADY NEXT DOOR” A HAUNTING MELODIC SONG WITH AIRY VOCALS BACKED WITH STRINGS THAT SUBTLY PARADES TO A SARGENT-PEPPER-ESQUE ENDING.

THERE IS SOMETHING SO SWEET ABOUT THE SADNESS, SOME COMFORT TO TAKE IN THE ISOLATION THAT IS PURVEYED IN SOME OF THE SONGS ON TRESPASSER. CONNECTING WITH AND REPLAYING THIS SONG OFTEN FOR ITS POETIC RHYME AND SOFT MEMORIES IT EVOKES. SO, I ASKED ART ABOUT HIS WRITING TECHNIQUE AND BACKGROUND ON SOME OF THE SONGS IN THIS ABLUM BUT SPECIFICALLY I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHO IS THE LADY NEXT DOOR?

11:11

20. Art d’Ecco Interview – “Lady Next Door”

21. Art d’Ecco – “Lady Next Door”
    from: Trespasser / Paper Bag Records Records / October 12, 2018

11:17 – Nico Live Read

LADY NEXT DOOR – A ROCKING CHAIR MELODY FOR THE UBER GLAM LISTENER.

SUPPORTING HIS RELEASE AND THE SUCCESS OF 2018’S TRESPASSER, ART D’ECCO TOURED IN BOTH CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES IN THE SPRING OF 2019 AND ANOTHER IN THE FALL OF THAT SAME YEAR – PLAYING IN SMALL CHIC VENUES.

ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 I FOUND MYSELF ON AN JET-PLANE AFTER PURCHASING A TICKET TO HIS SEPTEMBER 19TH SHOW AT THE HI-DIVE BAR IN DENVER, COLORADO. A SMALL BAR/VENUE REMINISCENT OF KANSAS CITY’S FAMOUS GRAND EMPORIUM.

BY THIS TIME, ART HAD RELEASED A SINGLE RECORD- A VERY UNIQUE AND POIGNANT CHOICE AS HE COVERED THE SONG “THIS FLIGHT TONIGHT” FROM THE ICONIC JONI MITCHELL ALBUM “BLUE”. I DOWNLOADED THE SONG BEFORE I LEFT FOR THE AIRPORT AND ADDED IT TO MY ART D’ECCO PLAYLIST- WHICH AT THE TIME CONSISTED OF THE ENTIRE TRESPASSER ALBUM, AND NOW THIS JONI MITCHELL COVER. I’D WAIT TO LISTEN TO IT ON MY IPOD AS A MEANS TO PASS TIME DURING THE FLIGHT.

I’M A HUGE JONI MITCHELL FAN. TODAY’S SHOW WAS OPENED WITH HER VOICE. MY OLDER SISTER WOULD SING HER SONGS TO ME AS A CHILD, SO IN A WAY HER MUSIC IS “FAMILIA” TO ME. ESPECIALLY HER ALBUM BLUE.
THE PLANE TOOK OFF FROM KCI AND AS WE SOARED INTO THE PINKISH-BLUE EVENING WESTERN SKY- I PUSHED PLAY ON THE COVER TRACK AND WAS ABRUPTLY ABDUCTED INTO A FRESH ORB. IF JONI’S VERSION WAS LIKE FAMILY, THEN ART D’ECCO’S COVER WAS LIKE LOOKING IN A MIRROR AND SEEING SOMEONE ELSE. SUDDENLY, I BECAME UNSURE ABOUT GETTING ON THE FLIGHT…HAVING DOUBTS ABOUT FLYING, SHOULD I HAVE STAYED HOME….IS THE AIRPLANE ENGINE OK- – SHOULD I HAVE GOTTEN ON THIS FLIGHT TONIGHT?…THE LURING AND HYPNOTIC DRUMBEAT, MESMERIZING VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS, THE 80’S HUMAN LEAGUE POINTED SYNTHESIZERS TOUCH ON EVERY WORD THAT NOW GIVES THIS CLASSIC SONG A CRISP AND CLEARER MEANING WITH HITCHCOCK UNDERTONES. QUITE SIMPLY- HE COMPLETELY “D’ECCO-‘D” IT! GIVING IT HIS OWN PERSONAL STAMP FROM HIS INSPIRED APPROACH. I REPLAYED THE SONG OFTEN DURING THE FLIGHT UNTIL WE LANDED SAFELY ON THE TWINKLE-BLUE DIM-LIT DENVER AIRPORT TARMAC. I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT HIS DECISION TO COVER A VERY SPECIFIC JONI MITCHELL SONG. ONE THAT NOW HAS SO MANY PLAYS ON MY PLAYLIST. I WAS CERTAIN IT WAS A SEXY STORY.

11:19

22. Art d’Ecco Interview – “Joni Mitchell”

23. Art d’Ecco – “This Flight Tonight”
    from: This Flight Tonight – Single / Paper Bag / July 23, 2019
    [Written by Joni Mitchell and originally recorded for her 1971 album “Blue.” Special thanks to our friend Nico Gray for turning us onto Art D’Ecco. Based in British Columbia, “There’s more than a little David Bowie in both the sonic and fashion leanings of Art d’Ecco, a performer who fluidly crosses musical and gender lines, creating highly memorable tracks — and sporting an unforgettable look. Often labelled “neo glam,” the music boasts hints of everything from ’50s pop to psychedelics, from Velvet Underground-era art rock to Grimes-inspired electronics.” – CBC Music]

11:24 – Underwriting

10:25 – Nico Live Read

“THIS FLIGHT TONIGHT” A CAPTIVATING COVER BY ART D’ECCO- WRITTEN BY JONI MITCHEL FROM HER 1971 ALBUM BLUE.

AS ART’S TOUR CONCLUDED BY THE END SEPTEMBER 2019, HE WENT INTO THE STUDIO IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER TO RECORD WHAT WOULD TECHNICALLY BE HIS 3RD STUDIO ALBUM, IN STANDARD DEFINITION. AN ALBUM WRITTEN LATE AT NIGHT WITH THE TV ON- IN VARIOUS HOTEL ROOMS WHILE ON THE ROAD DURING HIS TRESPASSER TOUR.

THEN IN JANUARY OF 2020, HE JOINED AND OPENED FOR THE ENGLISH ROCK BAND TEMPLES ON THEIR NORTH AMERICAN TOUR. THIS IS WHERE I CAUGHT UP WITH HIM AGAIN- IN MINNEAPOLIS AT THE FAMOUS FIRST AVENUE VENUE. ART AND TEMPLES WERE PLAYING THE 7TH ST. ENTRY, AN INTIMATE STAGE IN THE SAME BUILDING AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE. THIS WAS THE EPICENTER OF MUSIC ROYALTY WHERE PRINCE, ON A WHIM WOULD OFTEN SHOW UP AND PLAY IN THIS INTIMATE SETTING. THE SHOW WAS SOLD OUT. 250 CAPACITY- TIGHT QUARTERS- WHERE YOU CAN SMELL EVERYONE’S COLOGNE, HAIR PRODUCT, BOOZE ON A BREATH- IT WAS A PERFECT PRE-COVID EXPERIENCE AS HE TOOK THE STAGE TO A PACKED, EAGER AND WILLING ROCK-N-ROLL AUDIENCE WHO WOULD HAVE NO IDEA THAT THESE EXPERIENCES INSIDE NIGHTCLUBS WOULD BE FOREVER CHANGED DUE TO A PANDEMIC. ALMOST APPEARING TO BEAM HIMSELF ON STAGE WEARING A BLACK LEATHER ONE PIECE SUIT HE ROCKED THE CROWD AND ENLIVENED THE STILL BODIES DURING HIS STAR PERFORMANCE. AT ONE POINT HE DRANK WATER FROM A PLATIC BOTTLE – TILTING HIS HEAD BACKWARD AND SPRAYING IT OUT OF HIS MOUTH LIKE A VENETIAN FOUNTAIN -LIKE IGGY POP SWINGING SHIRTLESS FROM AN IMAGINARY VINE, FLIPPING OFF AN AUDIENCE DURING A STOOGES CONCERT- IT WAS GLAM – RELENTLESS- IT WAS ROCK WITH A THRUSTFUL ROLL. HE HAS A LOOK YES- AN IMAGE- YES- STAGE CHARISMA- YES- BUT IT IS THE MUSIC- THE LYRICS- AND MOSTLY THE UNIQUELY FAMILIAR VOICE THAT WE SO WANT TO ASSOCIATE WITH GLAM ICONS, OR 70’S AND 80’S PUNK ROCKERS. YET HIS VOICE IS HIS OWN.

THE TEMPLES TOUR ENDED ON FEBRUARY 7TH AT CROCODILE CAFÉ IN SEATTLE. LIKE THEATRE ACTORS IN A LONG-RUN PLAY, IT WAS A TOUR THAT FELT LIKE FAMILY. IT WOULD BE THE END OF THE BEGINNING AND THE BEGINNING OF THE END AS CONCERT SCENES EVAPORATED, FUTURE TOURING PLANS HALTED, AND THE PRODUCTION AND MIXING OF IN STANDARD DEFINITION WOULD BE POSTPONED.

BUT ON APRIL 23RD 2021 ART D’ECCO’S ALBUM WOULD FINALLY BE RELEASED; A 12 TRACK LP -RECORDED IN ANALOGUE ON A 50 YEAR-OLD CONSOLE. HE HIRED A VIOLIN AND CELLO PLAYER FROM THE VANCOUVER VICTORIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND HOSTS AN ARRANGEMENT OF TALENTED MUSICIANS – FROM DRUMMERS, GUITARISTS, TROMBONE, TRUMPET, AND SAXOPHONE PLAYERS – TO BLUES AND JAZZ STYLE BACKUP VOCALIST. HE PLAYS THE ELECTRIC AND ACOUSTIC GUITAR, BASS, DRUM MACHINE, ANALOGUE SYNTHESIZER, FM SYNTHESIS, CLAVINET, MELLOTRON, PIANO, PROCEEDED HORNS AND ADDITIONAL STRINGS. BUT IT’S HIS MAIN AND MOST IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT THAT PIQUED MY CURIOSITY. SO, I ASKED HIM ABOUT FINDING AND FINE-TUNING HIS VOICE.

11:29

24. Art d’Ecco Interview – “Vocals”

25. Art d’Ecco – “Bird Of Prey”
    from: In Standard Definition / Paper Bag Records Records / April 23, 2016

11:36 – Nico Live Read

“BIRD OF PREY” A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG WRITTEN FOR HIS THEN GIRLFRIEND AND SOON TO BE BRIDE, FROM THE CONCEPTUAL ALBUM IN STANDARD DEFINITION RELEASED THIS PAST APRIL ON PAPER BAG RECORDS. WE’LL HEAR FROM ART ONE MORE TIME AS WE NEAR THE END OF THIS SPECIAL TWO-HOUR PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY MIDDAY MEDLEY.

“ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE, AND ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN MERELY PLAYERS’ “(ACT 2, SCENE 7) FROM, SHAKESPEARE’S AS YOU LIKE IT.

THE ALBUM IS A STAGE AND IN ART D’ECCO’S IMAGINATIVE WORLD OF IN STANDARD DEFINITION HE IS THE ACTOR. IT’S UNLIKE ANYTHING THAT’S BEEN HEARD BEFORE AND ANOTHER OUT OF THIS WORLD AUDIO EXPERIENCE. THE GLAM ROCK ENERGY IS HEARD ON EVEN SOME OF ITS SLOWER TRACKS. THERE ARE TWO INSTRUMENTAL SONGS WITH ENO-ESQUE VIBES AND HE ONCE AGAIN TRANSPORTS US AWAY FROM OUR REALITY – THIS TIME INTO THE LIVES OF TV CHARACTERS AND THEIR AUDIENCES. THE CROWD IS GOING WILD AGAIN AS D’ECCO BROADCASTS HIS THOUGHTS ON THIS ALBUM AND A SONG THAT PERSONALLY RESONATES WITH ME.

11:40

26. Art d’Ecco Interview – “Actor”

27. Art d’Ecco – “I Remember”
    from: In Standard Definition / Paper Bag Records Records / April 23, 2021

11:48 – Nico Live Read

Nico: “I REMEMBER” THE LAST TRACK FROM THE LATEST ART D’ECCO ALBUM IN STANDARD DEFINTION. FITTING, AS OUR CREDITS WILL NOW START ROLLING.

Nico: THANK YOU CHAD BROTHERS: THANKS TO BRENDAN MCCARNEY AT DOUBLE DENIM MGMT; PAPER BAG RECORDS AND TO OUR STAR OF THE DAY, ART D’ECCO FOR SHARING YOUR STORIES, YOUR MUSIC, YOUR WORLDS OF TALENT. WE WELCOME YOU TO KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI AND WE LOOK FORWARD SEEING YOU SOON!

THANKS TO EVERYONE OUT THERE LISTENING, AND A MILLION THANKS TO MARK MANNING.

WE’LL END OUR GLAM ROCK DAY TRIP WITH SPINNING A TRACK ON VINYL FROM DAY FEVERS. “UNTIL IT IS OVER”.

11:50

28. Art d’Ecco – “Until It’s Over” (Vinyl)
    from: Day Fevers / Your Face Records / 2016
    [Art d’Ecco has been compared to David Bowie, The Cure, and Sparks. Born in Ottawa, Ontario and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, d’Ecco’s father put him up at a family home in the Gulf Islands to care for his grandmother, then ailing with Alzheimer’s disease. It was during this time that d’Ecco wrote the songs that would make up his solo debut, DAY FEVERS, recorded with a piano and an iPhone. After touring with DAY FEVERS, d’Ecco began to experiment with his image. Inspired by his fascination with Iggy Pop and Deerhunter he had arrived at his signature glam-androgynous look, just as he released his second album, Trespasser. In 2021 d’Ecco released his third album, IN STANDARD DEFINITION, recorded in analog on a 50-year-old console. More info at: http://www.artdeccomusic.ca]

29. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

11:58 – ArtsKCGO – Arts Calendar

12:00 – Station I.D.

Next week on Wednesday MidDay Medley, on October 6 – Marion Merritt returns as guest producer with music from The Orb, ft. Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine, Jose Gonzalez, The Pro-Teens, Odds & Ends, Elephant Wrecking Ball, Dave Okumu, Low, Sandro Galileo, Katsuhisa Hattori, Papi Churro, Joy Orbison, and Aldous Harding.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Nico Gray Portrait by: Jan McNiel

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1

On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #909