Ambient psychedelic rockers Spectrum are set to release wave after wave of tunes in 2008. The adventure begins in February with an LP titled Spectrum meets Cpt. Memphis - Indian Givers. This record documents the unique collaboration between Spectrum (Peter Kember/Sonic Boom and friends) and record producer/piano player Jim Dickinson! This album ^ will be released in addition to the highly anticipated new Spectrum album, also due in ‘08, plus an EP that will precede the LP. whew!
Spectrum Meet Jim Dickinson
According to a press release about the new record with Jim Dickinson:
It’s a really nice record featuring collaborations in songwriting & recording with the meta-legendary Jim Dickinson, known for his astounding work with Ry Cooder (Paris Texas + others), Dylan (1990s), the Stones (Wild Horses), Aretha Franklin (1970s), Big Star (Like Flies on Sherbet), The Cramps (Red Headed Woman) as well as his many incarnations from The Jesters (legendary SUN Records artistes) thru to his current mesmerising Mudboy & the Neutrons (known felons in drag ) band & Cpt. Memphis solo persona.
Tracks include a re-recording of ‘Amen’, ‘Take your Time’ & ‘When Tommorrow Hits’, new Spectrum song ‘Mary’, collaborations ‘The Lonesome death of ‘Johnny Ace’ (an astounding song about the late Johnny Ace, a 50s r&b crooner who blew his brains out playing “gun games” backstage between 2 shows on Xmas day at the famous Mitchell Hotel & whorehouse in Memphis… stories dont get much better than this), ‘Confederate Dead’ and some new fantastic Jim Dickinson songs in ’till your mainline comes’ & ‘the old cow died’. The sessions were recorded around 3 years ago at Jim’s studio in the Mississippi mud lands surrounding the river Mississippi, just south of the Tennessee border.
The lp features Randall Nieman of Spectrum & Fuxa and Jimmy Crosthwait from Mudboy & the Neutrons and on Jim’s classic 1972 release ‘Dixie Fried’.
New Spectrum Album In 2008
Not to be confused with the new Spectrum LP that is also due in 2008, the collaboration with Jim Dickinson is a separate release. The new LP from Spectrum will also be released in 2008, after the release of an EP. The EP is titled Walking & Falling and is due in March 2008 on Mind Expansion Records. As yet, there is no word on when the LP will be available, nor what the title will be.
Photo of Sonic Boom by Molli Fire
Sonic Boom & Spectrum Tours
Spectrum was formed by Sonic Boom (Peter Kember) before the breakup of Spacemen 3 (Peter Kember + Jason Pierce). Sonic Boom tours frequently and plays material from the vast catalog of Spectrum and Spacemen 3. Sonic Boom is currently touring Europe through the end of the year. A full Spectrum tour is being organized for the US starting in NYC in January. More details to come.
Sonic Boom Live
Here are short video clips that I shot when Sonic Boom played in SF earlier this year. He is playing Spectrum songs, which I forget the names of at the moment… He’s dreamy live, I highly recommend going to a show if he comes near your town.
Sonic Boom Europe Tour Dates (European style day/month)
05/12 - Le Bus Palladium, 6 Rue Fontaine, Paris, France
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
06/12 - Din Nye Ven, Skt Peder Straede 34, Copenhagen, Denmark
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
08/12 - Fleischmarkthalle, Durlacher Allee 62, Karlsruhe, Germany
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
10/12 - Das Schiff, Westquaistrasse, Hafen, Basel, Switzerland
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
11/12 - Zukunft, Dienerstrasse 33, Zurich, Switzerland
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
12/12 - Le Bourg, Rue de Bourg, Lausanne, Switzerland
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
15/12 - Duplex, Geneva, Switzerland
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
19/12 - Castellon, Spain
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
20/12 - Groove Bar, C Cardenal Cervantes, 4, Tarragona, Spain
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
21/12 Murcia, Spain
22/12 - La 2 De Nista, Barcelona, Spain
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs
5/1/08 - Stereo, Glasgow
Sonic Boom performing Spectrum, Spacemen 3 and other songs plus special guest DJ from world famous indie legends.
Spectrum, Sonic Boom, Jim Dickinson Links
Sonic Boom website
Jim Dickinson wiki
What Do You Think? ↓
1 » ALTAS, BAJAS Y GOLPES CELESTIALES (REPEATER) « Nuyorker // Jan 23, 2008 at 18:56
[...] en colaboración con el oriundo de Memphis, JIM DICKINSON en BIRDMAN RECORDS. El proyecto se llama SPECTRUM MEETS CAPTAIN MEMPHIS. En la primavera aparecerá también un nuevo EP en MIND EXPANSION RECORDS titulado WALKING AND [...]
2 ee // Mar 6, 2008 at 21:23
Jason Pierce has nothing to do with Spectrum. I think there is actually some animosity between the two. They DID used to be in Spacemen 3 however.
3 Molli Fire // Mar 7, 2008 at 14:42
You’re right ee.
That reference was meant for Spacemen 3. Thanks for catching it and alerting me! It should be right now…
I actually have an update to this; I’ll post it this weekend.