THE DIRTY STRANGERS
Album: West 12 To Wittering (Another West Side Story)
Release date: May 4th 2009
Label: Track Records
Format: 1CD & Digital Download
Cat #: TRA1061
THIRD ALBUM FROM THE DIRTY STRANGERS FEATURING SPECIAL GUESTS KEITH RICHARDS, RONNIE WOOD, JOE BROWN & CHRIS WINTER
“A Master-piece…what a blast” – MOJO
“They’re back when we need them, raising two fingers at recession and Coldplay syndrome while kicking more ass than ever.” – Record Collector
Who was it that said, you are what you eat? Some tribe of cannibals, probably. But for The Dirty Strangers, you are where you live. They are Shepherds Bush – cosmopolitan, a bit rough around the edges and beating with a heart of gold.
The West London suburb, postcode West 12, begins where the M40 haunches and flies into the capital on an elevated stretch called the Westway. From there it spreads south and east to its snootier neighbours in Chiswick and Notting Hill. The borough is home to the BBC, HMP Wormwood Scrubs, Queens Park Rangers FC and the greatest little rock’n’roll band in the world.
In a parallel universe, The Dirty Strangers are the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world. There, singer Alan Clayton’s gap-toothed smile is as famous as Mick Jagger’s face is here. And in that universe The Rolling Stones are the greatest ‘little’ rock’n’roll band in the world and Keith Richards is proud to say he once persuaded members of The Dirty Strangers to guest on some of their albums. Which back in this universe is roughly where most people come in.
The Dirty Strangers were born in 1986-ish when Clayton – riding on the coat-tails of punk while mixing the rootsy rock’n’roll of Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Chuck Berry with a little bit of Otis Redding soul – honed a five-piece line-up including sometime Chuck Berry sideman ‘Scotty’ Mulville on keys and former Ruts guitarist Paul Fox.
Clayton, the band’s prime motivator and chief songwriter, remained a man prone to ducking and diving – a loft extension here, a bit of security work there – and in the latter capacity met Big Joe Seabrook, a man who did the same for Keith Richards. Recognising a pair of soul brothers this man introduced Clayton to Richards and within minutes – in full Shepherds Bush market nothing-ventured nothing-gained bravado – the Dirties frontman was asking Keef, “Wanna hear our album? Wanna play on it?”
It just so happened that with The Stones on downtime and Mick making a solo album, Keef and Ronnie Wood were kicking their heels. Next thing, they were in some low-rent studio jamming because, well, it’s only rock’n’roll but they like it.
Their names and work appeared on the Dirty Strangers’ self-titled debut album in 1987 and rave reviews followed. In 1993 a fine second album, Burn The Bubble, emerged but the world beyond W12 inexplicably missed out and the Dirties lapsed into hiatus – lofts were extended, kitchens finally finished…
Clayton, though, never stopped writing songs and playing gigs. He also stayed in touch with Keith and Ronnie and eventually joined the inner circle of crew on the Stones’ mammoth Bigger Bang tour of 2005-2007. With that jaunt completed the Dirties were reborn and a third album, once again featuring contributions by Keith and Ronnie, completed. Its title – West 12 To Wittering – a homage both to the area that spawned it and the Rolling Stones guitarist, who once told Alan Clayton: “We’re the same, you and me, but you didn’t get the breaks…”
The new album is somewhat of a pastiche of Arthur Laurent's 'West Side Story - just swap Shepherds Bush for New York - where Clayton writes his own musical, influenced by personal life experiences that embrace gang culture, hoodlums, isolation, liberty, motors, and love stories.
Keith Richards plays piano on 5 tracks, and is joined on ‘All Away’ by the legendary Joe Brown playing banjo. Ronnie Wood's slide guitar is on two tracks, 'South Of The River' & 'Gold Cortina'. Joe Brown's son, Pete, produced the album, except for 'She’s A Real Real Botticelli' (co-written by Keith, as was 'Bad Girls'), which was produced by former Damned founder member, Brian James.
Described as “a masterpiece” by MOJO magazine, A 4-track digital download of “She's A Real Botticelli” (original single version + three mixes) is to be released on May 18th via The Orchard. (www.theorchard.com)
The tracks are:
“She's A Real Botticelli” album/original single version
“She's A Real Botticelli” - Youth radio mix
“She's A Real Botticelli” - Zodiac Youth mix
“She's A Real Botticelli” - Youth dub mix
Album Track Listing
Talk To Me
Ain't That Too Much
South Of The River
Liberty Smile
All Away
Bad Girls(You’re going nowhere)
She’s A Real Botticelli
Love For Life
Survival Dance
Don't Come Easy
Gold Cortina
Nowhere Maybe
Another West Side Story
Downloadable bonus tracks (* Keith Richards plays guitar):
Only One
* Diamonds (Buried Treasure Mix) **
* Thrill Of The Thrill (Buried Treasure Mix)
* Wide Boys & Slim Pickings (Buried Treasure Mix)
* Didn't Want To Be An Angel (Buried Treasure Mix)
* Oh Yeah! (Buried Treasure Mix)
* Shepherds Bush City Limits
**Diamonds is released with She’s A Real Botticelli (album version) on all downloads.
The Dirty Strangers play the following live dates:
Supporting George Thorogood:
May 21st The Corn Exchange, Cambridge
May 22nd Colston Hall, Bristol
May 23rd The Guildhall, Southampton
May 24th The Symphony Hall, Birmingham
May 25th The Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
May 27th The Royal Albert Hall, London
May 28th The Apollo, Manchester
May 29th Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow
The Dirty Strangers’ Headline The Following Dates:
June 29th 2009
Live Lounge at Baby Blue Liverpool
Edward Pavilion Albert Dock
Liverpool, L3 4AF
£8 advance £10 on door
Doors: 19:30
Tel: 0844 8000 400
http://www.babybluelivelounge.co.uk/
June 30th 2009
Robin 2, Wolverhampton
28 Mount Pleasant
Wolverhampton, WV14 7LJ
£8 advance £10 on door
Doors: 19:30
Tel: 01902 401211
http://www.therobin.co.uk
July 1st 2009
Cox’s Yard, Stratford
Bridgefoot,
Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6YY
£8 advance £10 on door
Doors: 19.30
Tel: 08700 600 100
http://www.coxsyard.co.uk/
2nd July 2009
Yardbirds, Grimsby
Church Street
Grimsby, DN32 7DD
Cost:£8 advance £10 on door
Doors: 20.00
Tel: 07771520374
http://www.myspace.com/yardbirdsrockclub
7th July 2009
The Horns, Watford
1 Hempstead Road
Watford, WD17 3RL
Cost:£8 advance £10 on door
Doors: 20.00
Tel: 01923 225020
http://www.thehornswatford.co.uk
8th July 2009
The Musician, Leicester
Clyde Street
Leicester, LE1 2DE
Cost:£8 advance £10 on door
Doors: 20.00
Tel: 0116 251 0080
http://www.themusicianpub.co.uk/
8th August 2009
The Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne Minster (with JOHN SINCLAIR)
West Borough
Wimborne Minster, BH21 1LT
Cost:12.00
Doors: 20.00
Tel: Tel: 01202 849103 Fax: 01202 849483
http://www.tivoliwimborne.co.uk/
www.myspace.com/dirtystrangersw12
For further information please contact Dave Clarke at:
Tel:+44 (0) 7966 557774 or dave@planetearthpublicity.com