According to yesterday's Planet Sound, The Fireman (i.e. the outlet for the ambient techno dabblings of Paul McCartney and Youth) have pulled out of their scheduled appearance on "Later...Live" next week, owing to Macca rehearsing for a tour. This is a pity, because they deserve wider exposure. They released two albums in the 1990s, "Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest" (I love that title) and "Rushes". They're very hard to find, so it's best to stick with YouTube for now.
Hopefully they'll get around to re-issuing those albums. In the meantime, if you get a chance have a read of "The Unknown Paul McCartney" by Ian Peel, which delves deep into Paul's long love-affair with avant-garde music. Next time someone tries to tell you that John Lennon was the maverick spirit in The Beatles, take a copy of this book and WHACK THEM OVER THE HEAD WITH IT.
That YouTube vid is rubbish isn't it. But I don't have a Fireman mp3 to share with you unfortunately.
Youth is best known perhaps as a member of Killing Joke, and producer of The Orb, Crowded House and The Verve. He also produced (and co-wrote bits of) Bananarama's "Pop Life" album from 1991 though. I love people who bring what are apparently polar opposites in pop music together. Here's 'ver Rams' TOTP performance of "Preacher Man", a very good single I think even if it wasn't a big hit.
It's okay rock fans, you can come out from behind the sofa now.
A third album from The Fireman is imminent.
