Just Nothing

David J and René Halkett - Nothing/Armour

Ripped from a compact disc EP self-released on Urbane Music in 2001 to high quality lossless flac audio. Back during my long run of 4AD posts, I featured a rip of the rare vinyl single version of this. Now courtesy of blog follower, Shane comes the expanded compact disc reissue distributed by David J at the turn of the century.

1  Nothing
2  Armour
3  The New God
4  Nothing (Spoken Word)
5  Armour (Spoken Word)

Shades Of Glass

David J - On Glass

Originally a vinyl compilation album released on Glass Records (GLALP 016) in 1986, recreated here from a 1998 compact disc reissue. During 1983, whilst brother Kevin and Daniel Ash were exercising their goth chops as Tones On Tail and Pete Murphy was in rehab, David J Haskins began to lay down roots as a solo artist with a dylanesque debut solo album on Situation Two followed by the difficult V For Vendetta EP with cartoonist Alan Moore on the splendid Glass Records label. This compilation rounds up the singles from this period, most of which have featured here before in some shape or other, and most of which were recorded with various Jazz Butchers and brother Kevin Haskins.

1 The Promised Land
2 I Can't Shake This Shadow Of Fear
3 Saint Jackie
4 A Seducer, A Doctor
5 Crocodile Tears And The Velvet Cosh (Revisited)
6 Ship Of Fools
7 Night Of The Silver Veil
8 4 Hours
9 The Conjures' Hand
10 This Vicious Cabaret
11 Incidental
12 V's Theme (Outro)
13 The Party's Over
14 Crocodile Tears And The Velvet Cosh
15 Fear Is A Man's Best Friend

Cabaret Obscuro

René Halkett & David Jay - Nothing b/w Armour

Ripped from a 7" vinyl single released on 4AD Records (AD 112) in 1981 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. René Halkett was an original member of the arts faculty at the Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar, David Jay was the bass playing member of Bauhaus, an arty goth-rock band from Northampton, England. Art for arts sake. Thanks again to Steve for sharing his original single here.

A1 Nothing
B1 Armour

Cabaret Obscuro

David J - Blue Moods Turning Tail

Ripped from a 12" vinyl EP released on Glass Records (GLAEP 101) in 1985 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. Another serious upgrade of a historic posting from likely the most productive ex-member of Bauhaus.

The Blue Moods Turning Tail EP featured two commendable note for note cover versions, firstly the Clock DVA standard 4 Hours and concluding with John Cale's Ship Of Fools. The two self-penned tracks in between are instantly quite forgettable standard fare. Shortly after release J was to leave both Glass Records and The Jazz Butcher (some of whom featured on these grooves) to team up with former Bauhaus buddies Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins to promote the successful Love And Rockets project.

A1 4 Hours
B1 Night Of The Silver Veil
B2 The Conjurer's Hand
B3 Ship Of Fools

Too Clever By Half

David J - Crocodile Tears And The Velvet Cosh

Originally ripped to mp3 here many moons ago, I promised a lossless re-rip of David J. Haskins' second album late last year. For a brief moment in my youth, I was a big Bauhaus fan and subsequently followed the various splinters after their split. 

Crocodile Tears And The Velvet Cosh is much more accessible than his debut but in reality his arty post-Dylan songwriting style is quite dull, and it is only the few tracks where he is augmented by a full band (such as on the title track) that he achieves anything. Although un-credited, I would hazard a guess that his co-musicians on these tracks are from Northampton's fine popsters The Jazz Butcher, for whom David J was a part-time bassist in the mid-late eighties. 

There are few highlights among David J's dull acoustic wanderings, the fore mentioned title track, the Jazz Butcher'esque twang fest of Too Clever By Half, plus the clever Stop This City are worthy listens. Tones On Tail were far better.

Ripped from a vinyl album released on Glass Records (GLALP 010) in 1985 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A1 Crocodile Tears And The Velvet Cosh
A2 Too Clever By Half
A3 The First Incision
A4 Imitation Pearls
A5 Light And Shade
A6 René
B1 Stop This City
B2 Justine
B3 The Ballad Of Cain
B4 The Vandal And The Saint
B5 Boats
B6 Slip The Rope
B7 Greener

For Back Combed Disco Queens In Leather Jeans

David J - I Can't Shake This Shadow Of Fear

I missed this one off my discography posting of a few years back. It's big beat goth disco for disco queens with back combed hair and leather jeans. Not really my thing, but most will agree that the guitar riffs on this extended version are superb, and apart from the poppy I'll Be Your Chauffeur, DJ's most commercial solo single, and probably the nearest sounding to what he later achieved with Love And Rockets.

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Glass Records (GLASS 12039) in 1984 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A. I Can't Shake This Shadow Of Fear
B. Wargame

The Promised Land

David J And The J-Walkers - The Promised Land

I read the other day that Beggars Banguet are to reissue the first David J album with the associated singles as extras. It would seem that the Glass Records releases are not included, so here we are with time for a quick couple of lossless re-rips. If there is interest (say now please) I will re-rip and post the Crocodile Tears LP

The Promised Land from the debut LP was re-recorded with a full band, featuring his brother Kevin and a number of Jazz Butchers, for who J had just joined as bassist. This was a highly entertaining ditty chronicling the downfall of Bauhaus.

Ripped from a 7" vinyl single released on Glass Records (GLASS 031) in 1983 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A. The Promised Land
B. Saint Jackie

A World According to.... David J

The original demise of Bauhaus in 1983 was well documented on their obtuse final album, Burning From The Inside, where it was clear that the band were no longer talking to each other. Often misunderstood as just a goth band, Bauhaus were really a very original post-punk act and the very likely the first goths. Bassist David J Haskins was able to peak from behind his RayBan's when half the band were just too busy toning their tails, and whilst frontman Peter Murphy was just slowly losing the plot. His solid contributions to the last Bauhaus album were not great ...they were just ok, but he was (it seems) the only band member making any form of contribution.

His first solo album, released quickly after the break-up, followed in that vein - like a tortured troubadour who wanted to be Dylan with the craft of Cale. It didn't work, but there are one or two tracks worthy of a second listen.

Etiquette of Violence : originally released as a 12" vinyl album on Situation Two Records (SITU 8) in 1983
A1. I Hear Only Silence Now
A2. No One's Sending Roses
A3. The Fugitive
A4. Betrayal
A5. Joe Orton's Wedding
A6. The Promised Land
B1. With The Indians Permanent
B2. Say Uncle
B3. Disease
B4. Roulette
B5. Saint Jacque

The Promised Land from the debut was re-recorded with a full band, featuring his brother Kevin and a number of Jazz Butchers, for who J had just joined as bassist. This was a highly entertaining ditty chronicling the downfall of Bauhaus.

The Promised Land : ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Glass Records (GLASS 12031) in 1983
A1. The Promised Land
A2. Saint Jackie
B1. A Seducer, A Doctor, A Card You Cannot Trust

The second album, and his first on Glass was a cheerier affair, with J diverging away from experimentation to a much more standard singer/songwriter set-up. Augmented by most of the Jazz Butcher, this album was a much more listenable affair ...yet again it failed to sell. The lovely title track was also released as a single.

Crocodile Tears And The Velvet Cosh : ripped from a 12" vinyl LP released on Glass Records (GLALP 10) in 1985
A1. Crocodile Tears And The Velvet Cosh
A2. Too Clever By Half
A3. The First Incision
A4. Initation Pearls
A5. Light And Shade
A6. Rene
B1. Stop This City
B2. Justine
B3. The Ballad Of Cain
B4. The Vandal And The Saint
B5. Boats
B6. Slip The Rope
B7. Greener

I'll conclude this post with the interesting Blue Moods Turning Tail EP featuring two note for note cover versions, firstly the Clock DVA standard 4 Hours and concluding with John Cale's Ship Of Fools. The two self-penned tracks in between are instantly forgettable. Shortly after release J was to leave both Glass Records and The Jazz Butcher to team up with former Bauhaus buddies Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins to promote the successful Love And Rockets project.

Blue Moods Turning Tail EP : ripped from a 12" vinyl EP released on Glass Records (GLAEP 101) in 1985
A1. 4 Hours
A2. Night Of The Silver Veil
B1. The Conjurer's Hand
B2. Ship Of Fools

Files Removed - Keep Your Eyes Peeled for lossless re-ups

Note: the comments in this post (esp those regarding the demise of Bauhaus) are purely the opinion of the original author, and are in no way intended to upset those delicate little souls who still hang on to hope that Bauhaus were the best band in the world ever and have never really broken up. sob.