Shuffle Aces: The Spitfires – Tell Me

Bit of a variation on the “shuffle aces” theme in that this isn’t something I discovered on iPod shuffle mode (hell, iPods are so old school anyway).  This one came from a random post from the excellent Mr Suave’s Mod Mod World on Facebook. Tell Me by The Spitfires is proof that everything old is new again…

When I saw the song, I went to The Spitfires website to try and find out a bit more about them – when Mr Suave recommends something I know it will be pretty good so I always like to know a bit more about the band before I listen. First thing I saw was this quote from front man Billy Sullivan:

“Bored of reunions, rejuvenations or revival. Its like we’ve gone back to the age of the ‘dinosaur rock stars’ of the mid 1970s. Everything is mid paced, safe and just a bore – but the answer isn’t too look back to when it was all fine and dandy in past times (in terms of music) and recreate it. I think that’s missing the point. Influence being one thing and trying to recreate it being completely different.

Talent shows, fucking top 100 funniest videos of people falling in ditches – there surely must be a desperation to strive for more?

I’ve started to see it in younger kids at gigs. The way they dress represents their tastes instead of a Top Shop window display.

Things that past generations see as vital and precious are no longer relevant to the mainstream but soon will be.

I can sense the change. Interest once again in music laced with passion, energy and frustration.

If there’s a time for that change. That time is now.”

Reading that made me think I’d read it before… like in 1979 from someone like, say, Paul Weller! Then I listened to the song… and blow me down, this is Paul Weller reincarnate with a band that might as well be The Jam! Not surprisingly, apparently the song was recorded at Paul Weller’s Black Barn Studio in Surrey. There’s so much energy and passion in their performance – I’d love to see them live.

I love this kind of simple but ballsy approach to music – it’s what made me fall in love with the whole punk/new wave scene back then. Here’s hoping that The Spitfires can keep it rolling.

Shuffle Aces is a series of posts that highlights a song of the week that “shuffling” has brought forth. With all the streaming services it’s not just an iPod on shuffle mode that we use to discover new stuff, but the principle remains the same: hit play and wait to see what gems come forth.

4 Comments on “Shuffle Aces: The Spitfires – Tell Me

  1. Pingback: What Is Mod? - The Cavan Project

  2. Pingback: Shuffle Aces: The Riots Time For Truth - The Cavan Project

  3. To use Billy Sullivan’s own quote about influence and mimicry, only to label him as ‘Paul Weller incarnate’, is just as lazy as using the same quote to tell us that The Spitfires ‘might as well be The Jam’. It’s very conflicting and highly inaccurate. The Spitfires are very much their own band and they’re driven by influences from much further afield than just Woking.

    • Hi Paul, I agree that if taken the wrong way those comments may not be the best, but this is not a negative review: I love the band! That they can capture the energy and passion of Weller and The Jam is fantastic – I certainly did not want to imply that they were copying them. Sincere apologies that you – or anyone else – may have taken the review the wrong way, and I’ll try and be a bit clearer in future.

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