The albums of my life by Wendy James of Transvision Vamp

Wendy James and her Transvision Vamp Not only were they one of the most successful British groups of the late eighties and early nineties, but they keep the flame burning by touring periodically.

Taking advantage of the opportunity we asked Wendy James for the six albums of his life and there is no doubt that he has enjoyed answering our section.

(See their tour dates at the end of this article.)

The Stooges – “The Stooges” (1969)
Without this album, what would exist? If you listen to this album in its entirety, it will blow your mind, but if you listen to it thinking in the context of 1969 you will understand how representative it is of its time, how ahead of its time it was and, ultimately, how timeless it is. Songs like “1969”, “I Wanna Be Your Dog” or “No Fun” drove you crazy then, now and always! They are songs that make you want to go out into the street and want to form the most irreverent band of all time. I don’t know anyone who, upon hearing “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” doesn’t instinctively connect with their most uninhibited anarchy and sexuality.

The Velvet Underground – “The Velvet Underground” (1969)
Without this album, what would exist? (Second). And from the same year! Take me there right now! How countercultural are these two bands and these two albums? One from Ann Arbor and the other from New York. To me, Lou Reed’s genius as a songwriter is not comparable to anyone else’s. There is not a single song – or interview – that I have written, performed or given that does not captivate me. Lou was a genius, an extraordinary human being, forever immortalized in my life and in the lives of millions of people. CollectivelyThe Velvet Underground, along with Warhol, Nico, The Factory and Union Square are simply the coolest thing you can imagine. His composition was on another level.

The production of this album with “What Goes On”, “Some Kinda Love”, “Pale Blue Eyes”, all its little guitar ornaments, all its percussion, its vocal rhythm, its lyrics, its melodies… Everything so idiosyncratic for The Velvet Underground, apparently naive, apparently simple, but no. These songs and their arrangements are perfectly crafted. I imagine that, by now, it must be clear: I love them! The Velvet Underground!

Bob Dylan. “Desire” (1976)
I like everything he has done Bob Dylanbut his “Rolling Thunder Revue Tour” with Scarlet Rivera and Sam Shepard (Renaldo & Clara) hits the nail on the head. I’m a huge Scarlet Rivera fan! She is so bohemian and sophisticated, so wonderfully glamorous and incredibly talented. The whole live band was. Take a minute and search YouTube for the live version of “Isis” that exists. He has a kind of superhuman power. The longing, the growling, the honesty, the pain, the need and the goodbye! Sayonara. No one can sum up or describe Dylan better than himself. Or maybe a ten-year documentary could do it. Needless to say, since I was young, every time I hear his voice, my entire being resets and I find peace.

Sonic’s Rendezvous Band – “Too Much Crank” (2006/2010)
Compilation from the seventies, published in 2006. Sonic’s Rendezvous Band was born from the ashes of four Michigan rock bands: Fred “Sonic” Smith of MC5, Scott Morgan of The Rationals, Gary Rasmussen of The Up and Scott Asheton of The Stooges. “Too Much Crank” It is a compilation of some of the best live bootlegs of the band, who only recorded a single song in a recording studio, “City Slang”, and they put it on side A and side B. The rest of all their recordings are direct from local concerts.

The first time I heard “You’re So Great” – in my friend Gerb’s apartment on St. Marks Place in downtown New York – I knew immediately that I would do a cover one day. A few years later I became friends with James Williamson from Iggy & The Stooges and we decided to go into the studio to record some songs together. He asked me what song I would like to cover and I immediately told him “You’re So Great”! It’s a song quite similar to my style of writing and performing: alternative pop/rock, powerful and raw. Originally, James was going to ask Scott Asheton (of The Stooges and SRB) to play drums, but Scott had back problems. And I already thought this was going to be Wendy & The Stooges! However, that gave me the opportunity to invite James Sclavunos to play drums with me. We had wanted to work together for a long time, so it was perfect. Since then, James Sclavunos and I have been bandmates. Also, when I connected with Lenny Kaye (The Patti Smith Group) and he became my guitarist in “The Price of the Ticket” (16), one of our first coincidences was our deep admiration for Fred “Sonic” Smith’s way of composing and playing the guitar. It’s simply amazing! Note: It was Lenny who introduced Fred to Patti Smith…the rest is history. Don’t miss SRB! They are amazing and all their songs are great.

Television – “Marquee Moon” (1977)
I love this album: “Guiding Light”, “Little Johnny Jewel”, “See No Evil” and, of course, “Friction”. Nick (Sayer, from Transvision Vamp) played “Friction” for the first time and I was surprised by that descending guitar part played by Richard Lloyd. She’s legendary and every guitarist I’ve ever played with loves her! I talked to Richard about playing guitar on my last record, but in the end it was Lenny Kaye who did it! I see a pattern here. I feel completely at home in the CBGB/Max’s scene. The bands influenced each other, and from the early to late 1970s, the Bowery produced some of the best bands and artists in the world. Musicians, painters, writers, journalists, young Quakers, revolutionaries, agents of change… The entire album is unique. Nothing had ever sounded the same and no one has come close to sounding like them since.

Sex Pistols – “Never Mind The Bollocks” (1977)
When you see Johnny Rotten growling “God Save The Queen” as they boat down the river past Parliament… It’s a perfect iconoclastic moment! For culture, for music, for style, for politics, for absolutely everything. I love “Submission”, “Bodies”, “EMI”, “Pretty Vacant”, “Anarchy In The UK”… This album is the best, don’t you think? Look at the images from his tour of the United States, when in Texas Johnny says the famous phrase “Have you ever had the feeling that you have been deceived?” He is a genius. And I think Julien Temple’s “The Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle” is one of the best movies ever made! (laughs). It has countless moments to remember! Ronnie Biggs!, “Friggin In The Riggin”!, Steve Jones is hilarious and what a guitarist! (Don’t miss his radio show “Jonesy’s Jukebox”). Paul Cook, what a drummer! Glen Matlock, what a bassist! Sid, the man! And there could only be one Johnny, the supreme one, the rebel. That was Johnny! This album marked my life in an instant when “God Save The Queen” went to number one, but at the same time it was censored. “Never Mind The Bollocks” It marked me forever. And think about the title for a moment. No one will ever be able to give you wiser advice.