The Vanden Plas finally goes digital. Santa Margherita in all it's various mixes including those by Derrick Carter, Peace Division and Guy Williams, as well as the B-side are now on iTunes. Four additional singles are up there too released from the vaults for your pleasure. Visit The Vanden Plas iTunes page here
DJing the opening night of the Urban Physic Garden in Southwark, a pop up medicinal garden on a derelict building site. I played on stage in the operating theatre, finishing the night off with Heal The World, though the hoped for lighters in the air moment didn't happen.
I've DJed a lot of weddings over the years but I've never cycled to one. Today the ceremony was at the National Liberal Club in Westminster so it was close to home. The challenge was then just about getting my stuff there. Fortunately I've have a commodious customised shopping trolley as a trailer for my bike, so everything was able to be loaded into that. The only pity was that the contraption wasn't powered, or I'd finally have myself a mobile sound system.
DJed my first 'guerrilla wedding'. Linsey and Tom asked guests to turn up at Brockwell Park walled garden for their humanist ceremony. I DJed the party afterwards at the Regent, with a mixture of Black Beauty and Rage Against The Machine as the first official dance (not my choice, but always happy to experiment and it worked a treat).
Our record Santa Margherita has been included on a new compilation CD put out by Salvatore Ferragamo in the USA. Downloads are available here:
The Vanden Plas goes twittering. Follow at twitter.com/thevandenplas
Lots more music from The Vanden Plas is now available at Last FM. Just don't get us muddled with those far less sophistcatedly titled rockers "Vanden Plas", as our music and theirs tends to get muddled up at Last FM!
"Well traveled" or "International DJ" can now be added to The Vanden Plas's track record. I DJed my old friend and one time manager's wedding in Brussel's Bibliothèque Solvay, Parc Leopold. It was a beautiful and energetic afternoon, ending in the early hours of the next day, wedding guests piled onto a park bench swigging the last of the champagne.
Independiente, who we were signed to in 2003, have signed over all the master copies of The Vanden Plas including remixes of 'Santa Margherita' by Derrick Carter, Guy Williams and Peace Division. These are have been delivered in the charmingly inaccessible DAT format but I hope will be extracted shortly and made available to buy online as MP3s for the first time.
The Vanden Plas fulfilled a lifelong ambition by DJing at the spectacular Rivoli Ballroom in South London last night for the Goldsmith's Undergraduate Christmas Party. The billing was shared with Vinyl Matt and a curious looking nu-rave Father Christmas character (although he insisted the white beard was both perennial and natural and that the skinny red jeans and hoody were not worn for the occasion). The favourite tune of the night was a nine minute Salsoul Records Christmas Medley.
The Vanden Plas will be playing on August 18 at a fundraising event for Trans-Tanz, a chartiable bus in Tanzania. It's at The Stag in Belzize Park London. More details at this Facebook page:
Lots of new and unreleased tracks from The Vanden Plas are now available on www.Last.fm. Search for "The Vanden Plas" and apologies if at the same time you stumble across our German hard rock namesakes, known more informally as Vanden Plas. Visit LastFM here.
Yesterday morning I received a USB stick in the post in an envelope with a Salzburg post mark on it. It comes from an art project called Subnet. I have no idea why I have received this. I can’t recall any friends or acquaitances in Salzburg, perhaps they are a previous eBay customer, a subscriber to my GuerrillaGardening.org website, a friend of a friend? Anyway I like the idea and puzzled for a few moments over what to save on it. I have chosen a pass on a song I recorded a couple of years ago called Lifetime Lovers. As this tune passes from hand to hand on the USB stick it represents that Lifetime Love we all believe is out there somewhere in the world, that hope of finding a soulmate, the search for the one person in the world meant for you. As this tune passes from hand to hand on the USB stick I also hope you take a listen and it triggers a little interest in the song! Lifetime Lovers was to be the follow up to my first record, Santa Margherita by The Vanden Plas but the record company lost interest and it has sat on my hard drive ever since. Now it is free to find your love!
The Vanden Plas now have a MySpace page where four tracks can be heard on the music player and a few pictures have been uploaded. www.myspace.com/thevandenplas
The Vanden Plas DJ off battery power in a candle lit glade near Lyme Regis for Aimee's 30th. All you need: Vestax Handy Trax and Apple iPod Speaker, for anywhere, anytime, anyplace DJ action.
The Vanden Plas DJ a late night set alongside The Crimea, Kunta Kinte and The Finishing School at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes on August 3rd.
Santa Margherita by The Vanden Plas has been chosen up by Salvatore Ferragamo for a compilation available through their US stores. It seems they make more than fine shoes and silk ties!
Copies of "One Night At Momo's Kemia Bar", which includes a full length edit of Santa Margherita are now available from my online shop for £12. Click here to buy one via PayPal.
As The Crimea grow gradually in stature (they had their first Top 40 hit a couple of weeks ago) and their album TRAGEDY ROCKS comes out today, so does hope that The Vanden Plas remix of Baby Boom might one day get a proper release. It's the only remix they've ever had done, and for now it sits in the deep freezer. Raise the subject in their forum here
"£1.99, only £1.99, £1.99 only £1.99" - sung to the tune from Guantanamera. If you've seen that on TV or heard it on the radio advertising burger offers then credit/blame goes to The Vanden Plas and Rob Clayman. Apologies to the Republic of Ireland, where some fool insisted it was adapted to "E2.99, only E2.99". View our X-rated online version here
Those stolen copies of 'Santa Margherita' have been found, stashed away with my coffee table and Persian rug, in a neighbouring garage at Perronet House. Found by chance, the villains had accidentally left the door to their bounty a jar, and I spotted a familiar mahogony table leg. The missing MG (minus wheels) has also been found. Getting it back from police custody is another adventure all together.
The Vanden Plas have recorded a new track for this year’s Everyman ad campaign - raising awareness of testicular cancer. The ad shows pop princess Rachel Stevens at home in her bedroom. Talking directly to camera she encourages men to put their hands down their trousers and play with their balls. The music was recorded in one night between the hours of 11pm and 4am, and takes on the sultry late night vibe of one man at his computer engrossed in pornography. You can view the ad at http://www.rachelgetsfruity.com/. If you listen hard you might be able to hear Rachel's last single, Negotiate With Love, being played backwards, and the sound of a my vacuum cleaner representing the male moment of gratification.
"Santa Margherita" has been stolen by a gang of South London car theives. Two boxes containing about a hundred copies of the original release, MARX3, were lifted along with a Victorian chest of drawers and a 1969 MGB GT (OCK 143H) from my lock up in the Elephant & Castle.
If you happen to be offered a copy from someone, please drop me a line here (richard@thevandenplas.com) and I'll see if we can trace these precious copies and my dear car.
'Out Of Touch' by Uniting Nations featuring The Vanden Plas remix enters the UK Top 40 singles chart at Number 12... and then after six weeks floating around the Top 20 climbs up to Number 7 in the first chart of 2005.
I have finished a remix of Stacey Kent's recording of 'I've Got a Crush on You' as Buku Sarkar's wedding theme in New York this February.
Uniting Nations 'Out Of Touch' has been racing around the dance floors of the North West England this summer. They came to me looking for a luxurious southern restyling and I've just finished the necessary panel beating and upholstery. For the original version listen to Hall & Oates "Big Bam Boom" Arthur Baker/Bob Clearmountain album from 1984 and crank it up to plus 6 on the SL1210.
'Santa Margherita', the full length original 12" edit makes it onto CD for the first time as part of 'One Night at Momo's Kemia Bar' compilation on Most Records. The compilation has been described by INTERSECTION magazine as "seductive sound souvenirs from London's chic but bacchanalian Moroccan bar, fitting for late night motoring misbehaviour". The Vanden Plas is for motoring at any time. It's out on Monday July 19th. The only remaining copies of the 12" of Santa Margherita are currently in my SE1 lock-up and available if you want one.
I've just finished a remix of 'Mysterious', which will be Jentina's third single for Virgin: www.jentina.co.uk. It's the first track I've recorded at Perronet House, a pad with dysfunctionally hot central heating, a blocked kitchen sink, and occasional power cuts. Late nights, rounds of Marmite on toast and the occasional Campari and tonic got me through it. The record reeks of my sweat. I'll mail subscribers when the release date is confirmed.
It's my birthday, and an ex of mine calls up to report that Chris 'Coldplay' Martin is spreading compliments about me. "He had much more musicality than I had when we were both 12, Richard could really play instruments then". Hmm. Thanks Chris.
"Let's Stop" is released on Eskimo as part of the "Ivan Smagghe Presents Death Disco" compilation, where they charmingly and mistakenly list it as being called "Let's Stop Marx". It's alongside 12 other electro house tracks by Dub Pistols, Chicks On Speed, Paul Rutherford, Kiki, Quark Sweet, Exorcist and others. It's the only release of "Let's Stop" on CD.
The Vanden Plas play Catch 22, Kingsland Rd, for Made By Hands' London Fashion week show and inadvertently find themselves embroiled in a piece of performance art by Charles of London. Their show culminated with a minor fracas in the DJ booth and a stage full of partially clad models smashing up dining room chairs.
Eddy Temple-Morris makes "Baby Boom" a priority tune on The Remix, XFM.
Nick Luscombe plays "Baby Boom" on Flomotion, XFM.
The Vanden Plas finish a remix of The Crimea's "Baby Boom". The original version by the band is out on Monday 17th November on Boobytrap.
Small Fish Records report that Tricky has bought himself The Vanden Plas III T-shirt. Order yours here or at www.GoodatMagic.com
The Vanden Plas remix of Martina Topley Bird's "Anything" gets a good reaction.
- Dean Meredith / Chicken Lips (Various - Worldwide) “’Vanden Plas’ are like a breath of fresh air! Great production.”
- Richard Dorfmeister (Various - Worldwide) “Intense and deep love it!”
- Michael Reinboth (Compost Records / Various – Europe) “Vanden Plas mix is a lovely deep sounding tune. Touches me – love it.”
- Paula Temple (Virtual FM / Various – UK) ”Absolutely wonderful. This is one of the best songs I’ve heard in years. The Vanden Plas remixes a perfect compliment to the original. Damn it’s so elegant and absorbing, will give all my support. I hope this one gets Martina truly noticed, she so deserves it.”
The Vanden Plas play Catch 22, Kingsland Rd, for Made By Hands' London Fashion week show. Supertramp's "Child of Vision" is the best received tune of the night.
"Santa Margherita" Peace Division and Guy Williams mixes are released on 12" (MARX5).
After a week spent in Plymouth Peter returns to London and decides to leave The Vanden Plas.
"Santa Margherita" (Original Mix) is released with "Let’s Stop" as the B-side on 12” (MARX3). Mixes by Derrick Carter are also released on 12” (MARX4).
The Vanden Plas III T-shirts are available as a limited edition run of 50. You can buy them from Animal Alien, Redchurch Street, London, (0207 613 0934) or from this site.
The Vanden Plas finish a remix of "Anything" for Martina Topley Bird.
Pete Tong and Paul Van Dyke play "Santa Margherita" (Original Mix) live on BBC Radio 1 from the infamous “Jackson baby dangling” hotel suite in Berlin. (That's enough, now we'll stop reporting when we hear our tune on the radio, unless it’s really interesting.)
"Santa Margherita" reaches Number 8 on the Massive Records Buzz Chart
Kenny Roberts (our occasional rapper) persuades TV chef Jamie Oliver to buy a copy of "Don't Walk On By", as he passes by our front door.
Pete Tong plays "Santa Margherita" (Original Mix) on BBC Radio 1 live from Café Mambo in Ibiza and makes it his Essential Tune of the Week.
"Santa Margherita" is played by Seb Fontaine and The Blue Room on BBC Radio 1.
"Let’s Stop" is played by Nick Luscombe on XFM in London.
“Don’t Walk On By” featuring Kenny Roberts is available as a limited edition of 100 CDs to his customers. He may be found selling The Big Issue in Clink Street and at Borough Market (London) on Saturdays.
"Santa Margherita" climbs to Number 11 on the DMC Buzz Chart
Peter previews some compositions in the piano lounge of the P&O Le Havre-Portsmouth cross channel ferry and gets a free cream topping to his apple pie from the bar lady.
We set up shop in Billing Aquadrome for the Rover SD1 Rally and Spares Day selling T-shirts and meet some Vanden Plas owners.
Limited edition promo copies of "Santa Margherita" and "Let’s Stop" (MARX3) are released
We go back to school and record Exeter Cathedral Choir with Stephen Tanner.
The Vanden Plas II T-shirt is available from Small Fish (Old Street) and Animal Alien (Redchurch Street).
Richard visits Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy.
We make the first Vanden Plas T-shirts.
Limited test pressing of "Santa Margherita" (MARX1).
