How Terribly Unfortunate. 

Sorry if the clips are a bit short, the copyright elves were strict about this one! www.patreon.com/jushawk

I think it's super cool that after the Stones got their publishing back from their former manager who took it from The Verve, Richards and Jagger gave Ashcroft his song publishing back in 2019.

I was chatting to Nick McCabe a few weeks ago and he advised me that urban Hymns was recorded on tape, analogue. but, there were edits done in pro-Tools then flown back onto tape for mastering. The first 2 albums were 100% analogue on tape. Nick is a genius guitarist that plays with textures and soundscapes rather than straight ahead chords etc.

The melody had been appropriately submitted to Stones manager and initially approved then withdrawn when it smashed up the charts! Jagger and Richards were also victims as did not own rights on some of their music. The wrong was righted finally in 2019, Mick Jagger said at the time it should have happened long ago but he and Keith Richards admitted until their Manager died and the song went to his estate it was a legal minefield, they did not directly receive any of those royalties on Bittersweet as I recall. It was a very emotional moment for Richard and a little sad that his manager Jazz, who campaigned for years on his behalf, didn't live long enough to see the wrong righted. Better late than never I guess.

It has the realest line I've every heard "You're a slave to the money then you die." That's the blues right there.

I was a production runner on this video aged 25. I remember how focused Richard was. He knew the big time was upon him. The director Walter Stern shot some much more violent stuff as I recall where Ashcroft got beaten up as he walked on but it didn’t make the cut.

A Northern Soul is an epic, drug fuelled, intense, dark masterpiece of nineties alt/indie rock. Looking forward to your flick on that one Mr Hawkins 🤘

the crazy thing about this era-defining, everyone-remembers-where-they-were-when-they-first heard it track, is that there are at least half a dozen tracks on Urban Hymns which are even better. I'll still be playing it in the OAPs home....

Nick McCabe is such an inventive, creative guitarist!

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is probably my favorite song of all time, and yet The Verve had so many other songs that were just as good, if not better. A lot of the songs from their early singles and first album like "All in the Mind", "Gravity Grave", and "Star Sail" were really cool because they had a very trippy and shoegazey sound to them compared to the Britpop-type stuff they would do later on. They're some of the most underrated songs of the 1990s, in my opinion.

I still call em Verve. Personally, their first stuff, The Verve EP and A Storm in Heaven, is my favorite. I saw them live in 1993, and WOW, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Such incredible brilliance live. That exact show was recorded on video and is on RU-vid now, 1993 The Backyard, Austin, TX. I was standing right in front and their roaring crescendi rattled my rib cage and set the hairs on my back on end.

"A Northern Soul" is an amazing album start to finish. I can listen to it today and it does not sound " dated". There are some albums from the " Brit Pop" eta that sound very dated now. I hope some of your viewers will go back and listen to " A Northern Soul" record or perhaps even viewers that have never heard it will discover it.

Nick McCabe is a phenomenal guitarist. Love him.

The Verve's first album is called "A Storm in Heaven" Definitely my favorite. The first Recording I heard from them was "The Verve EP" it's amazing! These two albums were The Verve's best work imo, but that's prob because they hold so much sentimental value for me.. One of the best bands hands down!

After all the bands you’ve gone through, have been surprised the verve has taken this long. Storm in heaven, early B-sides and Nick Mcgabe are so incredibly criminally underrated, always get a warm feeling hearing someone bring up The Verve.

I saw Verve playing to about 30 people in the After Dark club in Reading in 1993. I loved their early period - Nick McCabe's guitar sound was amazing.

I loved Richard's Ashcroft's first solo album, Alone With Everybody! Pretty sure I tried to put "On a Beach" on every single mix CD I made in the early 00s.

Fascinated by the '97-'99 period when britpop and grunge were sunsetting finally and there was a brief period of something that felt like a fresh continuation of rock music into something new. Urban Hymns and OK Computer in '97 were the ambassadors forward at that time I think. But also Gomez's Bring it On ('98) and Liquid Skin ('99), Elliott Smith's XO ('98), Massive Attack's Mezzanine ('98), PJ Harvey's Is This Desire ('98), Wilco's Summerteeth ('99) and Travis' The Man Who ('99). All great records!

The Verve are so good, actually the whole 90s british rock music was so darn good

I'm glad I too got to see the Verve play live, they were a great band. What a shame that they just couldn't get on with each other.

I always thought Nick McCabe was a genuine enigma - genius guitar player, the engine of this massively successful band but no one knew anything about him. But apparently behind the scenes he would take Ashcroft on re: the ballads getting too numerous and too sugary. He always looked fucking cool and graceful on stage, like he was in his own world, which he probably was :)

This track is literally the anthem to my late teens. Urban hymns I feel is an underrated album particularly as lucky man, the drugs don’t work, sonnet and velvet morning are easily up there with bitter sweet symphony. Great vid 🤟🏻

I loved Urban Hymns back then, I still can't believe that Ashcroft wrotte some amazing uplifting songs like Lucky Man and Bitter Sweet Symphony and yet in the same album he put a couple of spectaculary depressive songs like Drugs Dont Work and Sonnet

Richard Ashcroft is amazing , his solo stuff , New York , song for the lovers just brilliant

I love Slide Away and Blue from their first album as much as anything they did.

A storm in Heaven and A Northern Soul are 2 of the best albums of all time let alone the Nineties!

I always liked Lucky Man and some of Richard Ashcroft's solo stuff. It got me thinking of World Party and their Goodbye Jumbo album - it deserves the Justin Hawkins treatment. I met and talked with Karl Wallinger before a gig, super nice guy, great songwriter.

It’s a crime that Nick Mcabe gets no producers credit on Urban Hymns , it’s clear if he hadn’t come back and completed it we probably wouldn’t remember the album the same way.

As a professional musician, this was the most ridiculous copyright-infringement suits I ever heard of. First of all, it wasn’t even lifted from the actually Stones track-it was symphonic cover version, produced by their manager Andrew Oldham. And the section copied and looped for BS isn’t even an ACTUAL CHORD PROGRESSION that was used in the Stones writing. The arranger added these chords. Yet, Jagger-Richards got paid. Crazy.

That was cool as hell seeing you pick out 'Bittersweet' on acoustic. Massive talent and a great ear helps.

That whole Urban Hymns album were like a religion to me in my teens, one of the only songs that could make me just break down and cry so easily. I remember it was my birthday and I was like 17 or so and listened to it as I fell asleep and cried because I was so happy I was alive haha. Truly great songwriting on those Verve albums. And yes Life's an Ocean of course was another MINDBLOWINGLY great one, that Jules Holland live version is out of this world with Nick McCabe's searing lead accents while Ashcroft is roaring out his soulful lungs. Everyone knows this one for the Verve of course in ye olde America but god I wish they'd know so much more of the Verve than even the small amount most of my fellow Americans know of Oasis. Their last album in 2008 "Forth" has some absolute existential power to it...you cannot help but think about your life, existence, love, what it all really means, and your dreams when you listen to the Verve. They definitely tapped into something really incredible as far as music as poetry. The only songs I've ever desired to really cover were the Verve songs and playing the Drugs Don't Work, Sonnet, Space and Time, Lucky Man...those songs did and still do remind me that "WOW, I DO have a soul and right now it really, really hurts and feels good at the same time", I think the Zoomers would call this an "OOF" But lmao Justin you hit the nail on the head "Outsider rock but with violins"

I always very much enjoyed the song Lonely Soul, which Ashcroft did as a collaboration between himself, DJ Shadow, and James Levelle. That whole collaboration album (“Psyence Fiction”) was one of the defining albums of the 90s for me. Many a banger!

His Vocal on 'Lonely Soul' with Unkle (James Lavelle & DJ Shadow) is an ABSOLUTE BANGER. Give it a whirl if you haven't heard it before Justin, it's absolutely rad!

LOVE The Verve. I have all their records, which are not nearly enough records to have by The Verve. Ashcroft has such a great voice. Some of my favorite records were released in 1997: OK Computer, Urban Hymns, Ladies & Gentlemen We are Floating in Space, Homogenic. Look forward to your Northern Soul episode.

Verve’s first few albums really blew my mind. It was so frustrating that they lost rights to their own song just because of a string quartet sample.

I love the first 3 albums - but “A Northern Soul” was the first album of theirs that I bought at the time of release. Two very dear friends of mine turned me on to them. It’s an incredible album - up there with Big Star’s “3rd” and Neil Young’s “Tonight’s The Night” - a true existential masterpiece. I’ve seen the band twice live - the first time was at the SFX in Dublin in August 1997 (almost 25 years ago!). It was the greatest gig I’ve ever been too - my jaw hit the floor, they played almost all of “A Northern Soul” live! Unbelievably good. Nick MaCabe is a genius, but so were the rest of the band. I also saw them about 9 years later in Belfast and they were almost as good as the first time I saw them. That 4th album is great too. Some of Richard’s solo stuff is incredible as well. Looking forward to your review of ANS.

Thank you Justin. I love it when you peel a song like an onion and examine the arrangement, drawing our attention to things we might have overheard. And what a story there is this song. Even though they had negotiated the rights with Decca to use the sample, thinking it was going to be 50/50, once Klein realised how successful it was going to be his company demanded 100 percent - or they take it out of the shops. Having said that, does anyone else have the urge to write: "Me and me Mum and me Dad and me Gran We’re off to Waterloo"

I’d love to see you do an episode discussing his solo deep cuts also. Great episode, thanks for giving the Verve some spotlight. I love them

I think when Klein died a few years ago Jagger and Richards inherited the rights to Bitter Sweet Symphony and they in turn passed them on to Ashcroft so he now has full rights to that song.

justin hawkins playing the verve, just how brilliant is that. you should come to prague with the darkness, justin. cheers for the videos! blowing a strangely wonderful wind into my days.

Was always a fan of The Verve, but never listened to Ashcrofts solo music. After you and a lot of the comments saying it is good, I'll be checking it out. Thanks!

Richard Ashcroft (former Verve) is a phenomenally talented singer/songwriter in his own right, thank you for highlighting! They didn’t need any further success from a group perspective, as what they created in a short period of time, has longevity and a deeper resonance.

Urban Hymns is a brilliant album. Met him briefly in Belfast, a few years ago. He was carrying a football, as he'd just been to visit George Bests house. He was with his wife. He's really tall and thin. Me and my mate didn't want to bother him, so had a quick chat and he went on his way. We were contemplating bumping into him like in the BSS video, but we bottled it. lol.

I don't know why, as it really shouldn't matter, but it makes me thrilled to hear you show your appreciation for Richard Ashcroft and The Verve.

The "sounds that recognize the pain in me" line always resonant since I first heard it. I feel like that one line sums up everything about RA/verve. Nothing quite cleanses the mind like listening to the whole of Northern Soul and Urban Hymns back to back.

Finally began watching your channel and speaking as a musician (and fan of The Darkness), it's fantastic to hear these breakdowns. Thanks for doing this.

The Verve has so many great songs other than "Bittersweet Symphony" that got overlooked!!

The Verve are easily one of my favourite bands! It’s class you’ve covered them. A Northern Soul is an absolute masterpiece

Nick Mccabe is without doubt one of the most underrated guitarists ever. Have a listen to the first album "A storm in heaven" lay on your bed, with your eyes shut and just listen. His guitar work is sublime. A northern soul is for sure their best work though. This is music, life's an ocean and history big stand out tracks. Weeping Willow is the best track on urban hymns for me. i was lucky enough to see them several times including the Haigh hall homecoming gig in Wigan, amazing night. BTW Justin, your content and approach on the channel is superb, and for once a channel on YT has intelligence to it. Fair play fella.

Great video. Those background guitars really all work together with the string sample and the vocals to make a wall of contrasting sounds. Nice work pointing out Allen Klein got all the royalties and the Stones got Jack, but still sorted it out when they were legally able to. I'd like to put a vote in for a Neil Diamond video - you know it makes sense. 'Shilo', 'Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show', 'Cracklin' Rosie', 'Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon'?

I agree with you, Justin. Verve, as they were known when I first saw them live in 1992 without the “The”, were fantastic. They were my favourite band of the 90s and I saw them live several times in their early days- Brixton Academy, Camden Town Hall, Old Trout Windsor, New Cross Venue and then eventually Glastonbury and Earls Court. Storm in Heaven - just wow, my favourite album of theirs. Northern Soul - also great. I like Urban Hymns too, but they drifted away from their shoegazing psychedelic style of before and became much more commercial. Forth - some good stuff here too, but again more radio-suitable stuff and less raw than their more exciting earlier stuff. Favourite songs? “The Sun, the Sea” and “Life’s an Ocean”. Least favourite - sorry, “Bittersweet Symphony”.

While you were riffing on the melody I heard Madonna “don’t tell me” spot on. Don’t tell the stones….

I've always liked the Darkness, and I found your channel about a week ago. This was probably the 10 one I've watched. I guess, what I find absolutely astounding is how music transcends and unites. I grew up in Northern Wisconsin and when I heard you talking about Richard Ashcroft's lyrics, McCabe's underrated guitar playing and overall unrecognized greatness of the Verve, I felt like I was hearing my own thoughts expressed. That despite the fact you're a bit older than me and grew up a world away. I'm a musician myself, albeit nowhere near as successful or accomplished. But Oasis and the Verve have been huge influences on my own creativity.

I was lucky enough to meet Richard Ashcroft in NYC in 2009. He walked by me outside the hair salon i worked in and I chased him down the block and he COULDNT have been cooler or nicer. Even walked backed to my work because I told him he had to meet my co worker who was a bigger fan. We took pics and he chatted to us for about 15 minutes. It is one of my favourite memories. I imagine when I meet you, Justin, some day it will be a similar experience. But maybe instead you chasing me 😉 🥰

I love that you dig A Northern Soul. I've always loved that one and thought it to be tragically underrated. Bitter Sweet is also, such a great track for all the reasons you mentioned, but that drum loop, man...(is it the drummer looped? Sounds like it to me)...how the snare fill draaaags it so far back every time ... So, good.

The Verve is one of those bands that really defined an era of music that i fondly go back to quite often. From Gravity Grave through even their last record, Forth, there was an undeniable magic about their songs. RA’s solo albums are also quite strong as well. Nick McCabe, Simon Jones, Peter Salisbury all complimented each other so well, especially early on. Good on you Justin for showing the love. They are up there for me as one of my favs.

9:51 "outsider rock, but with violins." Great song and I'm sure I have the album here somewhere.

Verve on tour with Smashing Pumpkins - had never seen them before. Life changing support band. ‘92. What a band. Along with Radiohead at the time releasing loads of great b-sides New Decade is the tune on that album, yes. Slide Away and Star Sail on first. Bitter Suite and Weeping Willow. 3rd. Nothing after that. McCabe.

Saw them headline V98 (Chelmsford) - and in all the gigs and festivals I've been to since then, I've never heard/felt bass so loud and thick that felt like it was coming from within me and about to reverberate and explode my head (a la Scanners) like when they played. Was a top top gig.

Went to school with the bass player Jones in Liverpool. I can distinctly recall me playing my bass in 6th form, because I was going to be the next Rick Savage back then....the lad must have already been on his way with the band think he was just moving to Wigan or had...and he was asking how I did this and that on it....and he was obviously just having a chuckle. Well done to you Sir. Well done.

History will always be one of my favourite songs. Hits me right in the heart every time.

Richard Ashcroft's first solo album is also quite good.

One of my favourite singers of all time..seen him sing live many times he just gets better and better

Love the videos Justin. I would love to see you and Rick Beato team up on a video. 2 of my favourite RU-vidrs.

I always love the glasses and how they so perfectly and effortlessly match the chosen outfit. I spent a while trying on different sunglasses and asking my loved ones if they looked alright on me, every time the answer I got was "errr, no" and thus I find myself getting jealous.

Love the variation on the outro, where you held the last sung note, and meandered on the downward tag, even including the flat two, spicy indeed.

Probably my favourite band of all time. Incredible musicians.

Ayy sick glasses and shirt combo today Justin!

Great timing with this one, only last week I was driving down the M5 and revisited A Northern Soul, great album. Look forward to your show on that one. All the best Justin!

This song is my driving lessons and licence. Still feel the same sensation of putting the first gear and get the car moving between clutch and accelerator. The Verve on the radio.

Would be interested to hear your breakdown of his song “they don’t own me.” A favorite and what a vocal performance!! Love yer vids! Thanks from Beantown.

The strings were the icing on the cake, so to speak. They were arranged by Will Malone, who also arranged the strings on Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy.

Nick McCabe is an incredible musician...he creates such unique sounds, nobody quite like him!

They had some great tracks, real lyrics that meant something. "The drugs don't work" was especially one that had food for thought, as normally anyone taking drugs never really understands what it does to those around you, who love you.

I know both songs and love them both. I NEVER thought of one while listening to the other. Also, I love that your ringtone on your phone is Communication Breakdown!

I just listened to “Life’s An Ocean” from that riff in the beginning. Amazing song. We didn’t have the exposure to the Verve in the US besides that one hit. Please do more of these deep cuts or maybe a playlist? I know my Spotify has gotten pretty stale? That music theory ear helps me skip through a lot of nonsense to find good music. Thank you.

Cool look, Justin. Great blue jacket & matching sunglasses. Funny I haven't bought exercise suit because any I've seen were in gawdy colors. Sorry not subject of discussion, so yes I remember this song. Nice. It always reminds me of walking. I used to walk 8 miles a week before I injured my meniscus. Did extensive physical therapy & was able to avoid surgery for 4 years now 😊

I saw them play King Tut’s in 1993 to support ”Storm in Heaven” and their first EP. I spoke to their DJ who,was accompanying them and he said they were subsisting on next to know food and copious amounts of drugs. I, allegedly, sold them a massive amount of ‘snowball’ ecstasies that evening. Good times.

The Verve is ALSO one of my favourite bands! So glad I am not alone in this. And yes, "A Northern Soul" is great! Love them too.

"trying to make ends meet" oof - fark u black leather jacket straight through the girls and when she looks back "slave to money" but no one can stop - empowered by the rebelliousness and ironically he's a rocker singing a symphony. magical

Another great video, the Verve, another band I've never been into, there you go but interesting non the less, thanks Justin. 👍👍👍👊✌️.

I was lucky to see them in NYC when they reunited. One of my favorite bands ,amazing live.

It really is a bittersweet symphony! A northern soul is brilliant, I always felt that history ( personally I think their best) foreshadowed bittersweet symphony.

Love that you got into the brilliance of The Verve. They remained pretty underground here in Canada, though I managed to see them 3 times in support of each album. The first was at the side stage of Lollapalooza after the release of Storm. Although I see how they got lumped in with Brit Pop, I found they had a bit more depth. I think that really came through in the live shows. McCabe had a real knack for creating such understated delicious little ambient bits, as one would discover with a proper headphone listen to any of the recordings. The band as a whole was such an entity. Simon Jones and Pete Salisbury created such a solid groove beneath it all. So many cherished tracks beyond Bittersweet. I really enjoy your channel. Lurking beneath every musician is a rabid music fan.

The difference between ‘A Northern Soul” and ‘Urban Hymns’ was that ANS was primarily written with Richard Ashcroft singing over McCabe’s excellent guitar soundscapes and Urban Hymns was the reverse with McCabe contributing to Ashcroft’s mostly finished songs. I think the inherent tension in the Verve was they couldn’t never fully combine the two talents; a top crafted Ashcroft song with McCabe’s sublime genius.

Bittersweet Symphony is much like what Song 2 is to Blur. The only song most Americans know of by each band while they were two of the best bands of the 90's with loads of great songs, performances and epic guitar playing.

Bought the first Verve tune All in the Mind on 12" loved them ever since. Ashcroft is a generational talent.

The Verve, Radiohead and Oasis are probably some of the most inspiring bands to me as a musician period. Real great work was done within each of those groups respectively!

Love 'Life's an Ocean.' It's always been my favorite song of theirs. Have to say I prefer your vocal, though.

Really nailed the “like/sub” spiel there, like a terms and conditions bit at the end of a radio advert. Slick, proper RU-vidr these days 👍

‘Urban Hymns’ remains one of my all time favourite albums. I actually listened to it this morning on the way to the forest to go biking.

Allen Klein sounds like a money grubbing Gargoyle

This was literally the last days of gentrification in London, and Hoxton, my neighbourhood. Pre internet, the last days of the old way of living. Richard was in my sitting room one day when we all awoke.

I love The Verve, they honestly should have been huge. My favorite songs of theirs are History, then this one.

Made me chuckle that Justin's ringtone is the intro to Communication Breakdown!! ;-)

Yours and Ashcroft’s are some of my favorite voices in rock.

Growing up in the late 90s this song was incredibly important to me. I was very young and didn't quite realize how incredible this song was, but there is clearly something special about it as it stuck with me as I grew up and my tastes in music grew. It's never left my rotation and I still get goosebumps when I hear it. This song lives happily in my top 10 of all time

I love Weeping Willow. It's a huge sounding song

Justin, you should always do an impro cover of the songs / artists you talk about. This is actually the most interesting part. You covering the shit.

Communication breakdown is Justin's ringtone... Fuck yeah respect sir.