Friday, November 12, 2010: Manic Street Preachers - Motown Junk

On the 31st of January, 1995, Manic Street Preachers guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards and guitarist and vocalist James Dean Bradford checked into the Embassy Hotel on Bayswater Road in London, to get a nights rest before they left the next day to begin a tour of the U.S.

At 7:00 A.M, the next day, February 1st, 1995, Richey Edwards checked out of the Embassy Hotel, apparently drove to his apartment in Cardiff, and then vanished.  He was never seen or heard from again.

His car was found abandoned on the 17th of February at the Severn View service station near the Severn Bridge, which crosses the River Severn between Wales and England.

Though his family and his band continued to search in hope for his safe return, his status remained open as a missing person, until 23 November 2008, when he became officially "presumed dead"

A pretty good account of Richey's timeline can be found here.

The Manic's struggled through Richey's disappearance, even considering disbanding, but with the support of their fans and blessings from Edward's family, the band continued on, and continues to record and tour to this day.

It's a heavy topic for a Friday song, sure, but the the CSOTD itself?  Well, it totally rocks, and fits perfectly as a crank-it-up-for-the-weekend Friday song.

Motown Junk was the Manic's first single they released on their newly signed Heavenly Records back in January, 1991.

Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield talk about the single here. And, no, they don't actually think Motown is junk.

So, crank it up for this Friday.

Here's to friends lost, journeys taken and the unknowability of tomorrow.

Here's to Friday.