Ramones clones from London. The A-side is a little too long at two minutes thirty...Keen eyed readers will notice that Erazerhead spelled their name differently from the title of David Lynch's dark masterpiece Eraserhead. In case he sued, apparently.
Manager of The Stranglers sees a 'posh' woman singing in a restaurant. Thinks wouldn't it be funny - posh woman dirty macho band combination? 2 singles (only JJB on the second; fuck knows who the other 'Young' or 'Fabulous' Mutations (as they were billed ) were). Great punk name, actually derived from Ben Johnson's Volpone(1606) - typical Stranglers- nothing quite what it at first appears. Records not too bad- shortish, fastish, R&B ish- The Stranglers instantly recognisable of course...
A type of new wave Dusty Springfield sound inspired by acts as diverse as Small Faces and Television, The Expressos released a handful of singles and a solitary LP. They supported many top acts, the most notable being The Jam. Rozzi Rayner - vocals Micky Toldi - guitar Johnnie Christo - bass Nick Pyall - guitar Milan Zekavica - drums
It was important to me that there'd be something searingly poetic in it, in a lyrical sense, and yet jubilant at the same time... Morrissey
The Smiths debut was released on Rough Trade Records in May 1983. A self produced tape of the track, made at a cost of £250 had landed them a one record no contract deal with the company. Attempts were made to re record Hand In Glove for the epynomous debut LP but eventually John Porter settled on a remix of the original effort. The b-side was a live recording of the (prepoterously) controversial Handsome Devil (on 25th August 1983 - The Sun newspaper, under the headline Child Sex Song Puts The Beeb In A Spin accused The Smiths of singing about picking up kids for sexual kicks) from the Hacienda gig on 4th February 1983- notable for being the first time that flowers were used on stage by the group (a response, acording to Morrissey, to the sterile inteior of the club). Morrissey specified that the record should have a paper label with 4 vents around the centre piece (like the 1960s singles he so loved) and that the sleeve should have a 'side vent' so that the disc was put in from the side rather than the top. Much to his chagrin Hand In Glove did not make the top 40.
One of those moments when a vivid, electric awareness of the power of music is born or renewed- Danny Kelly (NME) ...it imparted the first glimpse into the unknown dominion of Smithdom. The prelude now over, This Charming Man felt like The Smiths'concrete beginning.- Simon Goddard (The Smiths- Songs That Saved Your Life).
Tracks: 1 This Charming Man [Manchester*- produced by John Porter] 2 This Charming Man [London- produced by John Porter] 3 This Charming Man [New York Vocal, produced by Francois Kevorkian] 4 This Charming Man [New York Instrumental, produced by Francois Kevorkian ] 5 This Charming Man [Peel Session 21.09.83, produced by Roger Pusey- as featured on the LP Hatful of Hollow] 6 This Charming Man [1992 single remix] 7 This Charming Man [Original 7" version*, produced by John Porter] 8 This Charming Man [ Vinyl rip of original 7" version*, produced by John Porter] 9 Jeane [Vinyl rip of original 7" B-side, produced by Troy Tate] 10 Wonderful Woman [12" single B-side, produced by John Porter]
Completists will be aware that Accept Yourself also featured on the B-side of the UK 12". It was an earlier version than the one used on Hatful of Hollow, which was from a David Jensen radio session- both versions were produced by John Porter. Here is the version that appeared on the B-side of the 12" single:
Good time music from Coventry. This was the first release on 2 Tone records. Information on the record can be found here. This is a rip of the original single.
This was DEVO’s debut single. It was produced by Brian Eno, although such luminaries as Iggy Pop, Robert Fripp and David Bowie also expressed an interest in producing them at the time. Allegedly Bowie eventually did help out with the production. The flip side Jocko Homo is titled in reference to a creationist tract called Jocko-Homo Heavenbound by B. H. Shadduck . The song also makes reference to the Charles Laughton/ Bela Lugosi movie Island of Lost Souls (1933). This also gave the band the phrase ‘are we not men?’ spoken in the movie by Lugosi. Ripped from 32 year old vinyl- gatefold sleeve pics in file.
Sandie cut an unusual figure, and would herald a new abandoned casualness for female singers… Morrissey, Sounds 1984.
Morrissey was always a huge fan of the female pop stars of the 1960’s, and Sandie Shaw in particular. In 1984, having being coaxed out of semi- retirement by Morrissey, Sandie recorded a cover of The Smiths debut single Hand In Glove backed by Johnny, Andy and Mike. The record sold 20,000 copies within three days of release. Also included here are Jeane(which appeared on the 12”- this version is a bonus track on the 2004 issue of her LP Hello Angel) and a duet by Morrissey and Sandie of Please Help The Cause Against Loneliness- an outtake from Morrissey’s Viva Hate LP. The song was written by Morrissey for Sandie and her version appeared on Hello Angel (the title of which came from a postcard that Morrissey sent her). Here are some of Sandie’s reminiscences about working with The Smiths.
When we came to the U.S., Mick stumbled upon a music shop in Brooklyn that carried the music of Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, the Sugar Hill Gang...these groups were radically changing music and they changed everything for us. —Joe Strummer
The American novelist Thomas Wolfe made the distinction between putter inners and leaver outers. (Wolfe was a putter inner; he died leaving a stack of unsorted manuscripts almost two meters tall). By the time they reached the Sandinista era The Clash had definitely become putter inners. 1977’s The Clash was 35 minutes long, carrying no excess weight. Three years down the road they gave us a three disc 144 minute sprawl. This rather funky single was released in 1981. The bass was provided by Norman Watt- Roy of The Blockheads and Joe Strummer composed the lyrics on the spot. This is worth downloading just for the authentic pub-jukebox vinyl crackle…
Here we have the first Welsh language punk record. Llygod Ffyrnig formed in Llanelli in December 1977. Schooldays= oppression. Bright spots= things like this record. A boy with Llygod Ffyrnig written in chalk on the back of his blazer... For younger readers NCB was the National Coal Board- the state run coalmining industry in the UK from 1946-1994.
Gary Beard- guitar Julian Lewis- drums Hywel Peckham- guitar Dafydd Rhys- vocals Pete Williams- bass
I was going to write that No Choice were a punk band from Cardiff/ Bridgend in Wales, but having done my homework I see that it's are... a surprising number of groups from that era are still around ( hats off to my old buddies Foreign Legion). you can check both these bands out on MySpace... So: No Choice are a punk band from South Wales This cracking 7" could almost serve as a sampler of the punk scene in those apocalyptic times- anarcho pacificist themes and to finish it off a blistering streetpunk number. There's a tiny brain cell flying around in my head somewhere telling me I saw them supporting UK Subs in Swansea in '83. Also on the bill were Dead on Arrival who later became...Foreign Legion.
I’ve been after this for more than 20 years. Picked it up on E –Bay for a couple of dollars. If you were in the Llanelli area in the mid eighties you might have been lucky enough to see a band called Dressed To Kill, fronted by ex Andy Pandemonium singer and living legend Roger Forsythe. My memory has suffered over the years but I seem to remember a singer called Brenda, Jimmy Jones (ex Albert’s England and reputedly once of The Pogues) on bass, and assorted others such as Matt Jones of The Hepburns joining for live performances. They did a great version of this number. I remember Jimmy teaching me the bassline to this in a drunken jam at Roger’s flat- that would have been in about '85- I remember thinking must look up the original …
I hope you're enjoying these 1970's & 1980's singles as much as i am... Americans do do irony. An alternate version of Kill The Poor and a spanking B-side ( was it on In God We Trust Inc? I think so...) Great take on Edvard Munch on the back of the sleeve.
Another dip into the cardboard box of singles. I'm loving handling these vinyls. Bauhaus show us their roots with two ballsy covers. Ziggy Stardust originally by David Bowie (1972) Third Uncle originally by Brian Eno (1974)
A lifetime serving one machine is ten times worse than prison… The towering genius of The Clash- a paean to bank robbery and jailbreaks set against a spaghetti western dub reggae track. Flip it over and you’ve got a toasting version by the late great Mikey Dread.
Sending out special birthday greetings to Mr Jim Baker. Lew Lewis from Canvey island was one of the main men in the Pub Rock scene- he was originally in Eddie and The Hotrods before joining Dr Feelgood- he has appeared with Wilko Johnson, Jules Holland (Oil City Sheikhs) The Stranglers and The Clash as well as fronting the Lew Lewis Band and Lew Lewis Reformer. In 1987 he was sent down for seven years for holding up his local post office. From what I can see on this fine Dr Feelgood site Lew is still with us despite ongoing health problems.
Dug out these two Rolling Stones covers from that box of 7” records. Two interesting bands, well worth five minutes on Wikipedia. Chadbourne and Kramer have worked with talents from John Zorn to Half Japanese whilst The Mo-Dettes provide the unlikely link between The Slits and The Communards. The Mo-Dettes single is the most warped record I have ever seen!
Shockabilly Eugene Chadbourne- guitar vocals Mark Kramer- bass, organ David Licht- drums
The Mo-Dettes Ramona Carlier- vocals Kate Korus- guitar June Miles-Kingston- drums Jane Crockford- bass
