September 1981

The Mob - No Doves / Laughing - original test press version - Crass Records -1981

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• published: 17 Jul 2016
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Mark Mob remembers; The recording was done over two days in September 1981 at Southern Studios with Penny and John producing and engineering the session. Various other folk including Crass members were milling around for those days, doing little jobs when needed, like changing leads, moving amps about, and more importantly making copious amounts of strong tea. I recorded the vocals to both tracks on the second day, one word at a time for the recording. This was quite a change from the previous two releases ('Crying Again' and 'Witch Hunt' both released on All The Madmen Records) as the vocals on those records were recorded live. As you can imagine this was rather frustrating and somewhat draining on the spirit, but we assumed Penny and John knew what they were doing so I carried on regardless, and the single turned out well, so good on them for pushing me to record the vocal track in this way. I choose both the tracks, 'No Doves' because it did not sound like any obvious Crass label recording and 'I Hear You Laughing' which was a live favorite of the Mobs followers and supporters. There was no pissing about in the studio, no drug use or anything. There was though many pots of tea being supplied and I also have a memory of Churchman Counter Shag roll ups being smoked by Penny and The Mob (when offered to us). I believe this tobacco could only be obtained from around the Epping area, so I had never tried it before the session or indeed since. On the second day, one of the studio hangers on was told to go out and hire a four foot diameter gong, bring it back to the studio and set it up to be recorded for the 'No Doves' track. Most of the band had a go at trying to hit this gong correctly. Spent over an hour getting the gong sound right in the mix. Whether Josef’s gong sound went onto the final mix is anyone’s guess. It may well have been rerecorded after the band had left the studio! After over an hour of hearing just a gong sound it all sounded much the same and it could have been any of the recorded takes on the finished recording. Perhaps even my effort. Around a month or so after the recording sessions I was sent a test pressing of the 'No Doves' 7” single. This version had the gong, the drums, the bass and my vocals. The other track I Hear You Laughing had the baby crying added towards the end of the track. In the package with the test pressing was a letter from Penny suggesting that more should be done with the recording of 'No Doves'. I agreed to let Penny work on the recording in the studio without my or the other members of The Mob’s interference. I got sent a ‘finished’ copy of the release that would become the only Mob record released on Crass Records and got a bit of a shock when I heard the synths and the choir that had been added to the 'No Doves' track. Josef Porta remembers; As I recall, Penny and Pete Wright were engineering with John Loder. We were in Southern the day after Alvin Stardust had a recording session there! The usual Crass approach in the studio was rigidly Stalinist – as I recall bands really had no say in what went on. Not a bad idea really, as no one can fuck up a recording session like a bunch of musicians. Mind you, we had a good laugh at the crying babies after we heard it. We weren’t invited to the mixing, and it was presented to us as a finished recording – I don’t recall there being any ‘what do you think of this’ in the matter, not that it would have been any better for us being there. I think we did it over two days. There was no fraternizing before or after, we came up on the bus from Hackney and went home again each day. I never went to Dial house with the Mob, and I presume Mark chose the tracks for the single. I don’t recall it being discussed with Curtis and myself at the time. Personally, I think the artwork is the best thing about it. The tracks seemed flat. My drumming is clonky and inappropriate. Curtis’ bass is, as always, superb, but the overall sound is limp and apologetic. The same I felt with the Zounds effort. I don’t think Penny really knew how to produce electric guitars – I’m not saying I do, but I know a man who does, and you can hear the difference. The electric guitar is the essential element of any punk record in my personal opinion, and unless it sounds like the Sex Pistols on ‘Holidays in the Sun’ then it’s a waste of time. Mind you, I’m happy to have been a small part of the whole Crass thing. I thought it was magnificent at the time. Can’t say it changed my life significantly, but it was an experience not to forget. Deeply indebted to Gordon.