It's my 53rd birthday today. They say that when going through bereavement and grief anniversaries are always tough and we've found this to be true- a friend with experience in this told me 'the first everything fucks'. The second ones do too I think. Isaac loved a birthday, his or anyone else's, so they're always going to be tinged with his excitement about them and maybe that's what I need to try to remember.
Glasgow record label 53rd and 3rd (named after Dee Dee Ramone's song about his experiences as a male prostitute in New York in the mid- 70s) was a brief but brightly shining beacon of indie nuggets, founded by Stephen Pastel, Sandy McLean and David Keegan. It released a total of twenty one singles and seven albums (two of which were label compilations) between 1986 and 1988 by indie royalty, the likes of The Shop Assistants, The Vaselines, Talulah Gosh, The Pooh Sticks and BMX Bandits.
Safety Net was the label's debut release, a 7" single from The Shop Assistants in 1986, the kind of record that entire scenes are built around. If it were the only record The Shop Assistants made it would be enough. Three minutes of rumbling bass, buzzsaw guitars and sing- song vocals from singer Alex Taylor.
Teenage Superstars was on The Vaselines 1988 EP/ 12" Dying For It, a song that is part feedback driven indie thrum, part manifesto (David Keegan, Shop Assistants guitarist appears on the EP, Stephen Pastel produces). Makes me want to wear tight black jeans, leather biker jacket and love beads and grow my hair long. Things are most likely not going to happen aged 53.
Out today is the new album from Galen and Paul, Galen being the daughter of Kevin Ayres and Paul being Paul Simonon. The songs are all acoustic guitars, reverb and twin Nancy and Lee style vocals with plenty of gap toothed Simonon charm. This one, Hacia Arriba, is sung in Spanish- much of the record was written in Mallorca, where Paul spent much of lockdown. He has busked in the streets of Palma in recent years, which would have stopped me in tracks if I'd happened to be there at the same time.
12 comments:
You don't look a day over 40 in that photo. Many happy returns.
Enjoy your day Adam and I hope the thoughts of Isaac contribute to it in a good way.
It's possibly an unlikely pairing but I like what I've heard of the Galen and Paul album so far. It's sounds like an album for warmer days and being outside with a drop of something refreshing but stimulating.
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday Mr T. You're a week older than me. I tried growing my hair long during lockdown. Bit of a mixed reaction, really. I got it cut short again eventually. I think you should try it. I often see men in their 50s and 60s with straggly, unkempt long hair and kind of like the 'don't give a fuck attitude' of it. Unfortunately mine didn't really look like that. Yours might though. :)
*Raises a glass*
Still not older than me though.
Happy birthday SA. Hope you can fill it with the warmest memories.
I'm not fully sold on Galen & Paul yet, I shall have to give them a few more tries, I'm sure they'll get in there, some things just take more time! But have been charmed by some of Galen's dad's work lately and seeing him interviewed on an interesting programme about the 14 Hour Technicolour Dream Show & Pink Floyd. I think Kevin's work is somewhat underrated compared to his peers, I'm not sure why, but it's good to know Galen has inherited and continued his musical bent.
Many happy returns of the day Adam.
Happy birthday Adam. Hope you had a good one
Happy birthday, Adam, wishing you all the best.
Many happy returns Adam, hope you've had a great day
Thanks everyone for your birthday wishes, been out for food and drinks, all good.
Belated birthday greetings Adam
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