We're getting some lovely evenings in the Manchester area at the moment, the fall of dusk and warm September weather combining to give us some pretty spectacular moments just before it goes dark. Out for a walk by the river Mersey on Thursday night I saw this cross in the sky. Maybe it's a sign...
Last week I wrote a review for Dr. Rob at his esteemed Ban Ban Ton Ton blog. Jason Boardman, a Manchester DJ, promoter, crate digger and record label owner of note, is putting out a sixteen track compilation on his Before I Die label, a record called No- One's Listening Anyway: UK DIY Post Punk And Dubs 1980- 1984 (Vol. 1). It's a fantastic collection of obscure singles from the intersection of scratchy guitars and bass culture, dole culture and pop culture with bands including Swamp Children, The Sirons, Club Of Rome, Skeet, The Four Kings, Sprout Head Rising and Methodisca Tune. My review of it is here.
Rifling through my collection of various artist compilation CDs for something I knew I had from a similar area I found Messthetics Greatest Hits: The Sounds Of D.I.Y. 1977- 1980, twenty two songs from the frontline of the D.I.Y./ indie world, indie before indie even, people fired up by punk, with something to say and in some cases the barest notion of how to go about playing, writing, recording and releasing. Messthetics includes one crossover with Jason's album- Anorexia appear on both- but otherwise its another rollcall of the obscure, the lost and the forgotten. These three jumped out at me, almost at random.
We Love Malcolm is well under two minutes long and is the work of O Level, a DIY band formed in London in 1978 while all the band members were still at school. Some of them would reappear many times in the 80s and 90s- Ed Ball, Dan Treacy, Joe Foster and John and Gerald Bennett would between them later make records as The TV Personalities, The Times, and Slaughter Joe and Foster would be one of the trio who formed Creation in 1983. We Love Malcolm is an answer to The TV Personalities single Where's Bill Grundy Now?, a tribute to Malcolm McLaren- 'We love Malcolm/ Cos no one else does'.
Cardiff band Puritan Guitars released £100 In 15 Minutes in 1980, the lyrics concerning not the recording costs for making the single but the money Rough Trade put behind the bar at the final gig on a Raincoats tour, a party attended by the assembled indie/ punk/ DIY world who drank the free bar dry in quarter of an hour. Primitive, out of tune guitars, cardboard box drums, flat spoken vocals, no production- all of these are good things obviously.
Girl On The Bus is by Thin Yoghurts, from Carlisle and released this single in 1980 Lowther Street Runner Records, a song recorded in Shap in Cumbria. The sleeve notes thank 'Robin for the use of his drums, and Boggis for fetching beer and pies'
I like the Thin Yoghurts. The chorus reminds me of 'Stop Stop Stop' by The Hollies. No doubt that was their intention.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible Ernie. The influence of the Hollies on late 70s/ early 80s DIY culture is an under researched area.
ReplyDeleteI asked Copilot for information on the influence of the Hollies on late 70s/ early 80s DIY culture and this is what it told me:
ReplyDelete"The Hollies, known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmonies and a string of hits in the 1960s and 70s, had a notable influence on the music scene that extended into the late 70s and early 80s DIY culture1.
Their influence can be seen in several ways:
Vocal Harmonies: The Hollies’ intricate vocal harmonies inspired many punk and post-punk bands to experiment with more complex vocal arrangements, even within the raw and unpolished aesthetic of DIY music.
Songwriting and Production: The band’s commitment to crafting well-produced, catchy songs set a standard for quality that many DIY musicians aspired to, even if they were working with limited resources. The Hollies’ ability to blend pop sensibilities with rock elements showed that accessible music could still be innovative.
Independent Spirit: Although The Hollies were part of the mainstream music industry, their approach to music-making—emphasizing creativity and collaboration—resonated with the DIY ethos. Bands in the late 70s and early 80s often looked to such models of self-reliance and artistic integrity.
Legacy and Covers: Many DIY bands covered songs by The Hollies, bringing their music to new audiences and demonstrating the timeless appeal of their work. This helped bridge the gap between the polished pop-rock of the 60s and the raw, energetic music of the punk era.
Overall, The Hollies’ influence on late 70s and early 80s DIY culture was subtle but significant, contributing to the era’s musical diversity and inspiring a new generation of musicians to blend harmony, craftsmanship, and independent spirit".
All of which is very impressive although I'm not sure Copilot can back up all of these claims. When I asked it which DIY bands had covered the Hollies the best it could come up with was "specific DIY bands from the late 70s and early 80s that covered The Hollies’ songs aren’t widely documented".
I think I will stick to getting advice on music from real people for the moment.
Thanks Ernie. I'm not sure how much help Co-pilot has been but it's always worth exploring options.
ReplyDeleteSwiss Adam