Thursday, June 5, 2008

Stars On 45



I visited my brother in Edinburgh recently. Because of my veripathetic lifestyle in the 80s/90s he is the repository of all my old vinyl. We dug some out and marvelled at how few albums we'd bought in '78-79 and how many great singles there were. Not all punk was wrapped in a plain cover and rubber stamped by the bassist's long suffering girlfriend/boyfriend as you can see here. Have a browse and see if you can name the bands, singles and the colour of the vinyl. Only joking about the last one -that's another quiz. You might find, as I did, that the plain cover you bought in a crappy Woolworth's in Plymouth was widely available with a picture cover (and probably coloured vinyl) in the Virgin records down the road, which your Gran wouldn't let you go into.
Collectors note. I took these singles to 'deletions', upstairs at the old Record and Tape exchange, Notting Hill, where they were assessed by the late great Epic Soundtracks (drummer of Swell Maps). He said they were worth bog all. But I did get a job.


'Ere we go then, 1,2,3,4...










































































































16 comments:

steenbeck said...

Great covers. I wish I was cool enough to know what any of them are. But I'm not. Curious to find out, though.

Proudfoot said...

Sorry steenbeck. They're quite late 70s/New Wave/UK specific so if that's not your bag....
Plus I suppose that you'd have to have bought the singles, or known someone who did. Album covers are more iconic. I never had a copy of 'Off the Wall', 'Atom Heart Mother' or 'The Immaculate Collection, but I'd know the covers if I saw them.

ejaydee said...

Donds to what Steenbeck said, even if I like to think it can be my bag.

ToffeeBoy said...

Well I know one of them! The last one is XTC's Science Friction.

Proudfoot said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Proudfoot said...

Good on yer Toffee. Somebody nicked my copy of this along with the Fire Engines' Candyskin at a party. The fatwah is still on.

Did you just sign Doncaster's goalie or am I getting wires crossed?

Anonymous said...

From memory, as my vinyl collection covers have been eaten by mice (sob). Killing Joke, Wardance I think, with Psyche on the B side. Flying Lizards cover of "Money"? Siouxsie & the Banshees "Staircase Mystery"? Is the butcher shop pic a Clash single?

Thanks for putting this up - brings back happy memories of my drug-crazed youth.

Anonymous said...

Oh & the Fall "How I Wrote Elastic Man" b/w " City Hobgoblins"?

Proudfoot said...

Pretty good shoegazer. Not the Clash, something from across the water. Elastic Man/City Hobgoblins. How great is that?
"past my home at night
They are not alright
Ten times my age
One-tenth my height"
It was them who ate your vinyl covers.
Stick it on. You'll laugh and jump around. Promise.

Anonymous said...

Ah, Stiff Little Fingers - Straw Dogs/Crap on the Radio?

Always thought Hobgoblins would be a great band name.

ShivSidecar said...

The one at the top is indeed by Swell Maps...?

Next: Wire: "I Am The Fly"

Then The Undertones: "Here Comes The Summer"

The four gurls stating at a window are The Raincoats...?

Below SLF are The Skids: "Masquerade"...

...then The Cure: "Boys Don't Cry".

I used to know all of 'em but the flashbacks are eating away at my synapses...

ToffeeBoy said...

@ proudfoot - you asked "Did you just sign Doncaster's goalie or am I getting wires crossed?"

I have to say that I've never signed a goalkeeper in my life - Doncaster's or anyone else's for that matter!

Sorry - sad attempt at droll humour there. I don't think Everton have either - I think we're interested in Joe Lewis, the young Peterborough keeper who was on the bench for England last week!

ToffeeBoy said...

Can we have the answers please? I'm dying to know what the penultimate one is (military men - pink/blue background) as I'm sure I should know it.

ShivSidecar said...

ToffeeBoy, the answer is above - albeit not entirely clear amongst the general badinage. Navigate from the "butcher's shop" sleeve, which is "Straw Dogs" by Stiff Little Fingers (SLF).

(I'd like to know what the others are, too).

ToffeeBoy said...

@ shivsidecar - Thanks. My brain's not working too well but I worked out that it was The Cure.

Proudfoot said...

The Raincoats is 'Fairytale in the Supermarket' The mashed up face was 999 'Found Out Too Late' (Yes, pretty obscure), Swell Maps 'Read About Seymour'. The Skids 'Charade'. The crossword puzzle was a quiz(win dinner with the Ruts- they pay!)on their 'Staring at the Rude Boys'
The bulldozer is the Dead Kennedys and 'Kill The Poor'. You got the rest.