Sifting Singles (2)

Took a break after that little exercise. Like I said, this isn’t going to be quick.

So, some quick gems; possibly the greatest love-song ever written “Chance Meeting” by Josef K. I preferred Josef K to Orange Juice or Aztec Camera and I’m the proud owner of possibly every Josef K CD reissue there’s ever been! Here’s another school disco moment rushing up to embarrass me; Walk Out To Winter and Oblivious! Damn. I didn’t have a suede jacket, but I’m sure someone did. Great tunes and great talent.

Sad Lovers and Giants. Ding1. (Man Of Straw 12″ – but we’re not talking big stuff!).

I was most proud of my Fetish Records collection. Did I get them all? I think I almost did. I’ll have to go back and check. A label that not enough is written about. Fetish showcased many of the great “Industrial” or “Post-Industrial-Funk” bands; Throbbing Gristle, Clock DVA, 23 Skidoo, The Bongos (how did they fit in – but great), Z’EV, Funhouse, Bush Tetras, WKGB…. I think I might do some research and devote a bit more time to Fetish in a later blog.

The oh-so-mighty “I’m So Hollow”. First heard on Hicks From The Sticks and hunted to distraction! Finally picked up their album for a ridiculous price in the mid-90s at a record fair. The “Made In Sheffield” movie has some great footage – ignore this at your cost.

Factory Records. While most of my friends focussed on Liverpool, I tended towards Manchester. There’s a lot been written about Factory. I’m not going to add to it. Of course with Peter Saville at the helm, these were some of the most beautiful covers in the history of recorded popular music. (Only Neville Brody at Fetish could beat it). Ceremony, Temptation, Procession. Shack Up – nights down the Hacienda.

Walking into Probe and asking for Jimone. Only to be told by the arrogant arsehole behind the counter that it was “Jim One”. Doh! First single by James and sleeve not done by PS. That was 1983. A couple of years later and we’d all be sitting in Platt Fields in Manchester watching Tim Booth cavorting around the stage, sitting bemused through Easterhouse and leaving pretty much as soon as Simply Red took the stage. Some journos and muosos cite that gig as the start of Madchester. Not sure I agree but just about four  years later I was listening to a 7″ with the title “Sally Cinammon” and I was hooked. Madchester had started for me.

Section 25, Charnel Ground. What a miserable bunch of gits. But still going strong and I’m still subscribing to the theory that one day they’ll rule the world.

The Smiths are in this pile. It’s a Manchester/Salford/Stockport/Macclesfield/Blackpool pile really. Yes they’re here. But to be honest I soon lost interest. After Meat Is Murder I think I drifted away and started exploring Sweatbox releases and dived headlong into 4AD records. I have all the albums, of course I do, I’m anal and completist! But they don’t really rock my boat.

So I only have one pile left. But I’m going to leave that for now. It’s pobably my biggest pile. The focus of my obsession for many years – 4AD.

~ by pwdxb on July 28, 2009.