Anyway, we’d best let Rich carry on in his words, prepare to be informed:

I always appreciate the gents making space for me in the van and I’m flattered they asked me to contribute to their blog. When I requested a theme for this selection they responded ‘You are the theme!’ Rather than abusing their invite by charting a selection of ‘Hair’ cast recordings (no, I am serious) I chose to dip into the records I might pack for a Wolf People gig. Even then I was struggling to pick so I whittled the shortlist down further with format and country and hence here’s… A baker’s dozen* of UK bands on 7”. Hopefully you’ll find the contents less unwieldy than that title.

1. The Pentangle ‘I Saw An Angel’ (Big T 45 UK)

Let’s start proceedings with the masters at work. This song was tucked away on the b-side to ‘Once I Had A Sweetheart’.

Rich has kindly recorded all the tracks from the original vinyl and uploaded them to our soundcloud account, but the site won’t let us link this particular track due to copyright issues, so here is a youtube link for the meantime, apologies.

2. The Fruit Machine ‘Willow Tree’ (American Music Makers 45 US)

The Fruit Machine, hailing from south west London, released a total of three singles, all of which deserve a listen. Two came out on the UK Spark label but, for whatever reason, this appeared only in the US. Of the two sides I prefer the one we here which, with 20:20 hindsight, hints at the future direction of guitarists Andy Curtis and Steve Gould with Rare Bird.

3. The Battered Ornaments ‘Staggered’ (Harvest 45 FRA)

The definite article was added to the name after Pete Brown had been chucked out of the group he started as Pete Brown And His Battered Ornaments, the day before they were due to play with the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park. This 45 was lifted from the ‘Mantle-Piece’ LP. After he was ejected Brown’s vocals were erased from the tapes and rerecorded by Chris Spedding. Still, that nugget of information is rendered all but irrelevant here by the absence of much in the way of singing on this ‘song’.

4. July ‘The Way’ (Ariola 45 DEU)

When I first met Tom he was living in Ealing, above a row of shops, in a flat crammed with records and recording equipment. Once Jack formed the band, Wolf People used to rehearse in Tom’s front room. How’s that for a segue to this Ealing raga from July? (They also first formed in Ealing, in 1968, so I’m not just throwing that in entirely out of the blue).

Again, copyright problems have called time on this upload, here is a youtube link.

5. Affinity ‘I Am And So Are You’ (Vertigo 45 FRA)

Both sides of this single are taken from Affinity’s well regarded Vertigo LP. To the best of my knowledge, although the flip (‘Three Sisters’) was released on 45 in several different countries, this French demo is the only pressing with ‘I Wonder If I Care As Much’ substituted by the tune we have here. Things like this please me.

6. Mighty Baby ‘Egyptian Tomb’ (Philips 45 FRA)

Once again the French come up trumps by releasing yet another top notch album track on this convenient, portable format.

7. Arcadium ‘Poor Lady’ (Middle Earth EP UK)

I stumbled across this song on an old German compilation I’d bought for Pesky Gee’s ‘Where Is Mind’. A little research then revealed that the Middle Earth label, run by the owners of the club of the same name, put this out on a promotional EP along with ‘Aries’ by Writing On The Wall and Wooden O’s ‘Overture’. Thanks to Sarge in Belfast, the epic ‘I’m On My Way’ is another favourite from Arcadium.

8. Crazy Mabel ‘You’ve Never Had It’ (Pink Elephant 45 NLD)

When I was introduced to this number, by way of a CD from Chris ‘The Judge’ Arthur, the politically incorrect intro heard here was absent. The LP includes applause and introductions between songs although I strongly doubt that the music was actually recorded ‘live’. There’s great footage of the Crazy Mabel on stage in the 1971 film ‘Bread’, in front of a full Orange backline. At the time of release it was described in Today’s Cinema as “far too recognisably a Cliff Richard musical with nudes and swearing”. From what I’ve seen, musical performances aside, I’m not sure it’s even as entertaining as that.

9. 10 C.C. ‘Hot Sun Rock’ (UK 45 UK)

Prior to the group’s commercial success in the seventies, the future members of 10 C.C. honed their craft by, amongst many other things, penning numbers for The Yardbirds and Kasenetz-Katz’ Super K Productions, playing with The Mindbenders and with Ramases on ‘Space Hymns’, which was produced at the band’s Strawberry Studios in Stockport, and recording their own songs for the Marmalade label. This b-side, from their first single as 10 C.C., bears the imprint of this considerable apprenticeship.

10. Nashville Teens ‘Wydicombe Fair’ (Qualiton 45 HUN)

‘Widdicombe Fair’ appeared on the Nashville Teens eponymous second LP but that take differs from the one we have here by more than merely a few letters. Zalatnay Sarolta had quite a bit of mutual appreciation going on with the Teens, resulting in busman’s holidays back and forth across the Iron Curtain, and this resulting Hungarian single is apparently the only release this recording had at the time. Thankfully those fine chaps at Finders Keepers had the good sense to rescue it from obscurity for their ‘B-Music – Cross Continental Record Raid Road Trip’. There’s stunning footage of the transitional line-up of Renaissance, including ex-Teens John Hawken, Terry Crowe, Mike Dunford and Neil Korner, performing a rambling arrangement that is strikingly similar to the Nashville Teens’ album version. Although that LP was released in 1972 my best guess is that both of the Teens’ versions were recorded before pianist Hawken left to form Renaissance (and then, incidentally, Third World war). Anyone know for sure?

11. The Way We Live ‘King Dick II’ (Dandelion EP UK)

Another Wolf People chart, another John Peel endorsed track from Rochdale (and still no ‘All Ends Up’ from Tractor!) with the trio effortlessly shifting up and back through the gears.

12. Paul St. John ‘Flying Saucers Have Landed’ (PYE 45 UK)

This song wears the influence of Desmond Leslie and Erich Von Däniken plainly, borrowing its title from Leslie’s first book. What’s more the other side is ‘Spaceship Lover’. Something of a musical chameleon, Paul (real name Laurice Marshall) recorded the charming ‘I’m Gonna Smash Your Face In’ as Grudge before relocating to Canada and returning to the stars as Laurie Marshall in his ‘Disco Spaceship’.

13. Chris Spedding And The Battered Ornaments ‘Goodbye We Loved You (Madly)’ (Harvest 45 UK)

On the b-side to a single from Chris Spedding’s New Band can be found this swan song from The Battered Ornaments. And what a way to bow out, with seven tantalising minutes of what could have been. Certainly a bang and not a whimper.

*Alright, so 3. and 13. are pretty much the same band.

My thanks to Chris Arthur, Sarge and Gabor for introducing me to some of these records. If you can track them down, The Judge’s Eccentric British Vibrations charts in the old B-Music zine are well worth a read.

And this seems like an appropriate point to mention that we (that’s Wolf People and myself) will be joining with Glasgow’s finest (that’s the EWO team) behind the decks, in front of the bar and on the dancefloor at Future Thoughts in The Flying Duck on Friday 13th January, after the Glasgow date at Stereo. If you’re coming to the gig you may as well make a night of it!

Rich is DJing before and after our 4 gigs in the UK in mid January, dates as follows:

Glasgow Stereo: 13th + Hidden Masters

Leeds Brudenell: 14th + Diagonal

Brighton The Haunt: 15th + Diagonal

London Garage: 17th + Diagonal + Olivia Chaney

1234, 2020 Vision, Accidental, Ad Altiora, Adventures Close to home, Alberts, All City, Alt Delete, Ambush Reality, Angular, Ark, ATC, Atic, Atlantic Jaxx, Azuli, B Unique, Backyard, Bad Sneakers, Bandstock, Beggars, Big Chill, Big Dada, Big Life / Nul / Sindy Stroker, Boombox, Border Community, Boysnoize, Brille, Bronzerat, Brownswood, Buzzin Fly, Can You Feel It, Catskills, ChannelFly, Chemikal Underground, City Rockers, Counter, D Cypher Dance To The Radio, Deceptive, Def Jux, Dirtee Stank, Divine Comedy, Domino, Drag City, Drive Thru, Drowned in Sound, Duophonic, Eat Sleep / Sorepoint, Electric Toaster, Emfire, F. Comm, Fabric, Faith And Hope, Fantastic Plastic, Fargo, FatCat Feraltone, Finders Keepers / Twisted Nerve, Fingerlickin’, Flock Free Range, From The Basement, Full Time Hobby, Goldsoul, Gronland, Groove Attack, Halftime, Hassle, Heron, Hum&Haw, Independiente, Info UK, Join Us, Kartel, Kensaltown, Kitsune, Kompakt, Laughing Stock, Leftroom, Lex, Lo Max, Loose, Love Box, Lowlife, Lucky Number, Marquis Cha Cha, Memphis Industry, Merok, Metroline, Mute, Naïve, Nation, Navigator, New World, Ninja Tune, Nuclear Blast, One Little Indian, Output / People in the Sky /, Process, Pale Blue, Palm, Peacefrog, PIAS Recordings, PIP 555, Productions, Play To Work, Powerhouse (T2), Propaganda / Ho Hum, Raw Canvas, Red Grape, Red Telephone Box, Rekids, Renaissance, Respect Productions (PES digital), Reveal Records, RMG, Rock Action, Roots, Rough Trade, Rough Trade Comps, Rubyworks, Ruffa Lane, Search And Destroy, Secret Sundaze, Secretly Canadian / Jagjaguwar / Dead Oceans, Sell Yourself, Setanta, Shatterproof, Sideone Dummy, Slam Dunk, Smalltown, Soma, Something In Construction, Sonar Kollectiv, Soul Jazz, Southern Fried, Stranded Soldier, Subliminal, Sunday Best, TARGO, Taste, Ten Worlds, Thrill Jockey, Total Fitness, Touch And Go, Track And Field, TriTone, Trouble, Try Harder, Turk, Turnstile, Twenty 20, Underworld, Union Square, Urban Torque, Vagrant, Vice, Victory, Wagram, Wall Of Sound, Warp, Wi45, Wonky Atlas, Word And Sound, Xtra Mile, You Are Here

Quietus Article

Our good mates Finders Keepers lost 90% of their stock in the PIAS fire. They’re not a huge company and work on narrow margins and this is seriously bad news for the owners. All our feelings are with them.

Finders Keepers

Take care, WP x

(Tom is also putting together a Sweden part II chart, possibly to go up in celebration of our first Scandinavian trip in a few weeks, or maybe when we get back?)

I have to admit I’m finding less and less time to look for and buy records these days (I do still buy records though, of course) and a lot of what I hear is from mixes that friends make me. So it’s thanks to the impeccable taste and generous spirit of our friends that most of these have come to my attention. I’ve tried to give credit where it’s due for schooling me on these, but apologies if I’ve missed anyone out.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Jack

WPx

Dark – R.C.8

The whole band fell in love with this record last year. We found out about it through Dungen’s Reine Fiske, he listed it in a chart for the B-Music magazine a few years ago. It’s apparently amongst the rarest records in the country. A copy recently went on ebay for six and a half grand! That doesn’t make it good of course. It’s just good because it’s good. Recorded in Northampton too, which isn’t too far from home for me.

Tractor – Storm

I first heard Tractor/The Way We Live through Joe on one of our many epic car journeys to gigs and rehearsals. From the stable of John Peel’s Dandelion Label, Tractor were at this time a two man outfit (Jim Milne and Steve Clayton), recording everything in their own studio in Rochdale. We heart Tractor.

Beau – Silence Returns

I heard this through a mix swap on the verygoodplus.co.uk forum (I think it may have been John Stapleton’s?). It’s a great song, but it is made exceptional in my opinion by the guys from Tractor tearing into the last third of it. Jim Milne’s guitar sound almost makes me cry it’s so good.

Thundermother – Someday

I spout off about this record at any given opportunity, because I love it to bits. Massive thanks due to Kyle who burnt me a CD of this many years ago, thinking it might interest me (it did). The original is mind numbingly rare. I think 250 copies were made and I don’t own one sadly. This is on the Astral Navigations album (brainchild of Mike Levon at Holygrounds records), which brought together two Yorkshire bands; Lightyears Away on one side and Thundermother on the other. This is from the heavier side but they’re both equally good.

High Tide – Futilists Lament

High Tide are a band that was recommended by a few different people at gigs. I like their other stuff too but this song in particular just floors me. ‘Sea Shanties’, the record this song comes from, has been cited by some as “progressive metal’. I’m not sure about that personally! It is bloody good though.

Trifle – New Religion

I first heard this years-ago via a mix Swap on the old Vinyl Vulture site (RIP). It was one of the songs that helped ease me back into appreciating and eventually wanting to make rock music again. Tom recently bagged the LP and reminded me how great it is.

Plant & See – Witches Brew

I heard this on a mix by Greg Belson some time ago and I thought I’d add it here as it doesn’t get mentioned as much as some of the other, rarer 70’s rock records. It’s from a pretty solid album too on White Whale records. I managed to get my hands on a fairly battered copy but I’ve never seen one since.

May Blitz – Smoking the day away

I don’t know much about May Blitz as I only recently checked them out for some reason. I think two of them were Canadians who moved to London to start a band. This song is a real grower.

(I had two more songs to post, but the powers that be won’t let me upload them.)

www.deanmcphee.com

My favourite track off the album:

Cheers, Joe, WP

MAY
8 Sun GERMANY Dortmund FZW
9 Mon GERMANY Wiesbaden – Schlachtof
10 Tue AUSTRIA Vienna – B72
11 Wed AUSTRIA Graz – Forum Stadtpak
13 Fri SWITZ Vevey – Rocking Chair
14 Sat ITALY Torino – Spazzio 211
15 Sun ITALY Ravenna – Hanna-Bi
16 Mon ITALY Milan – Magnolia
17 Tue SWITZ Zurich – Mascotte
18 Wed GERMANY Cologne – Gebaude 9
19 Thu NL Rotterdam – Rotown
20 Fri NL Amsterdam – London Calling
28 Sat Spain – Barcelona – ATP Stage – Primavera

AUGUST
13 Sat UK – Yorkshire – Beacons Festival // Stool Pigeon

(the really good bit starts at 3.00)

What’s more, the inimitable Cherrystones will be joining us at Cargo. Shit yeah!

Looking forward to meeting a lot of new faces and playing noisy music till everyone’s tired. See you soon.

WPx

VPRO SESSION LINK

Its not too bad, I (Joe) ain’t too happy as my amp had the flu after being subjected to Belgian cobbles, but all in all its ok, our first TV recording, so was a bit nerve wracking if we’re honest.

Some other informative images from our mini tour:

Megatunnel

Vera, Groningen

Beursschouwburg Cafe, Brussels (an incredible place, highly recommended)

Ceefax 4EVA




Steeplehead

Ben is a legend


Whoever did this poster at the Trix, please contact us! The font is superb. Also worth mentioning DJ Anatool Mongool, who played some top records, especially dropping Mikael Ramel at the end!

Also, If you’re ever in Europe/Holland/Utrecht, we recommend a beer called “Westmalle” (no affiliation)

www.trappistwestmalle.be

Thanks to all the people who looked after us with fine cheeses, beers and accommodation, it was great, it was too short and we want to do more.

cheers

WPx