A KYPP catch up on recent You Tube posts that have been published recently.
Antisect – Live In The Darkness – Side 1
Antisect – Live In The Darkness – Side 2
The only album released on the Clown Disc label run by Pete Alberto.
Pete was originally a punk from Ipswich, but sometime around 1990 until sometime around 1992, he was living in a house in Wood Green, North London with myself, Mickey ‘Penguin’, and various other kindly folk.
Pete did all the running around and organising.
Lippy from Antisect listened to, and chose, his favorite cassette tape. Various cassette tapes were taken around to the squat he was living in at the time, and the choice was Brighton Richmond 02/02/84.
Bully from Bristol, a then member of the Wood Green Crustie Crew, supplied a rather fetching picture of an English football hooligan to be printed as the B – side center label.
Complimenting this B – side center label, was a beautiful, and far more worthy A – side center label. A Celtic skull designed by Sonia. The insert was also designed by Sonia.
John Loder at Southern Studios did some repair work on the chosen cassette tape, making good drop outs and remixing the cassette tape through the Southern Studios sound desk so it would sound a little bit better when it was eventually transferred to vinyl.
John Loder finished this studio work and did not charge anything. Which was nice of him.
I stumped up the cash (or a fair amount of it) for the pressing and printing costs.
This album when completed, was a very nice looking release.
The cover, a grey Celtic style cover design by Kathy printed in reverse board card.
The record, a nice grey marble vinyl.
A one off limited pressing of around 970 numbered copies.
What’s not to love?
This album took about a week to sell out via Southern Record Distribution.
While working on the the first shipping day to record stores in the U.K that had pre-ordered this album, I recall doing around half an hours work before wondering where Pete had disappeared to. Shortly after I went to actively search for him.
I found Pete slumped down in the toilet, Silly sausage. I got him up placed him in a more reasonable area to ‘rest’, and continued with the shipping!
This ‘Live In Darkness’ album is very rare. If you see one, snatch it up!
Somewhat coincidentally, another live Antisect album, ‘Peace Is Better’ was released on Ferox Records, run by Phil E.N.T and Paul, two more Ipswich punks and friends with Pete Alberto. I think ‘Peace Is Better’ was released around a year before the Clown Discs live album.
A couple of years later ‘Peace Is Better’ was re-released on Camden Town’s Vinyl Japan / Discipline Records to decent sales in the Asian punk market.
In my opinion, the Ferox / Vinyl Japan / Discipline album, ‘Peace Is Better’, is not quite as satisfying as the Clown Disc album, ‘Live In The Darkness’, which was especially pleasing aesthetically and had a better sound quality.
The only studio album ‘In Darkness’ recorded at Southern Studios in 1983, engineered by John Loder and released on Spiderleg Records is a stone wall classic.
As well as the images of the original insert art, the front and rear sleeve artwork and the A side and B side center labels with the wonderful coloured vinyl on show, I have added images of my test press version. The test pressing is normal black vinyl with generic pressing plant center labels and with a normal plain sleeve with a spare insert glued upon it!
Something I have just been reminded about by Daryl Dixon…
The album ‘Hallo There’, was another official bootleg, authorised by Antisect, and released on Graven Image Records. This album also features the same Brighton 2/2/84 gig as ‘Live In The Darkness’, and was released by Al, the vocalist of Nausea specifically for the U.S market.
The U.S version was pressed up on beautiful white vinyl with wonderful sleeve artwork.
Al had visited Pete Alberto at our home in Wood Green several times around the time.
I do not have a copy of this U.S release. I might have to search album out!
Fifteen years ago now, on the 17th November 2000, Jarret Lloyd Vincent A.K.A Bim Sherman died after a short fight with cancer.
I knew Bim Sherman very well.
Bim visited Southern Studios and Southern Record Distributors often, several times a month over many years.
We went out together to eat. I was a visitor to his home in Turnpike Lane. I was present at his rare live performances that were organised in London.
I was also, inevitably, present at his funeral in New Southgate, and later on that afternoon, present at the African – Caribbean Centre in Hornsey for the celebration of his life.
I employed his teenage son at Southern Record Distributors for a short time after his death.
I have many fond memories of Bim Sherman. His gentle personality, his humour, and the live performances that I attended. Two of the live performances, one at The Sir George Robey and one at the Islington Powerhaus were both special in a deeply personal way for me.
These fond memories will never leave my psyche.
And course I have a fondness for his sweet vocal style showcased on his large back catalogue of music recorded for various Jamaican record labels, and for Adrian Sherwood’s Hit Run and ONU Sound record labels.
Bim Sherman album highlights include:
‘Lovers Leap’ originally released on Scorpio Records, re-released on R.D.L Records.
‘Love Forever’ originally released on Tribesman Records.
‘Across The Red Sea’ originally released on ONU Sound records, and his work with the ONU Sound All Stars – Singers And Players.
The two 12″ records uploaded tonight (A and B sides) were the only Bim Sherman records that were released on Hit Sounds Records. Both were issued in 1979, licensed to Adrian Sherwood in the U.K from two Jamaican record labels. Prince Far I’s ‘Cry Tuff’, and Jah Lloyd’s ‘Teem’ imprint.
Track Listing:
Bim Sherman / Jah Buzz – Love Jah Only
Dub From The Ghetto – Cry Tuff All Stars
Bim Sherman / Jah Lion – Down In Jamdown
Teem All Stars – Down In Jamdown Version
Hit Run Records had a sturdy catalogue of some of the best reggae 12″ singles and albums that were available in that era.
Earlier this year I placed a Hit Run Records 12″ singles selection up on my YouTube channel.
That selection may be listened to HERE.
Flowers In The Dustbin demo – 1986
In the early to mid 1980’s, the ex – All The Madmen records band Flowers In The Dustbin, were a firm favorite of mine and I would go out and witness performances whenever I possibly could.
The All The Madmen 12″ single ‘Freaks Run Wild’ released in 1984 was an absolute classic.
A little over a year later Conflicts record label Mortarhate released the ‘Nails Of The Heart’ 7″ single which also included ‘The Reason Why’, my favorite Flowers In The Dustbin song.
A year or so after that release, ‘Like My Crazy Colours’ was released on Cold Harbour records.
Coming up a close second to ‘The Reason Why’, ‘Lick My Crazy Colours’ was for a while played back to back on the stereo, both records played many times in one session.
Some of Gerard’s lyrics seemed to hit the spot every time for someone like me with my awkwardly shy sensibilities at that age, desperately trying to figure out a way to change my world and the outside world for the better.
“People look but they just don’t see
Seem like they’re listening but never seem to hear
Insomnia, pain, won’t stop whirling
Love is a currency, you still use sterling
But some children never grow up
And see the world and see it fucked
And lyrics might be eloquent
But they stop at the skin
Whilst my heart cries tears
For the love wasted within
Like me when I ignored you on the bus
And you even sat next to me on the tube
And the mutual strangers never connect
And people even talk but nothing gets said
I’m reaching for your heart but your skin’s like lead
The whole world goes to work
But nothing is produced
In the out tray lovers remain
Simply seduced
Valium is your only friend
And the world’s got lots of money/love but none to lend
At school standing away from the rest
Crying in the concrete playground cos you’re not the best
And the streets so dirty you don’t want to walk on them anymore
In fields of green lie naked and don’t feel so sore
The sun is shining and your cheeks feel warm
And nature will stand when the concrete’s been torn down
Torn down to the ground
Tear it down
Burn it down
…the most beautiful people in the world”
(The Reason Why)
“The windswept horizon of hot summer paradise
You realise the truth, you find where your freedom lies
The taste of love on a dear friends lips
Feel your vision blur as you give in, so willingly
Is there any tea in the pot?
Is there some left in it for me?
I’m the madman that you forgot
Is there any pot in the tea?
Will you lick my crazy colours?
Cos I’ll lick your wounds baby
The old ones complained and they said they were wiser than us
But us we’re just having a party to last for the rest of our lives
They wised it and sized it and they analysed it through and through
But us we just did it, we had nothing better to do, so willingly
Is there any tea in the pot?
Is there some left in it for me?
I’m the madman that you forgot
Is there any pot in the tea?
Will you lick my crazy colours?
Cos I’d die for you baby
Oh Mr Clean with your nicotine-stained brain
Businesswoman Julie, never felt the beauty, never picked a tulip, just kept fixing Pepsi
But in your business-suits of navy blue
Do you really think your children take any notice of you? Not willingly
Is there any tea in the pot?
Is there some left in it for me?
Is there something you forgot when you gave in so willingly
Will you lick my crazy colours?
Cos I’d die for you baby”
(Lick My Crazy Colours)
This 7″ single released on Cold Harbour Records was to be the last offering from Flowers In The Dustbin.
This cassette was given to me around the time it was recorded for Cold Storage Records, and has four of the tracks that were meant to be released as a full length album.
The album never saw the light of day, although I was sent a cassette of the mixes by Gerard a couple of years later.
I still have that cassette of the album so will upload that at some point.
Accompanying the audio on this YouTube post of these four Flowers In The Dustbin songs which includes ‘Lick My Crazy Colours’, I have included a couple of my many personal letters from Gerard, with his full permission.
I wrote to Gerard over the years, and it was Gerard (and Andy Martin from The Apostles) that gave me the impetus to concentrate on a far better writing style to the scrawls I would normally put onto paper!
Gerard’s words written were (are) full of beauty and the writing style is also aesthetically beautiful. These letters that I received from Gerard could be framed as a work of art!
One letter from Gerard explains his mindset, and the ending of Flowers In The Dustbin to me prior to others knowing.
There is then a generic Flowers In The Dustbin letter to followers that was sent out a little while later to explain the split.
Finally Gerard’s letter to me after he had moved to Brighton, that came with the cassette of the album that he sent me, expressing a far more positive mindset for the weeks and months ahead.
Towards the end of the 1980’s, Psychic TV’s Temple Records were responsible for releasing some interesting material.
This 12″ record is no exception.
A poetic collaboration between musician Kenny Morris (ex Siouxsie And The Banshees) and the radical 1970’s writer Dorothée Lalanne, a collaboration that seems to work out very well.
The two tracks on each side of this 12″ record, are both soundtracks for the two films ‘La Main Morte’ and ‘Chapter Of Faults’.
These two tracks are spoken word, one written and read in English by French writer Dorothée Lalanne, and the other written by 19th century French sculptor Auguste Rodin, read in French, again by Dorothée Lalanne.
The artwork image placed in the middle of both sides of the sleeve artwork on this YouTube post is the front cover for the book “Silence” by Dorothée Lalanne and Loulou Picasso.
For other details please get onto the KYPP link HERE.
A decent record this.
