First demo tape recorded by the second Blyth Power line up in September 1987. Josef, Sarah from the first line up joined by Protag, Steve Corr and the lovely Sian Jeffreys making up the five.
By this time in the band’s history All The Madmen Records, now based in Caledonian Road, Kings Cross was almost dead and buried, and the good ship Blyth (or rather Josef) had signed up to Midnight Music. That record label was interested in Josef specifically and in the contract it was written that it did not matter what ‘backing musicians’ were helping Josef at the time, just as long as Josef delivered. This he did with three LP’s and three 12″ singles released on that label that I know of from 1987 to 1991. Out of those six releases, there are no less than three Blyth Power line ups including the one that recorded this demo tape.
Blyth Power are still playing now and again, and were very enjoyable when I last saw them in 2007 (almost two decades since I last saw them perform with extra guitarist James Hince (of The Kills nowadays) added to the ranks forming a six piece Blyth Power.
Sian’s book well worth getting hold of…ISBN141202681-4
AL Puppy
October 19, 2008 at 6:08 amBut how much of Next to Ness is fiction and how much fact?
There is a whole chapter about a character called “Tinsel” – but Sian’s Tinsel has nothing to do with the real person Tinsel.
Penguin • Post Author •
October 19, 2008 at 6:56 pmSame Tinsel Al, dunno about fact or fiction though in regard to that chapter. The ending is fictional defo, but all the names and places mentioned are true to a large extent, Sean is working at Rough Trade, Jamie is dating Kate Moss, Simon and Ben were both in the band’s mentioned and still around.
Napolean was in Eat Shit. That pic on the back is in fact the house squatted in Elm Park, Brixton, a road opp the prison. I was not living with my parents as mentioned in this book but in a shared house in Hertford with 5 acres of woodland, one of the house mates was Iain Aitch who now writes articles for The Guardian!
fetchampunk
May 26, 2009 at 11:20 pmHiya, Thanks for sharing this. This is the line-up I saw in my home village Fetcham at the Riverside Club and then never got round to seeing them ever again 🙁
claire
August 7, 2009 at 5:06 pmHello, i have just come across sians book mmmm i would say pretty much mixture of fact and a wild imagination, and “claire” very loosly based on reality.
i can feel a law suit coming on, i must speak to my lawyer !!
Steve Ardcorr
June 23, 2010 at 9:24 pmThis demo always sounded far better to me than the god awful album it preceded. All that lovely guitar work ruined by that hippy at midnight music.
Steve Ardcorr
June 23, 2010 at 9:26 pmAs for “Next to Ness” it all true.
Apart from the stuff she made up of course. Just who the hell boring Steve is shall never be known but I have my suspicions.
Still, really enjoyed it though, well worth a read.
Steve
Boozer
June 24, 2010 at 8:02 amI concur… Brilliant tape…. best line up… (don’t tell Bambi or Helen) cheers guys.. takes me back… Hi Steve… =;-)
Sean
January 3, 2012 at 1:51 pmGreat stuff.
Is that Boozer (once of Shrewsbury) champion knitter, creator of my cherished ‘Wicked Women..” jumper ?
charles smythe
August 5, 2012 at 12:56 pmAmazing tales in the life of Alan Tipping…. the squats are long gone and everyone, with the odd exception, has returned to their middle class roots. Sian’s novel is as hollow as her head with little or no basis in reality. The volume of sales says more than any critique. It was fun playing at being working class but it was never going to last. And so much for all that.
Penguin • Post Author •
August 5, 2012 at 1:44 pmDid Sian pretend to be working class? I never remembered that. She was always quite honest about her upbringing if on the very rare occasions the subject ever came up. Nobody who stayed at Elm Park Road was working class that I recall … Why would they have to be?
As for sales of her book, she has sold more books than I have with mine. I have not written a book, at least she has one out there in the public domain whatever the literary quality!
Steve, just noticed your comment. You are not the ‘boring’ Steve. That was someone from Wimbledon.
Sandy
May 2, 2021 at 2:45 pmThe ness book is fantastic all the characters I remember from the day my band idiot clone supported Lost Cherees in 84 at Nottingham narrowboat and when Sian left to join BP we went to many gigs usually gummidge was leaping about I particularly recall Hatfield uni gig