Flowers In The Dustbin – ‘Lost’ LP – 1986

A cassette tape sent to me by Gerard, vocalist of Flowers In The Dustbin, originally recorded for Cold Harbour Records from Brixton and unfortunatly never released due to the record label going bust…A great shame as the tracks on this LP were very good.

Flowers In The Dustbin released a 12″ record on All The Madmen records in 1984 and a cassette only release on Rob Challice’s cassette label 96 Tapes again in 1984. Rob Challice would soon look after All The Madmen records after Alistair left in 1985. Flowers In The Dustbin then released a 7″ record on Mortahate records in 1985 and then yet another 7″ record for Cold Harbour records in 1986. This was the entire vinyl output of the band, and shortly afterwards Flowers In The Dustbin disbanded.

Whilst on Cold Harbour records the Flowers In The Dustbin recorded several tracks for release as an album. The record label went bust two years after the sessions and the release was never forthcoming. A very frustrating time for the band.

Is It Real

Lick My Crazy Colours

Maypole

She Laughed

Psychopathic Gallery

Outlaws

Bible Seller

Pyromania

Weaver

Rock Hudson

Novembers Song

Unreason

Why Does It Hurt ?

19 comments
  1. Nick Hydra
    Nick Hydra
    April 30, 2010 at 7:47 am

    Does anyone know what this LP was going to be called?

  2. gerard
    gerard
    April 30, 2010 at 9:32 am

    I do!

    It was going to be called ‘Ko’, which is Chinese for revolution.

  3. DavidM
    DavidM
    April 30, 2010 at 8:35 pm

    Is the new full length still coming Gerard?

  4. gerard
    gerard
    May 1, 2010 at 9:47 am

    Hi David

    Yes it is but it’s painfully slow at the moment due in the main to illness on my part and the demands of paid work intruding much more than I’d planned.
    So no release date as yet but I’ll definitely post any news here as and when

    Gerard

  5. DavidM
    DavidM
    May 2, 2010 at 5:49 pm

    Thanks man.

  6. dan i
    dan i
    May 3, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    Like that confusing imagery cover Gerard – very suited for Flowers In The Dustbin. New album? What’s going on there then?

  7. dan i
    dan i
    May 5, 2010 at 6:06 pm

    Nice upgrade to the site Gerard. Thanks davidM.

    Getting/got married Gerard? Me too, just married the lovely Debbie 3 weeks ago. Congratulations.

  8. gerard
    gerard
    May 11, 2010 at 5:02 pm

    Thanks & congrats to you Dan! March 17th myself.

  9. Dev
    Dev
    May 12, 2010 at 12:21 pm

    Hi Gerard… hope you are feeling better? Yes, belated congrats from me too. Thanks for making the LP available… hadn’t spotted this post before, so downloading now. I thought it got destroyed in a fire or something though?

    Been digging out some more old tapes – found some nostalgic stuff, amongst which is the Swindon Squat gig we did in an abattoir (summer ’83); I still remember bailing out of the coach at Swindon in the sun, semi-pissed and being greeted by the sight of punkers taking over the town centre. Had a great weekend there – will get it to Penguin soon.

  10. luggy
    luggy
    May 12, 2010 at 7:19 pm

    Remember hitching back from that Swindon gig with Zina & getting a lift from some psychobillies. As soon as we got in they sped off claiming they had dropped acid & were on a death trip! Strange people but that’s Swindon for you.

  11. Dev
    Dev
    May 12, 2010 at 7:47 pm

    Luggy, heh, heh, heh… I remember the psychobilly’s too, thanks to the tape… they were shouting out “Rooooooooooosteeeer” inbetween songs.

  12. Adamsez
    Adamsez
    September 18, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    I wonder if that press shot was taken round the back of OTV, the ex-rental shop in Brixton. Thames TV region viewers of a certain age may remember the home-made TV ads for the place.

  13. gerard
    gerard
    September 19, 2012 at 3:01 pm

    Adam, it was taken round the back of 488 Old Kent Rd, SE1

  14. chas
    chas
    September 19, 2012 at 8:46 pm

    I remember the OTV ads, think there was one in lea bridge road too – the place we did the photos was i think formerly part of the grand surrey canal and was right by the canal bridge on old kent road, now long gone there was an old boat – not a canal one but a sort of speedboat type thing there too and some photos of us on it, very silly if i recall. probably all went up in the fire with our album and rick astleys second LP – so not entirely bad news. looking back over the posts reminded me that at one point we were going to call the album Just Say Yes, but coldharbour were so slow that i think pop will eat itself came out with an ep of that name and we had to come up with something else. i remember feeling the earth move at that swindon abatoir gig while we were playing and i looked down and saw the stage was collapsing and being held up by the audience.

  15. chas
    chas
    September 19, 2012 at 10:43 pm

    I havent listened to these songs in years – they’re better than I remember. it bring back memories of getting off my push bike at the elephant and castle to try and write down the idea for the tune that became rock hudson – impossible as i couldnt write music and humming it over and over so it would stick till i got back to stokey. The weaver i wrote in the cellar i lived in at 95 kyverdale road. after years of having shit basses i got a rickenbacker and wrote that cos i loved the sound of that bass. one of the dogs i lived with would piss on the floor outside the cellar and its piss would pool under the door and rip down the steps into my room. there was a tiny window which got covered by snow one day the winter of 85-6. My bed was on top of bits of old desk and if i sat up in bed too quickly i’d bang my head on the ceiling. it was much nicer than it sounds. good times – everyone should live in a cellar for a few months – good for the soul. maybe it wasnt the best flowers song but when i heard the bit where it changes played back in the studio I though yes – that’s exactly what i had in mind and i couldn’t have been happier in that moment than any rock dude you care to mention hearing any great work you can imagine! i’m very lucky to have been in a band.

  16. Penguin
    Penguin • Post Author •
    April 29, 2014 at 9:59 pm

    Just ordered my copy of the limited screen print album..!

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