Six Minute War – Six Minute War Records – 1980

Posted on November 13, 2008November 13, 2008 by Penguin

Nurses / Youth Culture / Protect And Survive

Six Minute War arrived on the scene in 1980, exploring minimal lengths as well as minimal lyrics and instrumentation. It might not be too wicked to call them the poorer relation to Crisis or the thinking man’s Heretics, but you get the idea. Their 11-song debut was entitled 33.3: the next release was More Short Songs (though there were only 5 of them and relatively long in 3 minutes a piece roughly). Their 4-track swansong was (naturally) Slightly Longer Songs. After that a couple of them ended up forming Fallout, and Rob Taylor later joined Andrew Beer in Concrete and 400 Blows.

The majority of these tracks were recorded at Street Level Studios and engineered by Kif Kif, who at that time had left Here And Now and was performing in 012. Both of these bands are featured on this site somewhere, as is more Fallout material.

My copy of this record was actually pressed up in 1984, the original release had the same sleeve but printed in plain black and white.

70 comments

Jimmy Tarbuck
November 21, 2008 at 3:00 am

Hi Penguin,

Sorry I’ve been out of the country (this country not that one) with limited internet access, all good though. Anyway I’ll try and post a little more.
Penguin • Post Author •
November 21, 2008 at 9:57 am

Nice one, looking forward to the christmas shows that you will be appearing in Jimmy.
Nic
November 21, 2008 at 12:40 pm

Jimmy – any chance of getting me Bernie Clifton’s autograph?
(If possible, on a promo photo of him in the Ostrich suit)
Jimmy Tarbuck
November 21, 2008 at 4:05 pm

Really Nic, after what he did to you when you were six and the downward spiral your life took afterwards? I’m surprised you can even type the words ostrich suit. I applaud for your forgiveness, it’s very Christ-like.
tony b
December 10, 2008 at 8:20 pm

“Switched on my TV to see a drama
But all that was on was Panorama…”

The fucking joke is that if i ever go near a telly,i look for programs exactly like Panarama and all thats on is fucking dramas.

Why would you wanna watch ‘X-Files’ or something over ‘World In Action’ or ‘Panarama’

I dont think they thought it through.
Penguin • Post Author •
December 10, 2008 at 9:14 pm

The song was written in 1979 Tony before any real choice of programs (no channel four – closedown at midnight) but we get your point!
Zombie Birdhouse Jim V
December 10, 2008 at 9:22 pm

Have been listening to The Fall ‘ Slates’, Leave the capitol etc..much later of course..but similar to this? Both Great Sounds.

Anyway..Play For Today..was that not drama enough?
Philip
December 12, 2008 at 2:28 pm

‘Before I go another band I have been looking for, I’ll pick your Enclopedic brain for, did a track called Lucy Luue. or Loe, Lue, or Loo, whatever, Can’t remember their name, the lyrics were rather dirty, ‘Unzip me and suck me Lucy Loo’ etc.’

Thats an old favourite. It’s ‘Lucy Looe’ by Cult Maniax, b side of a song called ‘Blitz’. I can upload it over the weekend if anyone wants, plus their first ep ‘Black horse’, which was banned due to the song being about a pub in Torrington (North Devon) called, errrr, The Black Horse. Incidentally, the lead singer of Cult Maniax – a guy called Big Al is now the town crier in Torrington……lifes just one big circle aint it?
cynical old bastard
December 19, 2008 at 4:43 pm

SWP?!?!?! I dont think so. bunch of young and naieve lefty Crisis wannabes yes but SWP members no.
the Milkmen referred to were school mates of SMW who were only 17 at the time a couple of them still in 6th form. also at the same school were Alien Kulture and FACK fanzine people. now you know.

http://metal-punk-uk-eire-1978to1996.blogspot.com/2006/11/alien-kulture-asian-youth-7-79.html
chris
December 19, 2008 at 8:42 pm

aha! that reminds me, penguin, I will have to get you the Alien Kulture 7″ and demo tape to stick up. Actually, I’m pretty sure I recall AK being featured on some TV show in very early 80s. Didn’t know until very recently that The Apostles played gigs with them, which may be why Andy had their demo which I got off him many moons ago.
cynical old bastard
December 20, 2008 at 6:07 am

Ah..I forgot…Dave “The Proles” / Destroy Records was in my classs ie also at same school at SMW / Alien Kulture / Milkmen / anyone else i’ve forgotten. many of these bands and skinhead bands used to play at the local Phipps Bridge Community Centre.
rather than people leaving spurious remarks
about SMW (or anyone) check the facts. its easy enough. Crash Smack Crash Ring fanzine, On fanzine, Fack fanzine, and more some probably online now I cannot be arsed to check. one fanzine did a review of SMW gig and said “I know appearance isnt supposed to matter but for fucks sake, the singer is a fat Angus Young clone and the others arent much better”. ha ha. Crass WERE hippies,but so what?? they lived by what they believed in unlike some of these other “political” bands who were just opportunists / bandwaggoners / trendy lefties.
I’ve got more respect for Ian Stuart than these idiots.
John H
February 28, 2009 at 2:54 pm

I was in the milkmen. As I remember it, Six Minute War members formed the band, got the rest of us to join, then left. We used to play some gigs with them but I don’t think any of them were at Phipps Bridge. But my memories are pretty rusty.

We were reviewed in a couple of fanzines including Chainsaw and we did an interview with one but I can’t remember the name.
Huw Jones
March 18, 2009 at 10:51 pm

Hi, I was in Alien Kulture and I was at school (Raynes Park High School) with Six Minute War (although they were 1 – 2 years below me). They were neither in the SWP, nor were they ‘lefties’ (lazy use of words) nor were they Crass wanabees nor in any way were they dour. Rob T (bass) and Rob B (drums) were two of the funniest people ever. Rob B was actually our ‘manager’ – although this is a very loose description of what he did!

We (AK) never played at Phipps Bridge Community Centre (a pretty dangerous option for band with three Muslim members!!!). But we did play with SMW and had a right laugh. They wanted to make a point but with a lot of humour.

Chris, love to know where you got our demo tape!!!!
Btw, the TV show was Something Else which we did from a school in Coventry. Siouxsie was on the same show.
chris
March 22, 2009 at 3:13 am

Hey Huw, I got your demo a long, long time ago from Andy Martin, who was singer/guitarist with a band you played a gig with called The Apostles, who also did a cover of ‘Asian Youth’ (think it may even be up here!) By coincidence, only a few weeks ago I lent it to a mate who is going to digitise a load of my old tapes so soon as I get it back (and the CD copy) ill pass it on to Penguin at this site to put up, if you have no objections. I’ve still got your single which I remember sending off to RT or Small Wonder for after seeing you on Something Else. They certainly must have been putting something good in the milk at Raynes Park as Six Minute War were, and have remained, one of my very favourite bands from that era.
Rob
September 1, 2009 at 1:22 pm

Just been redirected here by Penguin where I said:
The first 2 Six Minute War eps and the first Fallout ep epitomised DIY political punk rock.For a short period in 1980 these songs were the soundtrack to my life. I recall an influential London anarcho fanzine writer being unimpressed due to SMW being socialists.
Zainne
September 5, 2009 at 12:04 pm

Chris,

Just saw this website. My dad was in Alien Kulture. Can you tell me where I can get hold of the Apostles version of Asian Youth.
Nic
September 6, 2009 at 4:05 pm

There is a version of the song ‘Asian Youth’ (called ‘Asian Youth Them’) on the cassette tape called ‘A Sudden Surge of Sound’ (1982) by The Apostles, Zainne…
You can hear it here (thanks to Chris and Penguin):
https://www.killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/?p=537

I’ve still got my copy of the Alien Kulture 7″ single (the sleeve is getting a little tattered at the edges now): great stuff…
🙂
Nic
September 6, 2009 at 4:10 pm

If anyone hasn’t seen it yet, you can listen to the Alien Kulture recordings here:
http://www.alienkulture.org/music_player.html
Nic
September 6, 2009 at 4:10 pm

And here’s a live video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FwZnWLllcI
Zainne
September 7, 2009 at 6:39 pm

Nic,

Thankyou. If I can find a mint copy of the single would you like it.
Zainne
September 7, 2009 at 6:57 pm

very good version
Zainne
September 7, 2009 at 6:58 pm

but not as good as my dads
Penguin • Post Author •
September 7, 2009 at 7:35 pm

I would certainly like a copy if there are a few lying about Zainne. I will then upload the single onto it’s own post on this site!
Zainne
September 8, 2009 at 7:17 pm

Penguin (Nic?)

I will try, the best thing to do is to e-mail the alien kulture website with your address and I will do the best I can. Now I am off to school, I will make sure my Dad does the best he can to try and get the copy off to you, when you reply to the ak website.
Nic
September 8, 2009 at 7:56 pm

Thanks for your kind offer Zainne, but it may be better to give the single to someone who hasn’t got a copy – keep spreading the word!

Penguin can put a copy up on the site so everyone can take it in…
Penguin • Post Author •
September 8, 2009 at 10:33 pm

Have written to the moderator of the alienkulture.org site Zainne (I assume this is the one I should contact). Hopefully someone will get in touch and we will take it from there. As Nic states I will whack it up on this site if I get a copy.
Mark
September 8, 2009 at 11:42 pm

Nice to get a copy of this record from here – I have the record myself but don’t have a record player anymore.

Thanks again
Andy X
September 12, 2009 at 1:09 am

a classic this and the other ep were gold
chris
September 12, 2009 at 1:20 pm

I’ll get on the case and get the copy of the Alien Kulture demo tape to you soon as I get a chance, Penguin. Happy to lend you the single as well.
Incidentally, hasn’t anyone still got the AK ‘something else’ appearance on video – to upload onto Youtube perhaps? I notice the Siouxsie performance from the same show is up there.
Mark
September 12, 2009 at 4:54 pm

Just dug my copy out and it’s the one with the black & white sleeve
Alien Kulture
December 29, 2009 at 6:45 pm

We just posted a new video on YouTube.

It is from a BBC TV Programme recorded in 1980. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adUf0PIvj1Y

More to come soon!
Rockabilly Dave
June 25, 2010 at 7:45 pm

I bought this in 1980 in Newcastle and I can guarantee that it had the red cover then. I still think the lyrics to ‘Nurses’ should be taught to every schoolchild. And adult.
dogache
July 14, 2010 at 5:54 am

Rockabilly Dave you are right.
First pressing was in red and black.

Anyone know anything about the mysterious “Jon” –
farthest on right in mugshots on sleeve? All i know is his nickname was “John Loud” he was from Wimbledon and he had done some “F@ck” style fanzine – which was how i met him.he was totally sound bloke, am wondering what happened to him, if he did any other music/bands after s m w ?!?!?!

Hello to Huw, hope youre ok mate, yer big bro was responsible for propagating my interest in music when he was teacher at r p h s.