Pulp - Sudan Gerri

Pulp - Sudan Gerri

This is an interesting one, the Sudan Gerri demo from Pulp. Dating from around 1984, it features some songs that found later release but also has a handful that never saw the light of day. Jewel of the album is Maureen (which *technically* found it's way onto a very obscure cassette only release that's even rarer than this), one of early Pulp's finest songs.

And bloody hell, that last post was popular. Next up, Roddy Frame's stint with the Rotterdam Terror Corps. Er, possibly.

Paul Haig - Swing In 82

Paul Haig - Swing In 82

Paul Haig had an amazing period of IDEAS between the break up of Josek K and his first solo album. The ROL singles with Steven Harrison and later the gloriously infamous Sebastian Horsley, the cassette-only Drama (which I could have sworn I posted before) and of course, Swing in 82.

Swing in 82 has Paul Haig covering big band songs, going deep into Vic Godard territory. Let's Face The Music, Love Me Tender, The Way You Look Tonight and others....originally it was supposed to have been a six track 10" Ep but was shelved as Haig worked on his first solo album. In 1985 it finally saw the light of day, minus the cover of Send In The Clowns, which Haig saw fit to veto.

Is it any good? Well, think of it as a glorious misstep, think the Style Council embracing house, Dee Dee Ramone's rapping career, Duran Duran's covers album.....well, maybe not *that* bad.

Kevin Rowland - The Wanderer

Kevin Rowland - The Wanderer

The Wanderer was Kevin Rowland's first solo attempt back in 1988, fresh from another Dexys split, rather than attempt to reform the band into something new he went for a clean break from the old name, drafting in session musicians to fill the void. I didn't even know this existed 'til a few years ago, Rowland disappeared from view after it's release (and, alas, complete commercial failure) and it was completely overshadowed by 1999's My Beauty. Or completely overshadowed by THAT dress and THAT bulge anyway.

It's a strange album, perhaps it's all the session musicians but there is a lack of soul that hurts the overall result, maybe it's the production, which screams "late 80's" at times. Despite this, it's Kevin Rowland, and more than some good shines through. Worth a listen.

I keep meaning to put some of Cathal Coughlan's earlier solo records on this thing, mainly because I've been promising to make copies of them for various people for ages now so I will try and do that next time if I don't get distracted first. Which is, lets face it, likely.

Alternative Mediafire link for those who are having trouble with the Rapidshare.

The Wanderer - Mediafire Link

The Chameleons - Tony Fletcher Walked On Water

The Chameleons - Tony Fletcher Walked On Water

....La La La La La-La La-La La.

Man, I love the Chameleons. I've been listening to them since I was 15 or 16 and I'm still not sick of them. Doubt I ever will.

The final four songs recorded by the Chameleons before they split up for the first time, originally supposed to have been released posthumously as an EP it flew into a legal black hole as members of the band were still at each other's throats. Lots of copies saw the light of day though, and it finally saw proper release as a bonus CD to a proper Best Of that came out in 97. It's a real shame that the Chameleons split up after this, because on the strength of these songs the fourth album would have been amazing. As it was, we had to wait many years for a new Chameleons album, and while it managed to be a damn sight better than most comeback fares, it wasn't the same band anymore.