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Spilt Milk Records Illustrated Discography SCARECROW Live at the Marquee and the Brecknock (1978 Vinyl LP 33 rpm)
In 1975 I moved to London at the invitation of a friend, he’d recommended this group to me who had ‘a songwriter as good as Jim Morrison’. This was my introduction to Scarecrow and the beginning of about five years living in London. Scarecrow had become regulars on the London pub circuit – and were all Londoners (rare in itself in the capital). In the early seventies, they’d played over 300 gigs in one year. This experience showed; a good rhythm section of Dave and Clive, twin/harmony guitars and lead guitar runs from Bill with powerful vocals and rhythm/melody guitar from John. They had well over 2 LP’s worth of original songs recorded in different studios which, for reasons too complicated to go into at this juncture, were never released. It became obvious that most rock music in London was fashion/latest fad based compared to this group and I went to their gigs more and more often – I became a fan! The gigs were also gatherings of friendly people. I enjoyed this music so much that at one time I recall going to 14 nights/gigs in a row. This may be an exaggeration (cannabis can affect the memory you know) but illustrates the point! I recorded (with the group’s permission) several gigs during 1976 to 1978 on a trusty Sony TC153SD. Clive left towards the end of 1976 heading for Gibraltar where he has lived ever since. He was replaced by Dick Williamson who had been in a sixties group called "Cry" with Dave. In early 1978 things happened and the suggestion was made to record and release a live LP. A sympathetic bank manager advanced some money. The sound engineer of guitarist Gordon Giltrap was around, also a fan, and offered to mix the group live onto John’s Revox 77 - a stereo reel to reel tape recorder running at 15ips. All this came together during Easter 1978 when we recorded the two gigs which were eventually used to compile the LP. The LP was released, just before Christmas 1978, in a large format wrap around sleeve (like the Mike Absalom Vertigo LP with the Roger Dean paintings of London on it). It came in a limited numbered pressing of 1000. The LP, which lasted over 45 minutes, featured just six original songs (Politician, Reasons for Living, Love’s Confusion, Lonely Man, Reflections and The Journey) from their 50 plus song repertoire. As one reviewer put it “English rock music played with style and grace”. The LP was enjoyed by fans and also collectors of ‘progressive’ music and within a couple of years was changing hands for about £80. It has never been re-issued although a German company did counterfeit it – taping it directly from the LP onto CD. In Japan, collectors have paid over £240 for copies. See more info about the LP here. The group made several more studio recordings in the early 80’s - again never released. John continues to write and record with Dick. Bill now makes and repairs guitars as well as writing Guitar magazine’s Guitar Doctor column. Dave? He got married and lives a life of unmitigated bliss in Devon. THE GUARANTEED UGLY Warts’n’All (1992 7” 33 rpm EP)
Fourteen years on and the second Spilt Milk record is released. Five songs; Black Leather Jacket, Patchwork Man, Let the Winds Blow, Surfer John and Bed Bug all recorded live at YP (the local community/music/print centre) on Friday 13th December 1991. This five piece garage group, as their names (Agent Ugly, Angela Ugly, Fenny Compton Ugly, Mr Ugly, Ugly Monkey Grip Morris and Baron Ugly) suggest, were only in it for the fun! Agent Ugly (Gavin) had been in one of the town’s first “garage” rock groups (The Cogs of Thyme) and took his influences from records like Nuggets and several “Girls in the Garage” type compilations. Early copies of the EP included an Ugly face mask an a chance to get a certified ugly club membership card. The Uglies have since made three or four singles, put a track on ‘Ahimsa’ and made two LP’s – one for (the prolific) Billy Childish’s Hangmans Daughter Label and the other for Long Gone John’s American Sympathy for the Record Industry. See our Guaranteed Ugly Page.
AFTER FX Born to Burn (1992 7” 33 rpm EP)
This group composed of disillusioned higher education drop-outs played several gigs (and released two compilation tapes) as The Dregs of Humanity. However at a gig in Nottingham a group of Hell’s Angels arrived to stake their exclusive claim to the name. Somewhat wisely the group changed their name and shortly afterwards the live side of the EP was recorded with the other side being earlier studio recordings. Another 33rpm 7” EP. One side recorded live at the YP community centre on the 9th November 1991; L.S.D., Loveless. The other side is studio recordings from 12th June 1991; Born to Burn and F.W.D. You might label the music as power-punk-rock. It released with a wrap around sleeve in a numbered limited edition of just 500.
‘A History of the Dregs’ a 90 minute compilation of their five year existence (up to then) was made available to people who bought their EP.
DAVE ‘HONEYBOY’ EDWARDS (1993 Live video recording – still unreleased)
Agent Gavin, from The Guaranteed Ugly had heard that this Mississippi bluesman was playing in Northampton. The Uglies went to the gig held in one of those venues where people sit down and talk during the performance. As Gavin and friends were the only ones applauding him the appreciative Honeyboy turned to face them and directed his playing towards their table. Having found out about Honeyboy I went to a subsequent gig and was able to get enough details in order to book him into the local YP community centre. Frantic last minute negotiations with Honeyboy's manager (and blues buff) Michael Frank, allowed two of us to film the show and record the music onto 8 track. Fortunately the gig was a great success with over 80 people crowded into the YP rehearsal room (with its stage and camera rostrum built that day coincidentally by someone called Dave Edwards). Honeyboy was contracted to play about 50 minutes in two short sets. However he just kept on – playing, and talking about, the blues for over two hours. As well as his own compositions Honeyboy played several blues standards. He talked about several old blues singers including his travelling days with Robert Johnson, who dated his cousin Fanny Mae, and was with Honeyboy the night he was murdered.
The audio and video recordings remain shelved. Badges and T shirts are still available for anyone wanting to display an allegiance to the Mississippi delta blues! There is one Honeyboy Edwards title called “Delta Bluesman” available, on CD or cassette, in Britain on Indigo. A collection of songs from 1942, 1979 and 1991.
PADDY THE BUSKER (Cassette only release)
After several years busking throughout the Midlands we eventually persuaded Paddy to put out his recordings. The release of this tape of several of Paddy’s one-man-band recordings, some traditional songs and one recorded at a children’s birthday party. The tape was released between, and included some of the same songs as, two Bob Dylan releases (Good as I Been to You & World Gone Wrong). The cassette’s cover picture appeared in the local paper naming Paddy as Robert Zimmerman which is what Paddy had mischievously told them he was called! (‘You can call me anything but you’re still gonna have to serve somebody’). Tracklisting: Hot Asphalt, Bonny Bunch of Roses, medley including Davy Davy and Nic Nac, Jim Jones, Rocky Road to Dublin, Sam Hall, Bogies Bonny Bell, Plucking the Hair, Irish Rover, Spanish Cloak, When the Boat, He’ll Have a Go, Battle of New Orleans, Whiskey in the Jar, Cherry O’Baby, One Love, Peggy Gordon, Goodnight Irene AHIMSA (1993 Compilation LP of 12 Rugby based groups)
Local groups were invited to put forward one track/song and paid £100 (singing their song for you at their own expense) – this paid for some of the pressing costs. In return they got 30 LP’s for their own promotional purposes. The groups who couldn’t afford to pay anything (90% of the players involved were part of the high number of unemployed people in the town) were given free copies for each member. The groups/songs are: Station 5: I’m in Love The Invaders: Buddy Holly’s Ghost Phobia: No Alternative The Guaranteed Ugly: Stop! The Overself: Just Say Yeah The Losers: Shows That She Matters Invisible Grin: Break That Barrier Spectrum (with Sonic Boom formerly of the Spacemen, now recording as EAR): Through the Rhythm The Herbs: Wisemen and Trees Russian Jazz: Babylon System Wakey Wakey: TV Dope Electrahead (with Sean Cook once with Spiritualized then Lupine Howl): Happy. Some copies of the LP came with a booklet.
ROGER CHAPMAN (1993 Tour Merchandise and recording)
Surprised to find a note ‘phone Roger Chapman’ on ‘my’ desk at the community centre one day. As a long time Chappo fan (once cycling two hundred + miles to Cornwall to hear a couple of Family gigs). I called him to be asked if I could sort out some merchandise for a forthcoming tour. Eventually we produced several different designs of T-shirt, the brilliant “Kick it Back” tour programme and recorded Chappo’s ‘homecoming’ gig at Leicester de Montfort University in ’93 and a later gig at Dingwall’s in London with the view to releasing it on Spilt Milk. The line up at this gig include Mick Weaver who also played on the Chappo solo CD (only released in Germany) ‘Under No Obligation’; also in the band were Ian Gibbons keyboards, Steve Simpson and Ant Glynne on guitars, Gary Twigg bass and John Lingwood drums. Unfortunately the planned Spilt Milk ‘Tour de Force’ live CD didn’t happen and we gave Chappo the recordings so he could use them on a ‘Best of Chappo’ double CD with others on a live double CD titled “In My own Time”. SPILT MILK MAIL ORDER PRICES After FX Delusions of Sanity 7” 33rpm ep £2.50 Prices exclude post and packing. See contact page for info about p+p. |
