Unknown Postcard Pleasures

 "Orange Juice, London, Willesden Green. On the morning of their first Peel Session (21/10/1980). That's Grace Maxwell and Scottish photographer Harry Papadopoulos [on the left]." ©Peter McArthur


For the past week or so Scots Post-Punk has been posting some amazing Peter McArthur photos from the early days at Postcard Records in Glasgow. All the photographs -many previously unseen before (well I've never seen most of them)- date from the 1979-1980 period when Postcard was just about to take over the indie recording world.

Well, in the end, it was only a wee bit of that world but it did at least have a huge influence, before its rapid decline, on a lot of people. Not only fans of the label but even more so numerous bands and musicians which would follow in its footsteps over the next 4 decades.

All photos ©Peter McArthur.  Descriptions by the photographer.

 "Orange Juice at Paisley Tech: 1980 - Edwyn, David McClymont, and Brian (BabyHoney) Taylor of The Pastels." ©Peter McArthur

 "185 West Princes St. 1980: One interesting thing about Postcard, is who was around, but Alan* did not sign. Here on Alan's bed Drew & Rose McDowell (Rose - later of Strawberry Switchblade) of The Poems. Drew is now a New York based avant-garde composer." ©Peter McArthur

*Alan Horne; Postcard supremo.

"Glasgow - West Princes Street 1980: Alan Horne (going out on the town?) and Steven Daly. That's "Nico" sitting on top of the wardrobe." ©Peter McArthur

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I'll maybe add a few more of Peter McArthur's photographs in a second post but if you want to see more right away, I advise you to check out the excellent Scots Post-Punk's Twitter timeline.

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Josek K • The Scottish Affair (Pt 2)

 Josef K • The Scottish Affair (Pt 2) • Les Disques du Crépuscule

Crepuscule presents The Scottish Affair (Part 2), a vibrant live album by iconic Scottish guitar group Josef K recorded at the historic Beursschouwburg arts centre in Brussels on 8th April 1981.

Best known for their association with Postcard Records, Josef K also recorded two singles for Belgian indie Les Disques du Crepuscule (Sorry For Laughing; The Missionary), and also taped studio album The Only Fun In Town in downtown Brussels. The group first performed in the city on New Year's Eve 1980, playing a riotous show with Orange Juice and Marine at legendary warehouse venue Plan K, and resumed their 'Scottish affair' with Crepuscule the following April, cutting their album in a matter of days and performing at the Beursschouwburg as well as a small youth club in Lier three nights later.
At the Beurs show Jokay rattled off 10 songs in just half an hour, with journalist Bert Bertrand noting "several good reasons to get excited" about the visiting quartet. Adds guitarist Malcolm Ross: "We played four dates in Holland on our way to Brussels and then recorded the album in about five days. So we were pretty tight and Paul was in good voice."

Recorded from the mixing desk, all 10 songs have now been newly re-mastered for issue as a vinyl only album, The Scottish Affair (Part 2). Pressed in a limited edition of 1000 copies in clear vinyl, the sleeve features original 1981 poster artwork by designer Jean-Francois Octave printed in black overlaid with metallic gold pantone. The inner bag includes period flyers and images, as well as quotes by Paul Haig, Malcolm Ross, Alan Horne, Michel Duval, Annik Honore, Allan Campbell and Bert Bertrand.*


*Text courtesy of Les Disques du Crépuscule


LP tracklist:
A1. Fun 'N' Frenzy
A2. 16 YearsesE
A3. It's Kinda Funny
A4. Crazy To Exist
A5. Forever Drone
B1. Revelation
B2. Citizens
B3. Chance Meeting
B4. Sorry For Laughing
B5. Final Request

Available as a clear vinyl album (with digital download) or digital copy (MP3).
Release date November 2019. Cat. N° TWI 019

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Alan Horne's Swamplands

(James King & The Lonewolves, Memphis, Alan Horne photos by Peter Anderson)

Well, well. Two posts in three days. This Swamplands post has actually been a draft in the SoYS vaults for a couple of years. A draft which I've finally got around to posting. I'm not too sure about all of the details. So, if anybody wants to rectify any particular fact, I'm willing to correct what's noted below if it's wrong.


Launched in Scotland in 1980 and closed the following year, Postcard Records emerged from the fallout of the 1970s punk explosion. Two of the label's Scottish bands managed to continue in the music business directly after the label broke up and went on to release several discs with some success.

Founder Alan Horne, besides Josef K, signed both Orange Juice, featuring Edwyn Collins, as well as Roddy Frame's Aztec Camera to Postcard. Regrettably, the departure of both acts to major labels led to the company's demise in 1981, after releasing just a dozen singles and one album.
In 1992, Horne reactivated Postcard and released an Orange Juice compilation album, alongside new releases from Paul Quinn, Vic Godard and The Nectarine No. 9, formed by Davy Henderson (Fire Engines, WIN). Lasting a wee bit longer than the original Postcard, the label came to an end in 1995.

In between those two incarnations of Postcard, Horne formed the Swamplands label. Like Postcard, the label would have a feline motif for a logo. Also, like the Louis Wain, drumming kitten label, it wouldn't survive very long.

Set up by money from London Records with the promise of his own label plus an office at Polydor in London, Horne came out of "retirement" to put Swamplands together. This would be a label "not full of 50yr-old farts" Horne would say.

Sizable funds for marketing and recording were provided to launch the label. Alas, despite the quality of the recordings -particularly by WIN- sales were poor. Diminishing returns led to Horne leaving Swamplands in 1985 and the eventual demise of the label.

In his opinion, Horne considered the groups on Swamplands all better than those on Postcard. Something which can be disputed; but that's all down to subjectivity. From my own viewpoint, the only really good band was WIN. Then again, I never really got into any of the other discs besides the Paul Quinn / Edwyn Collins joint Velvet Underground cover. Like Fire Engines, WIN should have been huge. But that's another story.

Swamplands bands:
• WIN (featuring a couple of former Fire Engines including Davey Henderson)
• Paul Quinn (backing singer in Jazzateers, frontman for Bourgie Bourgie)
• James King And The Lonewolves
• Memphis (James Kirk, formerly of Orange Juice)

Only 6 singles were released on the label and 2, despite getting catalogue numbers, one of them featuring Johnny Thunders (gulp!), never saw the light of day:  

SWP 1 • Paul Quinn and Edwyn Collins – "Pale Blue Eyes" (1984)
SWP 2 • Patti Palladin and Johnny Thunders – "Crawfish" (1984) (unreleased)
SWP 3 • James King and The Lonewolves - "The Angels Know" (1985)
SWP 4 • Memphis – "You Supply The Roses" (1985)
SWP 5 • Win – "Unamerican Broadcasting" (1985)
SWP 6 • Paul Quinn – "Ain't That Always The Way" (1985)
SWP 7 • James King and The Lonewolves – "Flyaway" (1985) (unreleased)
SWP 8 • Win – "You've Got The Power" (1985)

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Orange Juice • 'Falling & Laughing' Cover Shoot

Hi, all.

I haven't updated this blog for about 18 months now. Most of any action concerning any posts that should have been posted at the Sound of Young Scotland blog has been taking place at my Twitter account. So, if anyone want's to catch up on anything that might concern this blog you'll have to patiently trawl through my Twitter posts for anything that might be of interest to you.

I'll try and update a wee bit more but my interest for this blog has somewhat waned over the past couple of years.

Anyhow, there's been a huge upsurge in interest on the whole Glasgow music scene of the late 70s & 80s and there's plenty of information available through several books and films. Books and films all easily available from several sources and which can be found with a quick Google or two.

Today's post is a photo from the Orange Juice 'Falling & Laughing' single cover shoot. Photograph courtesy of the inexhaustible source of documents that is Scots Post-Punk .

Cover session photography by Peter McArthur; who has this to say about it:

“Taken in Brian (Superstar) Taylor's* bedroom, 185 West Princes St. Edwyn (Collins) said, I should use a flash, but I knew better, besides I didn't own a flash. Steven Daly had left by then to join The Backstabbers.”


*Former member of other Glasgow bands The Pastels, and The Radio Sweethearts

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