Background Beat For Active People

Thanks to the Big Gold Dream documentary I've been digging out any Fast Product / pop:aural discs that I've had ever since they were released way back in the day. This one is the legendary, Fire Engines 'Lubricate Your Living Room' album. Sounds as good today as it did back then. BTW the 'Room' in the title is singular and not plural as stated in the ad for the disc above.

I've no idea how many copies of this disc were originally pressed but I can't imagine it being more than a thousand or two. Reached N° 4 in the Indie charts. Hugely influential on the Scots post-punk, indie-music scene, Fire Engines were one those great bands, in their day, that never quite made it beyond cult status. They were gone before most realised they'd been around.

Born from the same literary art-punk scene as other Edinburgh greats, Scars (Fast Product) and Josef K (Postcard Records), the shortlived band broke up, less than a year after this was released, in 1981.

Images: ©japanese forms

Fire Engines Wiki

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Pulling A Fast One

Well, the other week I finally got to see the Grant McPhee documentary, 'Big Gold Dream.' A wonderful insight into the early days of the Scottish indie, post-punk music scene (Fast Product, Postcard Records, Josef K, Fire Engines, Scars, The Associates, etc. etc.).

The documentary particularly centres on Bob Last's, Edinburgh labels, Fast Product and pop:aural; with Bob and various people, who were part of the music scene back in the late 70s early 80s, giving us the lowdown on how things were as well as how Fast Product and pop:aural came about.

An altogether fascinating documentary which I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed.

Anyhow, the whole got me looking out any discs that I still have from the Fast/pop:aural era, giving them a spin and posting some pics of the artwork and graphic design work that Bob Last came up with for both labels.

Also, by way of the documentary, you get to realise just how much Tony Wilson's Factory Records owes to Bob Last. The large part played in influencing the great Manchester label when it comes to graphic design, marketing, etc. is really quite astonishing.

One of Last's ideas was to use the image of an old ad for Silva Thins cigarettes (a brand which once sparked controversy for its sexist tagline: "Cigarettes are like women. The best ones are thin and rich" in an 1970 ad) to illustrate the plastic pop:aural bag which enveloped initial copies of the Fire Engines' 'Lubricate Your Living Room' album when it was released in 1981.

No idea of this appropriation caused anything of a stir back then or if pop:aural ever had any problems about it. Then again, I can't imagine anyone in Scotland, or even the UK for that matter, ever smoking Silva Thins cigarettes.

Special thanks to Austen Harris for reminding me of Silva Thins-pop:aural link.

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©japanese forms

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Win : Super Popoid Post Punkers

Davy Henderson, following the dissolution of Fire Engines in 1981, formed the short-lived Heartbeat with Hillary Morrison -the band's only release being a track on an NME compilation cassette*- before setting up Win with with an ex-Fire Engine Russell Burn (Drums/Keyboards), Ian Stoddart (Bass), Emmanuel "Mani" Shoniwa (Guitar/Bass), Simon Smeeton (Guitar/Bass) and Willie Perry (Keyboards) in 1983. Much more pop-orientated than Fire Engines the band should been massive but despite commercial success in Scotland, Edinburgh's finest super popoid post-punkers never made the big time further afield.

Quite incredible when you think of and listen to they amazing records they released. Tracks like "Super Popoid Groove" -a song that would make anything by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears For Fears pale into insignificance- "Un-American Broadcasting" -with it's wee Kraftwerk-like "Numbers" bit in the mix, as well as "You've Got The Power" (featured in a McEwans lager advert in the mid-80s), and the fab "Shampoo Tears". The band really were the proverbial dog's bollocks popwise.

After half-a-dozen or so singles and two albums the band disbanded in 1989.
Henderson went on to form The Nectarine N°9 and later, The Sexual Objects.
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Photo: The 12-inch "Un-American Broadcasting" with it's Starspangled Banner sticker cover art - Swamplands (SWX 5), 1985
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* The track is 'Spook Sex' (produced by Bob Last). It's featured on the NME Racket Packet tape (NME 006)

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Greetings Comrades!

Greetings Comrades!


Review of The Fire Engines' "Lubricate Your Living Room" on Pop:Aural, by Red Starr (aka Ian Cranna, possibly) just back from a trip behind the Iron Curtain where "a fine, friendly people suffer from Boney M mania and Abba ailments."

Not so in the UK, where such afflictions were not altogether unheard of, but fortunately could be cured by music by the likes of these Edinburgh lads.

Not only an album "executed with refreshing vigour and a distinct lack of posing" but also one "well worth the £2.49" the punters would be paying for this priceless gem of a disc.


From Smash Hits, 19th of February, 1981


Document courtesy of & ©Brian McCloskey

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Exciting Records From Trendy Places

A wee round up on the exciting releases coming out of Scotland on this day (8th of January) in 1981. A short tour of the burgeoning Scottish music scene with the one and only release by the Australian band, The Go-Betweens on Glasgow's Postcard Records, via Greenock and the Cuban Heels to Edinburgh with the wonderous 'Get Up And Use Me' by Fire Engines and the latest single from Another Pretty Face on the Chicken Jazz label.

Source: Smash Hits, Jan. 8th 1981

Courtesy of & ©Brian McCloskey

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A Tribute to Frank Sinatra

This must have been some night; Scars, The Associates, Fire Engines, and Josef K all on one bill at Valentino's in 1980!
Must have brought a tear to old Frankie's blue eyes.

Source: @ScotsPostPunk

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Postcard Records Hope To Update The Whole Velvet Underground

Postcard Records Hope To Update The Whole Velvet Underground

Now this is really an interesting document. Have never seen this before. Apparently it's a press release dating from around mid-1980 with Postcard (Alan Horne) presenting the label's three latest and what they hoped would be their forthcoming releases for January 1981. Unfortunately, the Josef K album never saw the light of day; the first vinyl issue of their debut album was finally released in November 2012 on LTM Recordings. Neither did the "new discoveries" Altered Images or Fire Engines singles ever appear on the label but that's another story. A story you can read about in Simon Goddard's recent 'Simply Thrilled:The Preposterous Story of Postcard Records' book.

Once again I'd like to thank Paul Haig (Josef K) for providing me with copies of such great documents.

Image: Courtesy of & ©ROL UK/PaulHaig

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The Sound of Young Scotland - Uncut, 2005

This week I posted a couple of shots from “Simply Thrilled : The Sound of Young Scotland” article that appeared in Uncut in 2005; I have the intention of posting more of my own shots but for those who want to see and read the full Simon Goddard article you can check it out at Lovesick/Blueboy.

You can even download all of it at the Postcard Records Of Scotland Fan Page.
(Visit Lovesick / Blueboy for link).

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Uncut - Sound of Young Scotland #2

Simply Thrilled : The Sound of Young Scotland
#2 - from an 8-page spread in Uncut : Take 95 (April 2005)
©japanese forms

 ©Credits to original photographs used in Simon Goddard's article : Tom Sheehan, Robert Sharp, Andy Hanson, Franceso Mellina , Peter Anderson, David Corio, Harry Papadopoulos.

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Uncut - Sound of Young Scotland #1

Simply Thrilled : The Sound of Young Scotland
#1 - from an 8-page spread in Uncut : Take 95 (April 2005)
©japanese forms

©Credits to original photographs used in Simon Goddard's article : Tom Sheehan, Robert Sharp, Andy Hanson, Franceso Mellina , Peter Anderson, David Corio, Harry Papadopoulos.

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Fire Engines - Discord / Candyskin

Fire Engines
Discord / Candyskin (Peel Session)
45 rpm single
Domino Records 2006
RUG218

 

Recorded for the John Peel show 23/02/81. Broadcast on 09/03/81.

Issued to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its first broadcast.

Another image of this single can be seen here.

Image: ©japanese forms

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orange juice - reissue programme

Orange Juice -
Reissue Programme
Albums due for release soon on Domino.

photo: ©japanese forms 2010


Well I've finally got round to posting another update to this blog and sincerely hope to post a few more over the next few weeks or so. I've also started unpacking lots of my vinyl; which has been in storage for almost three years now - so expect to to see some posts on some of those tasty cuts from Scotland's finest shortly. (japanese forms)

In this month's Uncut you can find an extensive feature and interview with Edwyn Collins and the other band members. The group looks back on life in the band, tell the Postcard story from their side, and talk about the various discs they released. Unfortunately we don't get to learn very much about the upcoming release of their back catalogue on Domino nor the dates of when the albums (boxset?) will be available. Not much news on the Domino website either I'm afraid. Anyhow, lets hope that the reissues will be as lovingly made and packaged as was the case with "The Glasgow School, " the Josef K "Entemology" compilation, and the Fire Engines' "Teenage Codex Premonition" album.

In the meantime, get yourself a copy of this month's Uncut. (japanese forms)

sound of young scotland on flickr

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sound of young scotland josef k japanese forms postcard records orange juice fire engines

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sound of young scotland (uncut feature)

the sound of young scotland Uncut (feature)
Take 95 - April 2005

Another one of the things I held onto while packing my boxes before moving last year. This magazine -along with all of my vinyl- stayed a whole year in storage as I moved to Scotland then back to France over that period. Anyhow, this issue of Uncut has a great 8-page feature (by Simon Goddard) on all things Postcard and Fire Engines. Also includes lots of photos and a rundown on those 12 original Postcard releases.

image © japanese forms
see more images @ sound of young scotland

sound of young scotland josef k japanese forms postcard records orange juice fire engines

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Fire Engines @ Acute Records

 
If you're interested in learning more about the Fire Engines then check out the excellent page that Acute Records have set up for their recent CD release of the band's Hungry Beat album.
There's a whole host of resources online, including samples, press, photos, some cover and flyer artwork.

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Fire Engines : Lubricate Your Living Room (label detail)

Fire Engines
Lubricate Your Living Room
Pop Aural ACC 001
1980

The original vinyl edition. Still in my collection. Still in mint condition.

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Fire Engines : Candyskin (Peel Session)

Fire Engines

Candyskin/Discord

Domino Records

RUG218

 

Recorded for the John Peel show 23/02/81. Broadcast on 09/03/81.

Issued to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its first broadcast.

Image : ©japanese forms

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Fire Engines - Hungry Beat

Fire Engines
Hungry Beat (CD artwork & disc)
Acute Records (2007)
ACT009

Hi. Back after what seems like a very, very long time indeed. My relocation problems still aren't all sorted out but things are shaping up much better than a few weeks ago. As soon as possible I'll be updating SOYS on a much more regular basis.
In the meantime, today's post features the new CD reissue of the Fire Engines' Hungry Beat compilation. Another pic of this release can be found at the Sound of Young Scotland flickr page alongside a whole host of other great images.

Acute Records

Image: ©japanese forms

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