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)
