FINGERPRINTZ (1979-1981)

Formed by Scottish-born singer/guitarist Jimme O'Neill in 1978, Fingerprintz slowed down punk's careening guitar rock, adding clever, rhythmic twists and turns, and offering up deftly written stories about lust, angst, and urban desolation. It's difficult to categorize Fingerprintz, which may explain why the group never garnered a large following.

WHO'S YOUR FRIEND (1979)

The "Who's Your Friend" 7" EP was released on blue vinyl. Four songs not available on any of their albums, three originals and a new-wavey cover of Lennon-MCartney "Do You Want To Know A Secret". Then lead singer Step Lang left.

Songs
Who's Your Friend? / Do You Want To Know A Secret / Nervz / Night Nurse

THE VERY DAB (1979)

The primitively recorded "The Very Dab" first album occupies a dark, throbbing zone of bobbing pop and wry-to-bizarre lyrics ("Punchy Judy", "Beam Me Up Scotty"). Leader/guitarist Jimme O'Neill's Scottish accent and offbeat songwriting combine to chilling effect on the crime-obsessed narratives "Fingerprince" and "Wet Job"; the former's music also suggests a valid response to reggae/dub influence. Released first in an almost-all-black blurred-photo sleeve with badly matched shades of grey at the edges, so re-released almost immediately with an extra white border on the sleeve.

Songs
Close Circuit Connection / Fingerprince / Wet Job / Punchy Judy / Temperamental / 2AT / Hey Mr Smith / Tough Luck / Invisible Seams / On The Hop / Beam Me Up Scotty

DISTINGUISHING MARKS (1980)

The considerably slicker "Distinguishing Marks", in contrast, is pure pop in extremis - musically, anyway. The songs hum like a finely tuned motor, with producer Nick Garvey removing any rough sonic edges. Only the relentlessly perverse lyrics betray a refusal to play by the book; O'Neill's disjointed visions are inspired by pulp fiction, police blotters and hospital charts. A catchy collection that all sounds like hit single material.

Songs

Yes Eyes / Houdini Love / Criminal Mind / Bulletproof Heart / Remorse Code / Amnesia / Ringing Tone / Radiation / Jabs / Hide and Seek

BEAT NOIR (1981) (2nd edition)

"Beat Noir" took yet another 180-degree turn, away from pop and towards a rock/funk fusion. Finally in synch with the times, Fingerprintz delivered a stunning, idiosyncratic package of heavy bass lines, winsome melodies and O'Neill's thematic fetishes (paranoia, frustration). The album was kinky enough to catch on in rock clubs, but too peculiar to reach a broader audience. Drenched in atmosphere, it remains a compelling work. The first version of the LP was rush released, but Jimme and the band then persuaded the label to let them record, more cheaply, three new songs ("The Beat Escape", "The Chase" and "Get Civilised") which were more upbeat, commercial and funky! Jimme co-produced these with Chris Porter. The label, feeling more hopeful, put out a new, finished version of the album with these songs included and issued "The Beat Escape" as a single. Sadly it still wasnt successful.

Songs
The Beat Escape / The Chase / Catwalk / Changing / Get Civilised / Shadowed / Touch Sense / Echohead / Going Going Gone / Famous Last Words

Jimme O'Neill reunited with Fingerprintz guitarist Cha Burns to form the Silencers, he was able to go further. The band reaped much greater commercial success than did Fingerprintz. Ironically, the Silencers' records weren't nearly as good as that of Fingerprintz. All three Fingerprintz records are long out of print. Trouser Press

THE BOYS (USA) (1975-1980)

Between 1975 and 1980, The Boys released 3 singles and had 2 unreleased songs on the Titan Sampler. People who saw The Boys live at the time remembered this Midwestern band having sort of an English glam look while speaking and singing with fake British accents. The singles had somewhat of that glam sound too but they were very catchy, poppish numbers with a teenage attitude. Maybe their look was outdated at the time when `70s punk rock was beginning to emerge, but listening to their stuff now, one might think that they were finally ahead of their time (regarding the powerpop "ex/im-plosion" of the early `80s). All the material they released is *very* recommended and a must for vintage 70's powerpop aficionados. Source

(She's My Girl) She's All Mine (Outrage 111) (1975)
1. (She's My Girl) She's All Mine
2. I'm Not Satisfied





You Make Me Shake (Outrage 112) (1977)
1. You Make Me Shake
2. We're Too Young






(Baby) It's You (Titan 1421) (1979)
1. (Baby) It's You
2. Bad Little Girl






The Titan Sampler (Titan 8001) (1980)
1. On A Night Like This
2. Tell Me It's You

Note: Id' like to thank George from Australian Power Pop who ripped 3 songs (the first '75 single + the '79 single b side "Bad Little Girl").

THE INMATES - HEATWAVE IN ALASKA (1982)

According to AMG, "Heatwave In Alaska" doesn't even exist. Although the third and last of the Radar/WEA Inmates albums has never been released in England, it was available across the channel in 1982. About half of the album was included on the Inmates "Dirty Water" compilation (2001). This was the last Inmates album with the classic line-up just before Bill Hurley was replaced with Barrie Masters (two albums in 1984). After a brief solo career, Bill Hurley will join again in 1987 for the "Meet The Beatles" LP and further releases. The Inmates were produced by Stuart Colman and helped out by the Rumour brass section. They play seven originals and five covers (including "On The Beat", a Difford-Tilbrook song).

Songs
She's Gone Rockin' / Something About You / Long Distance Man / Broken Hearted / You Can Bet (A Broken Heart) / Remember, I've Been Good To You / Three Little Sisters / Unhappy Boy / Yeah Yeah Yeah / On The Beat / Who's Foolin' Who / Send Some Of Your Loving (My Way)

WOOFING COOKIES - HORSE GUM TORTILLA SHOES (1986)

Scott, Joe, Len and Chad were the Woofing Cookies, a New-York based quartet who released one full length album on Midnight Records. Prior to this LP, they had recorded two singles, the second one "In The City" being produced by Peter Buck. Their music had all the basic ingredients of classic pop, catchy melodies, memorable hooks ("Plain Truth"), and a good beat. Read myspace for more.

Songs
Plain Truth / Johnny's Dead / State Of Adventure / Lying / Girl Next Door / Leave It All Behind / Blue Rose / New Song / Soundcheck / Thank You / TBA / Like Us

THE CORTINAS - TRUE ROMANCES (1978)

The Cortinas were a Bristol band with an average age of 16. They released two essential singles -"Fascist Dictator/Television Families" (1977) and "Defiant Pose/Independence" (1977). The future looked rosy supporting the likes of The Stranglers, Blondie and Chelsea etc and a good set list of songs including 'Gloria', 'Tokyo Joe' & Pose. Signed up for Step Forward (Miles Copeland label). However opinions at the time were divided about them and their commitment and they got some rough treatment in certain fanzines and the press which tended to focus unfairly on the way they looked. Signing to CBS was the death knell with an album and single that sank without trace. By then however they had already split up. Daniel Swann moved to California where he played with The Sneetches while Nick Sheppard joined The Clash for the "Cut The Crap" album and then left for Australia. Source

Songs
Heartache / I Don't Really Want To Get / Ask Mr. Wavely / Youth Club Dance / First I Look At The Purse / Radio Rape / Tribe Of The City / Have It With You / I Trust Valerie Singleton / Broken Not Twisted / Take That Light Away/ Further Education /I'll Keep My Distance

Bonus
Fascist Dictator / Television Families (SF 1)
Defiant Pose / Independence (SF 6)

ROCKPILE - I HEAR YOU ROCKING (Bottom Line '79) (1991)

"I Hear You Rocking", is a live recording of Rockpile, taken from the same source as the "Washington" bootlegs, at the New-York Bottom Line Club. The Robert Plant track is from the Kampuchea live album. The song titles on the sleeve are totaly misinterpreted - i fixed this below but the scans of the sleeve weren't reworked (it has to be read just to believe it). This is an unofficial CD.

Songs
Down Down Down / So It Goes / I Knew The Bride / Deborah / I Love The Sound Of Broken Glass / No More Mr Nice Guy / It's My Own Business / Trouble Boys / Let it Rock (with Keith Richards) / Promised Land / I Hear You Knocking / They Called It Rock / Juju Man / Heart Of The City / Little Sister (with Robert Plant)

TRIBUTE TO THE FAB FOUR - A HARD D... N... (2007)

Third part of the Fab Four Experience. This was their third album but also their first release filled with 13 original songs. This was the peak of the Beatlemania sound covered by some well known artists, but also by other bands you might like to dig.

ZS (77 mb)

THE DIODES - RELEASED (1979)

The Diodes were the first Canadian punk band signed to a major label. Signed by Columbia, the Diodes released their debut self-titled album in 1977. Columbia released the more oriented powerpop second album, "Released", on its Epic subsidiary two years later, but not so poor sales of both albums led the label to drop the band's contract. Although they relocated to England after releasing their third album, "Action/Reaction", on the independent Orient label, the move came late to save the band. They disbanded shortly after, releasing an album of outtakes and demos, "Survivors", in 1982. Then, after 6 years of legal wrangling, Alfonso and The Diodes finally convinced Sony Canada to release a compilation CD "Tired Of Waking Up Tired" in 1998. But whereas the first album was fully remastered on the CD, two songs of the second LP were replaced on the CD compilation by alternate versions, so the original "Released" has never been fully reissued. AMG

Notes from Ralph Alfonso (producer of the CD Reissue)
Merceneray Flight & Terminal Rock were replaced with the original live in the studio demos as they were better versions. We would have loved to have remixed this album as it's a great power pop album but Sony lost the 24 track masters. To set the record straight, the band's first album sold very well (hence = second album). The problem was, the US company passed on the first album and then passed on the second album (if you read the Hit Men book, you will see that CBS USA at the time was not into releasing foreign acts) saying it sounded like the Bay City Rollers or some other excuse. Shut out of the world's biggest market, CBS Canada let the band go (a far cry from what would later happen in the 80s when Canadian labels finally nurtured a Canadian scene - not the case in the 70s, sadly). More stuff on the band at: myspace.com/thediodes. thanks

Songs
Red Rubber Ball / Teenage Nation / Photographs from Mars / Madhouse / Mercenary Flight / Tired of Waking Up Tired / Jenny's in a Sleep World / Weekend / No Right to Make Me Bleed / Terminal Rock

TONY PERKINS - LUCKY RAY Part 1 (2002)

Tony Perkins is the real name of the well-known popster Martin Luther Lennon. After his four-track contribution to Not Lame's "Sympophony #1" (1995) and two albums released by Not Lame "Music For A World Without Limitations" (1996) and "Escape To Paradox Island" (1999), all out-of-print items (but a few copies are still available from Jam Records), Tony Perkins released this limited edition CD EP in 2002 with a little help from Mike Randle (Baby Lemonade). Some songs of this rare EP were included on the spanish compilation "Redux" released by Rock Indiana.

Songs
The Manchurian Candidate (In You) / The Birds Have Taken Over The World / Eric's Worm Food / Lucky Ray / George Winston Smith / Sweet Coroner

GIGOLO AUNTS - TALES FROM THE VINEGAR SIDE (1990)

The Gigolo Aunts took their name from the Syd Barrett song, the outfit is fronted by brothers Phil and Steve Hurley with vocalist/guitarist Dave Gibbs and drummer Phil Brouwer. After their first album "Everybody's Happy" released in 1988, they released in 1990 the rare LP "Tales From The Vinegar Side". The album featured 11 songs (10 originals and a cover). The opening song being a cover of the Chris Bell classic "I Am The Cosmos". Dave Gibbs resurfaced as Velvet Crush's second guitarist in the early '90s, but returned full-time to his own group as its career began heating up abroad.

Songs
I Am The Cosmos / Down On Me / It Takes A Little Bit Of Time / Bako Jr / Nervousness / The Vinegar Side / Come Down #4 / That Just Goes To Show Ya / Pretty Perspire / Home Of The Brave

REDD KROSS - 2.500 REDD KROSS CAN'T BE WRONG (1994)

"2.500 Redd Kross Fans Can't Be Wrong" was a 10" limited edition each individually numbered. At the time of its release , some of the tracks were only available on this 10" EP.

Songs
Any Hour, Every Day / Switchblade Sister / What's Wrong With Me / Trance/ Byrds and Fleas / Huge Wonder

ONE THE JUGGLER - NEARLY A SIN (1984)

Though their appearance was that of a band of gypsies, "One The Juggler" were a musical marriage of Bowie-esque glam, eccentric folk and melodic pub rock (with a bit of The Only Ones thrown in for good measure). "Nearly Sin", their debut album, was recorded over a 2 year period and featured all of their single A-sides up to that point, plus some brand new tracks. "Passion Killer", "Damage Is Done", "Django's Coming" and "Are You The One?" were all fantastic singles and fit perfectly in amongst plenty of other like-minded tracks. "Enjoy Yourself" is a great album opener, kicking into "Mr. Wolf", which careens into "Passion Killer", and then the album never really lets up. It's a strange trip, and one that does not seem that it would have had the commercial push that it did in the UK. Albums like this are made for music fans, not for new wave kids (it flopped, no surprise). Within a year of the release of the second album "Some Strange Fashion" produced by Mick Ronson, Rokko, Lushi, and Trimmer had split and One the Juggler were just a memory.AMG

Lossless: FLAC 8 (326 mb)

Songs
Enjoy Yourself / Mr Wolf / Passion Killer / (O, No) You're Not The Same / Sister Soul / Junkie For Love / Blind Old Senator / A Minor EFF / Barnaby / Damage Is Done / Django's Coming / Patience Of A Saint / Are You The One? / Damage Reprise

DUDES - WE'RE NO ANGELS (1975)

When the early-'70s US pop/rock group known as the Wackers fell apart, two of its former members, bassist Bill Trochim and guitarist Bob Segarini, decided to come up with their own creation, the Dudes. The duo brought the founding members of April Wine (Ritchie Henman and David Henman), and future April Wine guitarist Brian Greenway. All of the guys helped out with the vocals. In 1975, the Dudes recorded a debut album, "We're No Angels", released by CBS. The result was one hit single, "I Just Wanna Dance". Before the recording of a sophomore offering could get under way, most of the members moved on to other endeavors. Segarini carried on, completing another EP, "Starlight". It was a last offering before he formed the Segarini band. In 1997 Pacemaker Records would release an excellent retrospective rarities collection called "All The Young Dudes, All The Old Demos". AMG

ZS (302 mb)

Songs
Saturday Night / Fuel Injection / I Just Wanna Dance / Lylee Lady / Deeper and Deeper / Dancin' Shoes / Got Me Where You Want Me / My Mind's on You / Rock & Roll Debutante / We're No Angels / Saturday Night (Reprise)

THE SUMMER SUNS (1985 - 1996)

As these songs are now officially available on the "Greatest Hits" CD, the link has been removed. You can purchase it at Not Lame or at Kool Kat.

Between 1985 and 1996, Kim Williams and the Summer Suns released one cassette (later reissued in the USA on a 10"), a limited edition LP of 1.000 ("Calpurnia"), a six-song CD ("Bedbugs") and five singles. Here are these fab five.
After a long hiatus, Kim Williams played with the White Shallows and released a new album in 2005 "Audio Erotic Fidelity" (on which can be heard a new and garage version of a "Calpurnia" song "Love In Stone").
Note: Three have been ripped by myself, the other two were given by George from the excellent Powerpop Wordpress.

Honeypearl [Easter KIM 18] ('85)
Honeypearl / Rachel-Anne

The Summer Suns are:
Kim Williams / Dom Mariani / Gary Chambers



All Away [Waterfront DAMP 118] ('89)
All Away / Mexican Restaurant

The Summer Suns are:
Kim Williams / Dom Mariani / Martin Moon / Steve Kyme


The Angel Angeline [House Of Wax HOW 004] ('94)
The Angel Angeline / Samantha

The Summer Suns are:

Kim Williams / Dom Mariani / Pascal Bartalone / Tony Italiano / Ian Campbell

She Understands [Bus Stop BUS 043] ('95)
She Understands / Everyday Girl

The Summer Suns are:
Kim Williams / Joe Algeri / Pascal Bartalone / Simon Hensworth / Martin Moon

Another Carrie Anne [Parasol PAR 023] ('96)
Another Carrie Anne / Honeypearl '95

The Summer Suns are:
Kim Williams / Joe Algeri / Pascal Bartalone / Simon Hensworth

DWIGHT TWILLEY - DWIGHT ON WHITE (1979)

"Dwight On White" was available in the UK on a 12" white vinyl. Released in 1979, the EP picked six songs from the first three Twilley albums (two from each). The EP is now famous because of the sleeve which should have been used for the "Blueprint" unreleased album (see post below). As these versions are similar to the album versions, the post is only available in a 192 bitrate.

Shelter 12XWIP 6502
I'm On Fire / TV / Runaway / Looking For The Magic / Standing In The Shadow Of Love / Sleeping

THE THINGS - THINGS (1988)

Coming from La Habra, Ca, The Things were fronted by Steve Crabtree who wrote most of the songs. They have released three albums Coloured Heaven (1984), Outside My Window (1986) and this eponymous third one (1988).

Songs
What Was Said Last Night / It Doesn't Have To Be Real / Who'll Jump The Gun / Before The Storm / Under Her Spell / Here Comes Her / Sidewalk Lover / Come Join The Working Class / Hey, Hey, Hey (It'll Be Something To See) / No Feeling Man

WALTER CLEVENGER & THE DAIRY KINGS
TWO NIGHTS IN CHAPEL HILL (2005)

In 2005 at Sparklefest in Chapel Hill, NC, Walter and the Dairy Kings had two shows. They played a lot of originals and a bunch of tasty covers (Nick Lowe, Beatles, NRBQ, Terry Anderson, Elvis Costello). The best thing you have to do is to support him and buy his official albums.

Night One (March 22)
Yesterday's News / Another Lie / Jonathan Doe / Fast As I Can / Hold On Tight / Miss Independence / Not Gonna Bend / I'm So Tired / Love Don't Mean Anything / Radio Radio / Burned / Radio Sea / Switchboard Susan / C'mon Dixie / Battleship Chains

Night Two (March 23)
And Your Bird Can Sing / Miss Independence / I Can't Dance / Jonathan Doe / Hold On Tight / You Can't Hide / Real / Supermarket Checkout Queen / Radio Radio / Half A Boy And Half A Man

WALTER CLEVENGER - POP GOES THE MUSIC (1995)

I bought this tape at the time of its release. I transferred it to cd as soon as i was able to. Here are the notes written by Walter Clevenger himself on his website. Don't forget, this is Pure Pop For Now People. The tape was a limited edition of 250 and is now out of print, and never reissued on cd.

Album Notes
"Back in about 1993, I had purchased an 8-track reel-to-reel recording deck. As ideas for songs came to me, I would just get them on tape. I was doing this for two reasons, the main reason was to learn how to use the deck, and the second was to try my hand at songwriting. I had never really forced myself to try and write. As the months went by, I eventually finished about 14 songs. In 1995, I decided to make tapes to give out to friends and family. Thinking I'd have the tapes sitting in my closet forever, I only had 250 copies made. Well, a few copies got into the right hands, some positive review were written, and all the tapes were gone in a couple of months. And rest, they say, is history. While recording, I had friends come over and help me out. Henry helped out on bass, Danny Walker on guitar, bass and vocals, and Bryan Shaddix on guitar." (walterclevenger.com)

In 1997, his first album "The Man With The X.Ray Eyes" was released on Permanent Press with some reworked versions of the "Pop Goes The Music" tape, 1999 saw the release of "Love Songs To Myself", recorded as Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings and released again on Permanent Press. After Permanent Press closed their doors, Walter Clevenger self released "Around The Corner", compilation of three-to-come albums. To this very day, only one of the 3 albums has been released "Full Tilt & Swing" (2003). So, "The Country Album" and "Trials & Tribute-lations" (a compilation of all the tribute tracks done as well as some unreleased demos) should be released soon.

 

ZS (316 mb)

Songs
Angels / Love You Like A King / Down To The River / I Gotta Feeling / My Little Girl / I Wanna Know / X-ray Eyes / Nothing At All / Yesterday Come Back / Give Me A Chance / Complicated / Everything Forever / My Phone Message / I Don't Like Your Face (Just Git)

JACK LEE'S GREATEST HITS VOL.1 (1981)

After the Nerves had split and following Blondie's success, Jack Lee slowly put together and released a "special limited edition of 10.000" of his first solo album entitled "Jack Lee's Greatest Hits Vol. 1", on a small label called Maiden America. This album was also released in France by Lolita records featured re-worked recordings of Nerves songs, as well as new material. Then Jack Lee released his second eponymous album in France only (available here). In 2007, Jack Lee took part in the Radio Heartbeat Power Pop Festival and is currently working on demos for a new CD.

Special Note
This is the original "Special Limited Edition" (Maiden America MA 1001) issue of the first Jack Lee LP. In 1992, the album was reissued coupled with the french Nerves LP and the Plimsouls Zero Hour 12" EP on the poorly mixed "That's Totally Pop!" CD by the french label Revenge (a subsidiary of Lolita Records).

ZS (209 mb)

Songs
Good Times / Give Me Some Time / Come Back & Stay / Any Day Now / Stand Back & Take a Good Look / Hangin' On The Telephone / Woman / I'm Gonna Have Fun / Crime Doesn't Pay / Paper Dolls / It's Hot Outside

SNEAKERS (1976) (7" EP Carnivorous #1)

Chris Stamey, a casually effective singer and superlative melodicist, began in the collegiate Chapel Hill power pop legend Sneakers. Six quirky power pop originals engineered by Don Dixon, Sneakers was the first vinyl appearance of this seminal (if little-heard) band containing Stamey, drummer Will Rigby and (participating as a guest and family friend) Mitch Easter. The record boasts such lyrically anxious Stamey creations as "Love's Like a Cuban Crisis," "Condition Red" and "On the Brink." These recordings are taken from the original 7" EP. The same songs + the second "In The Red" 12" EP + nine other songs have been remastered and appear on the 2007 Sneakers compilation "Nonsequitur For Silence" available either from the official dB's website, from Not Lame or from any store online. The Sneakers recordings were also reissued around 1994 by the ESD label ("Racket" is now out of print) (Trouser Press)

Songs
Ruby / On The Brink / Love's Like A Cuban Crisis / Condition Red / Nonsequitur / Driving

JERRY NOLAN - TAKE A CHANCE WITH ME (1982)

Nolan quit the Heartbreakers soon after "L.A.M.F.", because he felt the album was poorly mixed. Whilst touring with Johnny Thunders in 1982, Nolan met stunning Swede Charlotte (Lotten) Nedeby, whom he soon married. Nolan would live in Sweden, off and on, through the eighties. There he also recorded a solo single of an old Heartbreakers' song "Take A Chance With Me" backed with "Pretty Baby". Jerry Nolan died in 1992.

ZS (52 mb)

Take A Chance With Me (Tandan Records Tan Sin 006)

Take A Chance With Me / Pretty Baby

ROBERT DERBY - I'M NORMAL (1980)

This early one-man album demonstrates what could be done in the pre-tech days by a crafty auteur with two tape decks, a basement and a lot of patience. Far worse-sounding albums have been recorded by rooms full of session pros in 32-track studios. If you dig LMNOP's catchy pop, then you'll enjoy Derby's light rock-pop which benefits from skillful arrangements and his multi instrumental prowess; underdeveloped material and a samey blandness are the record's shortcomings. (Cachalot later repackaged I'm Normal with the similarly solitary Ian North album My Girlfriend's Dead, overstating their achievements by titling the pair Modern Renaissance Men, but while Ian North's was reissued on CD, Robert Derby has never been reissued.) (Trouser Press)

Songs
Do Do It / You're A Loser / Take A Pill / Wendy / Chicken Love / I'm Normal / Dancin' / Out Of Mind / Media USA / Tiger Beat / Don't Bee / Barbie / Big Bad Bear / Youth In Asia

THE NOW (1979)

Hailing from New York City, Jeff Lennon (Geoff "Lip" Danielik), Mamie Francis, Robin Dee and Bobby Ore were The Now. They were playing the Max's Kansas City scene when they signed to RCA distributed Midsong International Records and hooked up with producer Bobby Orlando. An album was "produced, arranged, engineered and concieved" by Mr. Orlando and sold about 200,000 records - enough to warrant a second LP which the band started to record. Then the label literally disappeared from their New York City offices. The band never received a dime and that was the end of The Now. The band splintered off into various bands but none achieved any level of success. A live disc recorded in 1979 was released on CD. Check also the Japanese import from Wizzard In Vinyl that unearths a retrospective from Geoff "Lip" Danielik who during 1978-1981 had 4 bands (Alter Ego, Peroxide, T.K.O and The Now) all which did the major label flirting thing but never quite getting to where they all had hoped. Danielik`s closest call was with The Now, which power poppers from this time period will recall. "Can You fix Me Up With Her" was featured on the Shake Some Action Vol 7. (notes from lostbands.com).

ZS (157 mb)

Songs
Can You Fix Me Up With Her / What's Her Name / Baby I'm Bad / Flex Your Muscle / Christine / He's Takin' You To The Movies / T.V Private Eye / You Are The One / Reaction / I Wanna Go Steady With You

BOBBY SUTLIFF - ONLY GHOSTS REMAIN (1987)

After the Windbreakers' Run (1986), Bobby Sutliff went solo with the wryly titled five-song "Another Jangly Mess" in the UK and the full-length "Only Ghosts Remain" in the States. Magically produced at the Drive-In by Easter, who also plays drums and some guitar, on the record, Sutliff deploys his pretty voice, piercing guitar solos, understated keyboards and Beatlesque pure-pop sensibility to make a state-of-the-art exposition on the power pop genre. "Only Ghosts Remain" repeats the EP's five songs in slightly different arrangements and adds six more (including a spiffy cover of Richard Thompson's "Small Town Romance") of equal quality, four of which employ Howard Wuelfing as bassist. Trouser Press

Bobby Sutliff (257 mb)

Songs
Same Way Tomorrow / Elam Bridge / Stupid Idea / Always Love You / Second Choice / You Could've Told Me / Small Town Romance / Couldn't Help Myself / Didn't Mean To / Won't Be Feeling Blue / Different World

IAN NORTH - NEO (1979)

"Neo" is a 1979 Powerpop masterpiece released by Ian North, former guitarist and songwriter with legendary Junkshop "Bubbleglam" Milk'n’Cookies (a 2005 RPM reissue). After the band split, Ian North went to live in England for a while, first he formed Ian North's Radio with Martin Gordon (Jet, Radio Stars) and then led a new wave band called Neo which collapsed after recording an unreleased album. He salvaged and revised various studio efforts (with two different lineups) to piece together Neo, which is actually a very good record. The overall timbre is modern rock with melody and bitterness; some of the songs are excellent. Returning to New York, he began recording by himself, producing two discs at home on simple equipment, using synthesizers as a major sonic component (the only one on Rape of Orchids). The full length "Girlfriend's Dead'" (1980, reissued 2006 with bonus) contains some good songs but this ain't no Powerpop. (Sources: Trouser Press et al).

Neo (260 mb)

Songs
If You Gotta Go / She Kills Me / Don't Dance / Heart / Tran-sister / Heaven On Earth / The Robots / No Sound From 25 / Hollywood Babylon / Girls In Gangs / Texas Modern / Kamikaze

YACHTS - S.O.S. SINGLES (1977-1981)

This custom compilation was originally posted a few months ago on another blog and has been a long popular item. I guess you've already guessed who made the compilation and the custom artwork, so now you know why i can post it over here. So, here are the complete Yachts singles releases + the first album freebie (Suffice To Say Live) + three album tracks as a free bonus. Two blog readers (skroff and bo) gave the I.O.U. single released on Radar Records ADA 57 (1980). I would like to thank both of them for their help and work. The custom artwork was based upon the North American first album edition. The Front sleeve is the regular Polydor release. The inside and the tray were customised. Here's the complete list of all the singles.


Stiff BUY 19 A Side (1977)
Suffice To Say / Freedom (Is A Heady Wine)
Radar ADA 23 (1978)
Look Back In Love (Not In Anger) / I Can't Stay Long
Radar ADA 25 (1978)
Yachting Types / Hypnotising Lies
Radar ADA 36 (1979)
Love You Love You / Hazy People (Live)
Radar ADA 42 (1979)
Box 202 / Permanent Damage
Radar ADA 49 (1979)
Now I'm Spoken For / Secret Agent
Radar ADA 52 (1980)
There's A Ghost In My House / Revelry / Yachting Type (LP version)
Radar ADA 57 (1980)
I.O.U. (In The Oddments Drawer) / 24 Hours From Tulsa
Demon D 1005 (1981)
Fool Like You / Dubmarine
Radar SAM 98 A (1978) (Freebie)
Suffice To Say (Live) / On And On
Bonus Track available only on The US edition of "Yachts Without Radar"
I Couldn't Get Along Without You
Bonus Tracks S.O.S. Alternate Mix
Look Back In Love (Not In Anger) / Box 202

ROBERT JOHNSON
CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND (1978) THE MEMPHIS DEMOS (1980)

By the late '70s, Johnson had recorded a single with the Bell Heirs and had established a somewhat regular playing relationship with a rhythm section featuring bassist Dave Cochran and drummer Blair Cunningham. The Ensign label released the premier Johnson effort as a leader, an album entitled Close Personal Friend, yet a collection entitled Memphis Demos, which came out the following year, is considered to be a much better representation of his work. Burning Love is a single B Side unavailable elsewhere and has been included here on CPF. Some of the "Close Personal Friend" recordings were first submitted to Ensign and later re-recorded for the defintive album. So, those demos were later released in 1980 on the german label Line. While the actual title is The Memphis Demos , the songs were recorded at the Ardent Studios. Special thanx to the Washington state guy who has stones on his wall. He helped me with his rips on this post. I only made the artworks. AMG

The links have been removed. "Close Personal Friend" has just been reissued by Angel Air with the "Memphis Sessions" as bonus tracks. Check your favorite online store.

Close Personal Friend
I'll Be Waiting / Wish Upon A Star / Guide My Energy / Say Girl / Responsibility / Kerri / Leslie / Wreck My Mind / Debbie's Theme / Tell Me About It / Slim / Burning Love (bonus single)

The Memphis Demos
I'll Be Waiting / Claudette / Burning Love / Wish Upon A Star / Jimmy Dean's Back (live) / Shaking It Down / Better Love / Deep Love

HYAA! - GET YER HYAA-HYAA'S OUT! (1987)

Hyaa! were arguably the finest indie-rock band to come out of Washington, D.C. in the Eighties. Alice Despard's smoky voice and unusual guitar style (full of drones and alternate tunings) gave the band a lush, exotic sound not usually associated with the genre, while Les Doerfler's bass and Alex Deseabra's drums provided a solid foundation. Their 1987 album "Get Your Hyaa-Hyaa's Out!" (the title was meant as a pronunciation aid), produced by Mitch Easter, is a lost classic and has never been reissued on CD. Alice Despard's current band, the Alice Despard Group have two excellent CDs, Push Me Pull You and Alice Despard Group, in print. In 1990, she released a beautiful acoustic CD, recorded at home. www.doubtfulpalace.com

Songs
Valhalla / Sun Go Black / Blood On The Saddle / Thrushes / Curve Of The Heart / Kingdom Kum / Baby's First Bounce / Mongolian Labor Camp Theme / Four Grey Towns / Dylan Cowsleeve