RELEASES

“Sound Clash Vol One” Lovetrain vs Distant Cousins

Released on Limited Edition Vinyl (200 copies) – 25th April 2025 via Bristol Archive Records

There have always been rivalries, competitiveness and soundings off between post Elvis era acts. In the 60’s it was The Beatles v The Rolling Stones. During Britpop, Blur v Oasis, with the Mancunian sibling rivalry thrown in. However, at Bristol Archive Records we are rather more gentlemanly in our contests. We put Cousins up against Love – Distant Cousins v Lovetrain.

This is the first in a prospective series of compilations that will compare and contrast the merits and outputs of two Bristol acts who may, or may not, have connected with a wider audience in their time. It may also be one of the first of its type since the infamous Track Records early 70’s offerings that set The Who up against Jimi Hendrix!

Private Dicks were a 1970’s punk/new wave era forerunner to the Cousins for the singer Gavin King. They had been rather cruelly referred to as ‘reclaimed pub rockers with skinny trousers and ties’ but had at least had seen tracks on the original and subsequent seminal John Peel acclaimed early 1980’s Avon Calling compilation and a later 00’s double pack.

King was part of the 80’s revamp with new members as a fresh entity, Distant Cousins – not to be confused with several later bands of that name – where they shed any connections to shoddy couture. Now there was a full-on attack – alive, direct, disciplined, with economy, coming four-fifths out of Bath with tracks recorded at SAM studio in the centre of Bristol.

The Cousins knew which buttons to push. The first of the on offer sizzling songs ‘The Search’ taps into the Foxx era of Ultravox, skin deep flow motion systems of romance, all snippy, jagged edges. ‘You Lied to Me’ ties the band to an angst laden, Seagulls style Nightmares cross-buzz banner, well nailed down and Fixxed.

In trying to keep ‘down’ moments (in) check the DC’s hit a real pop moment with…. ‘Check’. This was a full-throated, chorus-driven, amphetamine gazelle assault on Duran Duran’s castle of supremacy in this zone. But if there is a track that sums up the essence of this, on its merits, Bristol/Bath variant of a Distant Cousins it is ‘Red Oasis’ – tough, muscular, sweating in bullets, an empire of dance. It is a true statement of searching and intent, exotic, other worldly, an enticement to follow.

Lovetrain’s focal point, brothers Jon-Jo and Robin Key, were major contributors to Art Objects, Various Artists and Robin had a stint with Blue Aeroplanes, all noted acts in 70’s onwards hipster Bristol. But within Jon-Jo and Robin was a muse that could blend classic song writing voiced with passion and panache, allied to classy musicianship that could fill a stadium.

It tips the hat to the spirit of America that can be found in the widescreen epic that is ‘Dreamworld’ and in the throwaway intonation and occasional quick-fire delivery found via ‘Jackie’. But the guiding force is always intrinsically bittersweet British, nay English, wry observational in many respects. Lloyd Cole, Paddy McAloon and Elvis Costello swirl into the overall lyrical lexicon.
Lovetrain got signed in the 80’s by the Virgin label imprint Siren, which was seeing huge sales achieved by Cutting Crew and T’Pau in that big hair part of the decade. Sadly, the band put out a strong album that got some what lost in the morass of the other, rather too similar white bread/AOR type acts on their roster.

In this sound-clash both acts play out a dazzling score draw. Neither of them lost out, other than not fully getting the recognition they deserved from the big, bad world at the time this great music was produced. This compilation makes a start at righting that wrong. The chance to delve into their respective oeuvres is too good to miss. Just don’t be too competitive!

“Sound Clash Vol One” is released by Bristol Archive Records on Limited Edition Vinyl (200 copies) on 25th April 2025, distributed by Shellshock and available from good retailers worldwide.

“Connected Sequences” – Smith & Mighty

Released on Limited Edition Clear Vinyl (300 copies) on 7th March 2025 via Bristol Archive Records

Although other acts would be the ones to see huge worldwide success with the Bristol Sound the combination of reggae infused basslines, elements of hip hop, female and male vocals and a laid-back tempo were pioneered on Ashley Road, St. Paul’s at the Three Stripe studio by Rob Smith and Ray Mighty. “We started out in the 80’s. A couple of young guys on the dole with a bit of a knack for making original DIY, Lo-Fi beats, and basslines. with just one ambition, to make a record. Everything else was a bonus and to be frank, came as a complete surprise.” – Rob Smith

One of Bristol Archive’s earliest and most satisfying releases “The Three Stripe Collection 1985-1990” did a great job of covering those first records, the period before Smith and Mighty signed a major deal with London FFRR and includes many important and now classic tracks that helped inspire so many artists and producers both locally and further afield. Unfortunately, that major deal didn’t work out, “Perhaps we weren’t ready for the attention or the new demands that followed, but we forged ahead, desperately trying to keep to our original vision. What happened after is another story.”

“This collection here though, represents moments from those early days and hopefully reflects some of the joy of being free to do anything we wanted, with only ourselves to please.” In the mid-eighties and early nineties their Ashley Road studio was a hive of activity and their open-door approach to collaboration as well as nurturing talent, would see them record with numerous local singers and musicians as well as directly inspire future members of Massive Attack, Full Cycle and Way Out West among others, Ashley Road was ground zero for the Bristol Sound.

With so much collaboration and experimentation, only a fraction of the finished tracks could be pressed up and released, leaving a library of unreleased music that adds an additional layer to the story. “Compiled from salvaged DAT tapes and cassettes, these are some of the lesser-known beats and pieces we were making at the time.” In proper Bristolian style we have taken our time to continue documenting the Smith and Mighty and Three Stripe Story with this our follow up album, “Connected Sequences.”

The new album was recorded between 1985 and 1992 and features a few names familiar to fans of both Smith and Mighty and Bristol Archive Records. Side A is a mixture of hip hop and reggae influenced tracks kicking off with local hip hop pioneers Kelz and Lynx on “Rock U Boom Kick” already demonstrating, all involved had mastered the genre and given it a Bristol spin. “Feeling Alright” is a perfect fusion of Dan Ratchet’s sweet reggae-tinged vocals with an addictive bassline and hip hop influenced backing. The reggae hip hop fusion continues more explicitly with Rudy Lee’s catchy vocal providing the counter to Kelz’s rap in “Danger.”

The first side is rounded off with a brace of reggae influenced tracks, the sample driven “Step Forward” rides a fine line between dance and reggae, sounding like it could veer off into a dancehall friendly heavy steppers dub at any moment whilst always staying just inside the dance music line, the reggae melodica and vocal sample never quite overwhelming the dance friendly backing track. “Evolve Dub” is another attempt to reconcile a reggae vocal sample and bassline with then current dance music.

“Hardly Wait” kicks offside two with the classic Smith and Mighty sound and a collaboration with Gina Foster, with Gina’s voice and a relentless bassline propelling it, this would surely have been a potential hit if released at the time. Regular Three Stripe contributor Jackie Jackson is joined by Jessica George on the upbeat and joyful “Save Us” while another regular Smith and mighty collaborator Marilyn McFarlane rounds off the trio of female vocals with her strong performance featuring on “Dub Reasons”.
With a couple of simple vocal hooks and driving beats combined with what would pass for discarded soundtrack elements “Stupid Dope Rock” hints at an unfulfilled career composing film soundtracks, if only. The album is rounded off by “Piano Twist” a dark and heavy instrumental that blends various elements to good effect.

“Connected Sequences” an album of lost, unreleased Smith and Mighty – Three Stripe productions is released on limited edition clear vinyl, (300 copies), and digital download by Bristol Archive Records on 7th March 2025, distributed by Shellshock Distribution.

“Inventing Massive Attack, Soul II Soul, Tricky, Portishead, Bjork, Mo’Wax, trip hop, The Bristol Sound, Roni Size and just about every British dance record since 1988 that has attempted to meld dub, ambient and hip-hop beats. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Smith & Mighty.” Garry Mulholland, from ‘The 500 Greatest Singles Since Punk and Disco’

“Though most people will think of Massive Attack, Portishead or even Roni Size when asked about Bristol’s influence on UK music in the late 80s and 90s, really none of them have had anywhere near as much of an impact as Smith & Mighty. With a hand in the development of jungle, dubstep and the particular of – Bristol-ness that so defined the aforementioned artists, their influence is comparable to that of the city itself.” Crack

“Smith & Mighty are producers and originators. From 1985 onwards they took lovers rock, mixed it with heavier modern beats and came up with a new sound. All you needed was the drums, the voice and that spatial dub awareness to create something special.” Test Pressing

“As ever with their productions, it’s all about the separation of sounds – the sense of size and distance between that massively present bass and the far distant subliminal instrumentation gives a sense of immersion, plunging you into an opiated dream of future cities”. – Joe Muggs

“The Bristol and Bath Pop Explosion – The 80’s”-Various Artists

Released on Limited Edition Trans Pink Vinyl (300 copies) and Limited-Edition Numbered CD (100 copies) – 7th Feb 2025 via Bristol Archive Records

There has always been a broad picture in general of the scope of music that has come out of the Bristol and Bath areas at the west/southwest end of the M4 and M5. The boys (and girls) from the region have always made a right old variety of noise! It hasn’t always been accompanied by mainstream acceptance with the resulting sales. It may surprise observers that some of that heady creativity included the more commercial end of straight up pop music and the ‘take’ that could be put on it, with the hope that acclaim and more could follow. The ‘take’ could also take the genre into new dimensions. Did it lead anywhere, or have any merit? Were they, the acts, any good? Did they get any exposure and recognition? If not, why not?

This questioning prompted the long-time music industry creative and journalist, Dave Massey and Bristol Archive Records owner, Mike Darby, to go through their extensive archive of local music and see if there was an album that could be compiled of those pop acts tracks that could be regarded as ‘lost hits’. From their archive trawl Massey and Darby uncovered pop gold. Bristol Archive has done a similar exercise with ‘lost gems’ by reggae, punk, post-punk, mod, goth and rock acts from the west and released several well researched and beautifully presented themed vinyl ‘Explosion’ compilations. Now is the time for the pop acts.

All kinds of strategies were used by acts and their managers to promote themselves. Tracks were circulated on cassette tapes in order to solicit interest from an industry drowning in pop. Some went further and actually got as far as putting out independent releases. Gigs were done in ‘unusual’ venues. Videos were made in whatever surroundings would work. These acts have stories of ‘got so close’ and ‘what might have been’. Many of the acts were seen live, reviewed and interviewed for the weekly music press by Massey and other local journalists, featured on local, and in some instances national radio, and some made it on to local and national TV. Utilising the industry contacts Massey had built up through his writing he even ended up managing a couple of them for differing periods of time.

It would see an end product for some of the musicians down the line. Several of those in or contributing to a given acts’ recordings had gone on to work or have links with major mainstream icons such as Queen, Bros, Pet Shop Boys, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Lisa Stansfield and Simply Red, or influential and acclaimed successful acts such as Goldfrapp, Portishead and PJ Harvey. Many of the creators of these great tunes were involved as writers, producers or session players, or new career directions led to them running their own prosperous businesses, and even down to one of their number chairing and running a local Championship level football club!

Dig a little deeper into the western region’s musical history and the acts from the area weren’t alone in ploughing a furrow into the field marked ‘80’s Pop’. It was no wonder. The ground in that decade was fertile for sowing the seeds of possible pop perennials. Even down the road in and near Bath, they had plenty of music emigres who settled there and in the West Country having seen major league national and international success. The likes of Peter Gabriel, Midge Ure and even Stranglers front-man Hugh Cornwall made their homes and mark in the area.

But the most prominent of the acts to have been born, raised and emerged from, and later lived more opulently in or near the city of Bath itself, were Tears for Fears in the 1980’s. It begged the question for Massey and Darby in their initial considerations that if Tears for Fears could ‘make it’ big, did any other pop-orientated acts from the region come through, and if so what happened to them?

Dave Massey was right in the thick of it when this West Country pop was being made in the 1980’s. He was covering this and the many genres of music in his capacity as a Bristol and West country regional correspondent. As the decade progressed, somewhat uniquely, he did so for each of the weekly music papers in turn – firstly the NME, then Sounds, followed by Melody Maker. These papers all had massive readership and circulations at the time.

In the end the 18 tracks on the CD and 11 on the vinyl editions of the compilation do the ‘talking’. They are worthy contenders to be heard on day-time radio, in a top line club, blasting out of a TV screen or from in a car with the windows wound down on a sunny summer’s day, and just listened to by any pop fan through whatever means they choose to enjoy their music.

It’s a treasure trove of glorious commercial, but savvy and sexy pop music. Get into the groove of this wonderful west of England sonic pleasure feast! “The Bristol and Bath Pop Explosion – The 80’s” is released by Bristol Archive Records on Limited Edition Trans Pink Vinyl (300 copies) and Limited-Edition Numbered CD (100 copies) on 7th Feb 2025, distributed by Shellshock and available from good retailers worldwide.

“The Bristol Goth Explosion – The 80’s” Various Artists

Released on Limited Edition Trans Red Vinyl (300 copies) on 15th November 2024 via Bristol Archive Records

Bristol Archive present an album of the cream of Bristol’s 1980s ‘Goth’ scene. With sleeve notes from Pete Webb; a member of one of Bristol’s earliest Goth bands; Necromancy, quotes from Jon Klein of Specimen and in beautiful trans red vinyl, this is another hugely valuable document of the music and scene in Bristol and the Southwest.
The Bristol Goth explosion was a key part of the growth of the whole scene in the UK in many ways. Two bands on this compilation were formed in 1981: Specimen and Necromancy. Specimen made the move to London in 1982 and started the Batcave club now synonymous with the Goth story. The other; Necromancy stayed in Bristol and played and partied at the Bastille Club, a similar club to the Batcave, but a hidden and less known transgressive den for the emerging Gothic Punk scene. The Bastille was infamous; you saw Quentin Crisp partying there, Friar Tuck locked in a dancer’s cage, Stan the Man a guy in yellow speedos on roller skates gliding around the dance floor and a 70-year-old regular flashing her knickers whilst doing the Can-Can! Members of the Cure, Bauhaus and Echo and the Bunnymen passed through the club and Bristol’s beautifully preened punks waltzed to the Blue Danube by Strauss one minute and Bauhaus the next.

The Bastille run by David Darling was a meeting point, party scene and the one part of the musical glue that tied these bands together. This album features Specimen, Claytown Troupe, Fear of Darkness, Necromancy, Temple, Exit Stance and The Long March many of whom frequented the Bastille. It is an album that represents the darker side of Punk and Post Punk and then the scene that became known as Goth, but it represents the variety of musical influences and styles that were involved in those scenes.

The album is dedicated to the key people, clubs and venues that contributed to its flourishing; the Bastille and its founder David Darling, music journalist Dave Massey (NME, Sounds) who supported and wrote about this scene in the mainstream and local music press at the time, the members of these bands and the people who went to the gigs and the clubs and who travelled the country looking and dressing in an incredible way. Another project instigated by Mike Darby and the wonderful Bristol Archive Records.
“The Bristol Goth Explosion – The 80’s” is released by Bristol Archive Records on Limited Edition translucent Red Vinyl – 300 copies on 15th November 2024, distributed by Shellshock and available from good retailers worldwide.

‘The Bristol Post Punk Explosion Vol 2 (1979–1986)’ Various Artists

Due for release on 11TH October 2024 on Limited Edition Vinyl (Three hundred copies only) and Digital Shake, Rattle and Roll – boys and girls come out to play.

Bristol is a city that has managed to not only surprise the wider world with its output but has managed to do the same to the citizens of the place. The 1980’s was a decade that personified that aspect to music making out west and the second volume of the Bristol Post-Punk Explosion has managed to capture the vibe to perfection. You even get the guy who went on to produce hits for Sinead O’Connor and Madonna!

In the post-punk cauldron Electric Guitars were boiling up a brew that is no better illustrated than in the album opener, ‘Language Problems.’ Here we have all the ingredients – plenty of off-kilter hair, scatter gun lyrics, stuttering guitars, buoyant scampering bass plunges, colour blind keyboard lines, insistent drums, and a full-on frenetic set of male and female vocal deliveries. This is a hurricane of beautiful noise that is worth getting caught up in.

Former Essential Bop main-man Steve Bush (see more below) made a worthy attempt at hitting the mainstream in his alliance with Christian Clarke in the classy Bush & Clarke duo nucleus set-up so prevalent in the 80’s. Even though the lyrical depth of ‘I’m Satisfied’ goes past the usual content of the pop genre (in its narrowest sense), it is a hit in anyone’s language – no problem. This song echoes the parallel right turn made by former squat Gramsci quoting punksters Scritti Pollitii where all the aspirations and style of the age saw a total transmogrification of then cult acts. B&C did it as brilliantly as Green Garside had, albeit on a smaller budget.

Art Objects ‘Fit of Pique ‘then bring us back to earth with a bump – and with some bruises. The clue is in the title. This is at times brutal, a sonic assault allied to beat poetry from Gerard Langley (later to carry this further with Blue Aeroplanes). Brother John’s quick-fire, spring heel jack drumming holds the chaos together – just. The next track also features two brothers – Jon-Jo and Robin Key. The contributions of the pair to their adopted city’s music cannot be underestimated. Either/Or was a project that was sandwiched between work with Art Objects, their earlier band the Various Artists and a later in the period major label fling with the classy Love Train. ‘I Believe in the Ant’ is a tribute to the groove and blessed with an outward facing examination of what goes on around us and further afield.

TVI’s really are one of the ‘lost’ bands of Bristol. There is astounding footage of them on Vimeo, along with several other acts of the time, on the Bristol Bands Newsreel from 1980. The group included Tim Norfolk, who went on to success with The Insects, and Alan Griffiths of local post-punk bands Apartment and The Escape (more to follow) who went on to work with Tears for Fears.
‘Routine’ was recorded by Griffiths at Cave Studios and shows off the edgy, relentless black and white imagery of singer John Kelly’s words and the band’s shadow play. It is ‘Northern’ in terms of where you might expect music of this intensity to come from. But…this is from Bristol, a tougher environment than outsiders realise.

The sextet of goodies is closed by the full version of ‘Giacometti’ (Wicked Mix) by Scream and Dance, rather more in the mood that might ‘typify’ Bristol. It’s mightily percussive, dubby, carefree, wild in the country and jazzy. Yet again this features the superb drumming of John Langley.
Side two kicks off with The Escape and one of their pinnacle songs ‘Eden.’ This widescreen epic is chock full of drama and was one of a quartet of tracks they were recorded for, of all people, the Peter Powell Show on drive time Radio One! The band would later to sign to Phonogram and mutate into a very different beast, shorn of their claws.

You want pure sound of the drums thunder? That you get from Moskow’s take on the TV classic (The) ‘Man from Uncle,’ live and direct as the agent who shoots them dead. Distant Cousins were Bath’s version of a collection of epic making young men. The emotional disturbance of ‘The Search’ has all the sway and swerve that stays the course. Steve Bush reappears in his Essential Bop moment describing his own song well as ‘Eloquent Sounds.’ There are some resemblances to the archness of the great Magazine and that’s no bad thing. A little of that fairy dust also gets poured on to the jazz-punk-funk explorations of Pete Brandt’s Method in their take a chance on us ‘Positive Thinking.’

The ultimate bonus of this collection is to hear the early days of the phenomenon that would become the renowned producer, Nellee Hooper. His membership of the Mouth collective was given full rein in ‘Ooh Ah Yeah,’ a filmic flurry a la batterie that Quincy Jones or Lalo Schifrin would have been proud to score.

All these tracks are gems of note in their own right – savour the lot!

Bristol Boys Make More Noise!

‘The Source of Dreams 1982-1984’ Thin Air

Released 9th August 2024 on Strictly Limited (200 copies only) Transparent Red Vinyl and Digital Download

Bristol Archive Records have been telling the story of the incredibly diverse Bristol Music scene for many years now. The label has focused recently on the sub-culture of Mod, Modernism and Power Pop and recently gained considerable success with their release ‘The Bristol Mod Explosion 1979-1987’. They have also released albums from the same scene by The Reaction ‘Shapes of Things To Come’ and The Rimshots ‘A Way With Words 1980-1983’. Now we turn our attention to another undiscovered Bristol band, Thin Air who featured on the Mod Explosion and the song writing genius of a would be Paul Weller, John Lennon, Elvis Costello – Paul Sandrone.
This album covers the period 1982 to 1984 and features 12 tracks compiled in collaboration with drummer Phil Ollerenshaw.  When punk rock started to fizzle out many of the UK’s disaffected youths had already moved sideways into Modernism and fell in love with The Jam. Inspired by Paul Weller’s song writing skills Thin Air started out life as Out of Order and supported The Jam at the Bristol Locarno in 1980 (on the day of John Lennons death), Paul was 15 years old.
The band had been formed in 1979 in a local youth club by Bill Waine (18), Phil Ollerenshaw (16) and Paul Sandrone (15), they changed their name to Thin Air in 1981 and continued with this line up until 1983 when Bill Waine left and was replaced by Simon Nicholls. Thin Air were never an authentic Mod band appealing to a strictly Mod audience, they were a Jam influenced, power pop outfit concentrating on writing edgy yet commercial, catchy pop rock music.
In 1982 they signed a deal with Coach House management owned by an American George Lennards. George had achieved considerable success with Bath outfit Naked Eyes. He wanted to replicate this and saw the song writing skills of Paul Sandrone as the vehicle to more chart success. Under his management the band received courtship from Polydor and Magnet Records amongst others.
This album is a soundtrack to an era, remembering a period in time when Top of The Pops was full of The Jam, Squeeze, XTC and Elvis Costello. Thatcherism was killing multi-cultural Britain but to escape, it was ok to write a catchy pop song, it was ok to look smart and it was acceptable to want a major record deal.
Thin Air did not achieve their objectives and remarkably never even got to release a record despite the obvious quality. They cut many demos for major labels, Polydor and Magnet Records appeared especially keen but they remained a secret of the Bristol underground scene until now. Paul Sandrone moved on in other guises from 1985, finally achieving chart success with London artiste Rassia in 1996-99 and Brighton based The Mummers in 2008-2012.
Enjoy the sound of the underground 42 years later than you should have ‘The Source of Dreams 1982-1984’ is released on 9th August 2024.

Bristol Boys Make More Noise!

The Bristol Post Punk Explosion (1978–1982) Various Artists

Due for release on 12TH July 2024 on Limited Edition ’Trans Yellow Vinyl’ 
(Three hundred copies only) and Digital
 
‘TOO MUCH COMMOTION – YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED’

The post punk explosion of the late 1970’s/early 1980’s is regarded as one of the most exciting periods of music making explorations in Bristol. The period is now being revisited, seen as being even more relevant to do so as there is the 2020’s surge of new acts reviving and mining the seam of the genre. Fast forward nearly half a century (gulp!) from that first post punk period and the ever-active chroniclers of West Country musical history, Bristol Archive Records, have focussed on this heady epoch with ‘The Bristol Post Punk Explosion (1978-82)’ compilation release, out on vinyl and digital.
Many of the original Bristol bands in question had either been featured on or been rocket fuelled inspired by the success of a local label’s 1980 compilation album of bands from the city on ‘Avon Calling’, that was lauded, championed and played to death by the central tastemaker of indie music of the day, the Radio One DJ, John Peel. He rated the compilation of Bristol bands above those from Manchester and Liverpool, stating on air ‘this really is the standard by which others should be judged in the future. It really is superb with not a bad track on it.’ ‘Avon Calling’ even made Peel’s end of year Playlist of Best Albums of 1980.
That local label releasing it was Heartbeat Records, run by Simon Edwards (who also ran Riot City). Heartbeat was part of a coterie of Bristol indie’s, such as Fried Egg, Wavelength (linked to the innovative magazine/record combination album The Bristol Recorder) and Recreational (the latter operating out of another central destination for music lovers, the Revolver record shop of that name, near the top of Park Street).
The emergent labels were tapping into the range of musical talent responding to the challenges of a new decade, the Thatcher government tearing down hard fought for certainties and securities, allied to the impact of punk that had shifted the shape of the musical landscape so dramatically. Some of the bands here and in the city also went DIY and put out records themselves. Many of the featured Explosion and earlier Avon Calling acts followed the traditional indie route at the time of gigging, Peel programme radio sessions, immersion into the music press machine, negotiating with record labels and a whole mass of variable outcomes.
The quasi-psychedelic, archly poetic Essential Bop even got as far as being praised to the skies in the NME by Paul Morley, as part of a trio of highlighted bands – the others being the earlier, more left field version of ABC, along with the Scottish group Restricted Code – seen by the influential wordsmith in late 1980 as likely breakthrough acts during the decade. He got one of them right! Art Objects ‘a beat combo fronted by a poet’ became the better-known Blue Aeroplanes, releasing several indie albums and eventually signing to Ensign/Chrysalis, home of Sinead O’Connor and the Waterboys. Electric Guitars somewhat incongruously signed to Stiff and – sadly – stiffed.
Latif Gardez from Gardez Darkx signed with EMI and later Virgin. He would release two albums under the name Mystery Slang. Tim Norfolk from the artful, wacky and tight-fitting Shoes For Industry went on to become a member of The Insects and worked with Massive Attack.
What cannot be ignored all this time on when listening to so much of the Explosion album is the quality – the sheer attack of Art Objects, the angular extremities of Electric Guitars along with the caustic sneer of Fishfood. Then there is the more hipster Danceteria driven, percussive and horny frenetic grooves of Animal Magic, in marked variance to the loose-limbed, guitarless Scream & Dance.
This is all contrasting with more electronic vox ultra uber cool mensch and darker elements of Europeans (featuring later Specimen and Siouxsie and the Banshees guitarist, John Klein), Creature Beat and Colortapes (who had Mike Fewins, ex of The Cortinas, in their line-up).
Much can be found in the sheer lyricism of so many of the songs and groups. They aim at a shooting gallery range of targets and hit plenty. Some of the featured acts were or are still active, from well into the 1980’s onwards and into the new millenium. Glaxo Babies even recently performed in Bristol in their current iteration, Dan Catsis being the sole original member. The Objects/Aeroplanes main man Gerard Langley regarded the band in their heyday as the ‘cornerstone of the Bristol scene’ placing them above the Pop Group (usually ranked as being top dogs by national media, though Essential Bop regarded them as ‘beatnik fascists’) in that status.
For Langley the Glaxos were ‘both sophisticated and primitive, they were basically pre-post-punk punk. They were real man, and I loved them’. The Explosion album is the tip of the iceberg of the treasure trove of goodies from the era. Archive label owner Mike Darby, who compiled it, makes that plain:
“THERE’S EASILY ENOUGH FOR A GREAT VOLUME TWO.’’

The Bristol Punk Explosion Vol 2 (1977–1981)

We are delighted to bring you the follow up to the successful ‘The Bristol Punk Explosion (1977-1979) album released in November 2023 – a twelve-track compilation entitled ‘The Bristol Punk Explosion Vol 2 (1977-1981)’ issued on Crystal Clear Vinyl and limited to three hundred copies.
The sleeve notes are written by Tim Williams author of the 1977 Loaded Fanzine. Tim talks about the transition from Soul to Punk, the demise of Prog Rock and the fashion culture that sat seamlessly alongside the music. There are three previously unreleased tracks never before available on vinyl.

The Cortinas were the first. They played the Roxy Club, released two singles on Mark Perry and Miles Copeland’s Step Forward label, graced the front cover of Sniffin’ Glue and recorded a Peel Session. Guitarist Nick Sheppard remembers the night it all slotted into place: “I think a real turning point for us was seeing the Ramones at the Roundhouse on July 4,1976 – we started to write our own songs after that gig. We had been playing and doing gigs for about a year by then – all covers apart from one song, Tokyo Joe as I remember. After that gig we started writing stuff like ‘Television Families’. We saw people like us in the audience at that gig and it must have given us confidence.”

Taking their cue, bands like Social Security (the first band on Heartbeat Records), The Pigs (whose ‘Youthanasia’ single was released by Miles Copeland’s New Bristol Records), The Media, 48 Hours and Private Dicks gave Bristol one of the strongest provincial early punk scenes.

The area of Barton Hill gave us The X-Certs, who by 1978 could already pull audiences of five hundred into Trinity Hall. Though we did not realise it at the time, they effectively bridged the gap between the late 70s Bristol scene and what our American cousins like to term the UK82 bands.

In time bands from the suburbs of Bristol started to appear on the scene, Misdemeanor (who were managed by the late Dennis Sheehan U2’s tour manager for thirty plus years), Apartment from Downend (whose photo adorns the front cover) and Noiz Boiz from Weston Super Mare, the seaside town just down the road.

This compilation is designed to give all fans of Punk a snapshot of what Bristol Punk was all about during that period. We close side Two of the album with The X-Certs Clash infused /reggae single ‘Together’ and follow it with one of Bristol finest Roots reggae bands Talisman and their single ‘Wicked Dem’. The punky/reggae party had truly started as we move into the 80’s Bristol Stylee!

‘Skeletons’ GAV KING

Released 29TH March 2024 on Strictly Limited (300 copies only) Black 180gm Vinyl in Gatefold Sleeve and Digital Download
The old punk adage was to live fast, die young, and have a good-looking corpse – and while Gavin King gave the first one his best shot, he got sidetracked and skipped the next step. Now, almost 50 years after burning brightly on Bristol’s burgeoning punk scene of the late seventies, he finds himself having a late surge of creativity.
With Private Dicks, the band that first threw Gavin into the spotlight, having just released a live album, and while he waits for his bandmates to finally finish off what will be the Bristol legends’ second album, he has turned his attention to his first, fully-fledged, solo effort. With help from Dicks’ guitarist and life-long friend Paul Guiver and former Tears For Fears and Robbie Williams sideman Neil Taylor, Skeletons is eight tracks (ten if you get the download) of dark, catchy, post-punk angst, the work of a man who has taken another look at his life and the state of the world and had a few thoughts….
“Obviously everything that’s released now is viewed through the prism of the pandemic,” Gavin reflects from his apartment in Bristol. “And in many ways, this is no different. Like everyone else I have been indoors for ages, but once I completed Netflix and finished arguing with the cat, I began to look at the state of the world today. “And once I started doing that, I stared looking back at my own life. Then before you know it a bunch of songs are sitting on my hard drive….”
Once the songs had started to take shape, Gavin drafted in old friends Guiver and Taylor to add the flourishes and finishing touches, with Taylor taking on production duties. The result is something even the usually self-deprecating King is happy with. “Neil’s production is just superb,” admits Gavin. “He’s added a depth to these songs and taken them in directions I really was not expecting – but it really works. “I’d almost go as far as to say I’m proud of this record.” For a man known for playing down many of his achievements over the years, this is quite the statement. Blending seething vocals with sweeping, majestic arrangements, Skeletons is a dark, mature record littered with the infectious choruses that made Private Dicks the band they were back in the day. It is fair to say making Skeletons was not something Gavin saw himself doing, even a couple of years ago, but life has a funny way of putting you where you’re meant to be.
After stepping back from the music business in the mid-nineties, he crossed paths with a band called River Street. Who happened to be looking for a singer. So once again, Gavin found himself dragged back to the stage. Fast forward a few years, and a few solo dabbling’s never really meant for public display, and we find that Private Dicks are having something of a resurgence – in Japan. Which leads to four old friends meeting up for a drink or two… “Suddenly this analogue punk band is getting a new lease of life in the digital age, and we are playing shows in Berlin, we are getting booked for festivals. We are even working on an arrangement of one of the Skeleton songs, so it will be interesting to see what we do with that.
So, while I was waiting around for the guys to sort their schedules out, instead of just getting annoyed and frustrated – I decided to be productive. And I am really pleased with the results!”

‘The Bristol Mod Explosion 1979-1987’ – Various Artists

Released 22nd March 2024 on Strictly Limited (300 copies only) White Marble Vinyl

Bristol Archive Records have been telling the story of the incredibly diverse Bristol Music scene for many years now. The label has gained considerable success with their previous releases ‘The Bristol Reggae Explosion’ series – Volumes one, two and three covering 1978 to the end of the 80’s. We followed the Reggae vibe with another critically acclaimed reggae release ‘The Bristol Roots Explosion’ and in 2023 we turned our attention to punk with ‘The Bristol Punk Explosion 1977-1979’. Now we turn our attention to another Subculture – Mods and we bring you ‘The Bristol Mod Explosion 1979-1987’
This album covers the period 1979 to 1987 and features 14 tracks.  When punk rock started to fizzle out and Squat Punks started to appear on the streets, many of the UK’s disaffected youths had already moved sideways into Modernism and fell in love with bands like The Jam, Secret Affair, The Purple Hearts, The Lambrettas and The Chords but lets also remember our love for The Beat, Madness and The Specials.
Mod was another gang culture, to some a way of life, to some it became life.  The smart, striking fashion sense, the scooters, the music; (some from the 60’s, soul and Motown), some from the 70’s and 80’s, guitar driven power pop. Wow! Mod was the real deal.
The West Country embraced the scene and produced its own authentic Mod bands like The Reaction, Mayfair and The Newbeats.  Other bands were in on the Mod tag for a period of time but could be more appropriately described as Power Pop / Ska, namely, The Review, The Rimshots and Thin Air.
Success for some was supporting their heroes, a good example being Thin Air (previously called Out of Order) with their 15-year-old guitarist and singer/ songwriter Paul Sandrone, who supported The Jam at The Locarno in 1980 and The Rimshots, who played on the same bills as The Beat and The Bodysnatchers.
This album is a soundtrack to an era, remembering a period in time when Top of The Pops was full of Secret Affair and The Chords together with all the Two-Tone bands.  Thatcherism was killing multi-cultural Britain but to escape, it was ok to write a catchy pop song, it was ok to look smart and it was acceptable to wear a Parka, white socks, Hush Puppies and a mohair suit.
Enjoy the soundtrack to our lives – ‘The Bristol Mod Explosion 1979-1987’ is released 22nd March 2024 on White Marble Vinyl.

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